34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0138

Sync or Sink: a simulation to expose variation, mitigate impacts, and improve flow

Dana Sobh1, Dominic Desmarais2, Ryan Budiab3, Jason Russell4 & Farook Hamzeh5

1PhD Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0004-2609-054X
2PhD Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0002-0506-5041
3MEng Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected]
4MSc Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0007-7030-8384
5Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-3986-9534

Abstract

Games and simulations, with their immersive learning and tactical dimensions, have long been used across many industries to help people shake their biases and make connections between traditional practices and novel ideas. The lean construction community has been active in creating new games and simulations to explain its paradigm to students and practitioners. This paper presents a new game called “Sync or Sink™,” created to support participants' experience when learning the impacts of variation on workflow and project production systems. The game highlights potential sources of variation on projects through narratives and anecdotes and supports meaningful engagement with their peers while respecting their humanity. A preliminary pilot study (n = 7) of the game was conducted with participants followed by a post-game survey. The survey supported the claim that the game was engaging and resonated with real-life experiences. The participants reported that the game helped illustrate the source and impact of variability in workflows and the benefits of collaboration to attenuate its impact. The paper presents the initial version of Sync or Sink™ and establishes the foundation for a new lean simulation game that supports experiential learning.

Keywords

Simulation, serious game, flow, variation, collaboration.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Sobh, D., Desmarais, D., Budiab, R., Russell, J. & Hamzeh, F.. (2026). Sync or Sink: a simulation to expose variation, mitigate impacts, and improve flow. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 680–691). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0138

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Sobh, D., Desmarais, D., Budiab, R., Russell, J. & Hamzeh, F.. (2026). Sync or Sink: a simulation to expose variation, mitigate impacts, and improve flow. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0138

 

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