https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0175
What limits effective target value delivery implementation in construction projects?
Zulay Giménez1, Alejandro Vásquez-Hernández2, Jesús Ortega3, Harrison Mesa4, Jhonattan Martínez5 & Luis Alarcón6
1Assistant professor School of Civil Construction, Faculty of Engineering and Research Associate of Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-9051-14342Assistant Professor, School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-1073-4038
3Academic, Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-1148-937X
4Associate professor School of Civil Construction, Faculty of Engineering and Research Associate of Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-7050-3610
5Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-6715-4440
6Professor, Department of Construction Engineering and Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-9277-2272
Abstract
Target Value Delivery (TVD) has been recognized in the Lean Construction literature for its potential to maximize project value under early-defined cost constraints. However, its practical implementation remains limited and often partial. This study presents a literature review to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing TVD in construction projects. Based on a structured search conducted in Scopus, 35 studies reporting empirical experiences or applications of TVD were analyzed, leading to the identification of 22 barriers grouped into five categories: organizational, contractual and legal, cultural and behavioral, technical and process-related, and client-related. The results indicate that the most recurrently reported barriers are primarily concentrated in the contractual, cultural, and technical dimensions. In particular, misaligned economic incentives, traditional contractual frameworks, lack of trust, and difficulties in defining and operationalizing value emerge as recurrent constraints across the literature. The study proposes a prioritization logic based on the frequency of occurrence of barriers, interpreted as a proxy for their relative relevance, emphasizing the need for integrated and sequential interventions. This review contributes to Lean Construction research by reinforcing the understanding of TVD as a socio-technical system and by providing an analytical foundation for future research and implementation strategies.
Keywords
Target Value Delivery (TVD), implementation, target cost, barriers, literature review.
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Giménez, Z., Vásquez-Hernández, A., Ortega, J., Mesa, H., Martínez, J. & Alarcón, L.. (2026). What limits effective target value delivery implementation in construction projects?. 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. 1407–1418). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0175
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Giménez, Z., Vásquez-Hernández, A., Ortega, J., Mesa, H., Martínez, J. & Alarcón, L.. (2026). What limits effective target value delivery implementation in construction projects?. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0175
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