Can Last Planner® System Help to Overcome the Negative Effects of Design-Bid-Build?

The design-bid-build (DBB) procurement method has negative effects on construction projects. To find out whether those effects found in the literature appear in the field and to find ways to overcome them, nine interviews with practitioners from the architecture, engineering and construction industry have been conducted. It was found that building a lean culture in the DBB projects and/or setting up a management system that acknowledges lean ideals can help to overcome the negative effects of DBB. Using compatibility assessments of teams and “add-ons” to the standard contracts such as FAC-1 (Framework Alliance Contract) or Construction Manager at Risk were also mentioned as ways to overcome the problems existing in DBB environment. It was found from the interviews that Last Planner System supports tackling the existing problems of DBB in number of ways. It enables building lean culture in the DBB projects through improving communication, visualization, transparency and collaboration, building trust, enhancing mood and relationships, as well as overcoming claim culture. It does help to minimize the negative effects of the DBB procurement method on construction projects.