What are Best Practices for Preparing High-Potentials for Future Leadership Roles?

As global organizations flatten hierarchies in an effort to run lean, dynamic middle managers play an increasingly important role. The best companies emphasize succession planning, requiring leadership take a determined and disciplined approach to help leaders develop and rise within their organizations. As a means of investment, firms have established clear career paths and provided career development experiences for their organization’s highest potentials. High-performing organizations have narrowed their focus to foster and develop the following key competencies: Change management capabilities are the top priority for high-potentials’ professional development. They should be prepared to influence and drive performance in a dynamic environment, where the only true constant is change. A leadership mindset is equally important for middle managers looking to advance in their career. Consistently, organizations are redefining the term “leader” to apply at multiple levels, and not just at the highest level. This includes the capabilities to make tough decisions in ambiguous business environments. Communication skills play a pivotal role in managing horizontal integration in complex organizations. The need to clearly and effectively communicate both up and down in the organizations is paramount. Possessing an understanding of team dynamics should also be a high priority. The capability to lead and develop talent is also essential for maintaining momentum for the future growth

The magic of the Last Planner® System for Nigerian construction

Extremely poor economic performance of the Nigerian construction industry suggests that non-value adding activities are prevalent, which result not only in the reduction of contractors’ profit margin but economic loss for the country in general. This study analyses non-value adding activities in Nigerian construction sites. The research seeks to establish potential antidotes within the Last Planner® System (LPS) and reveal the elements of the LPS which could be abstracted into Nigerian construction to improve performance. It was found that these elements form the theoretical basis for developing a lean approach that was labelled Last Planner® thinking

Trends for the development of anthropocentric production systems in small less industrialised countries: The case of Portugal

This paper analyses the problems and trends of the introduction of anthropocentric production systems (APS) in small less industrialized member states of the European Union, specifically the case of Portugal, based on the report for the FAST-Anthropocentric Technology Assessment Project (Monitor Programme) on “Prospects and conditions for APS in Europe by the 21st century”. Research teams from all countries of the European Community, as well as researchers from USA, Japan and Australia were participating in this project. The aim of this paper is to characterize APS and to present some special considerations related to the socioeconomic factors affecting the prospects and conditions for APS in Portugal. APS is defined as a system based on the utilization of skilled human resources and flexible technology adapted to the needs of flexible and participative organization. Among socioeconomic factors, some critical aspects for the development of APS will be focused, namely technological infrastructure, management strategies, perceived impact of introduction of automated systems on the division of labor and organizational structure, educational and vocational training and social actors strategies towards industrial automation. This analysis is based on a sample of industrial firms, built up for qualitative analysis, and on case studies analysis that can be reference examples for further development of APS, and not just for economic policy purposes alone. We have also analyzed the type of existing industrial relations, the union and employer strategies and some aspects of public policies towards the introduction of new technologies in the order to understand the extent to which there exist obstacles to and favorable conditions for the diffusion of anthropocentric systems. Finally some recommendations are presented to stress the trends for the implementation and development of anthropocentric production systems in Portugal.production systems; Portugal; Technology Assessment; human resources; organization; management strategies; automation;

Sustainability of International Standards Organisation 14001 Standards through Integration with Lean Principles

Both Lean and Environmental Management System (EMS) are key business processes which are employed by companies to enhance their manufacturing process and quality performance. ISO 14001 requires a commitment to continual improvement. Yet it does not prescribe how a company should seek the continual improvement. Lean is a process improvement method that helps companies that use it to continually improve. This study analyses these two systems and provides an understanding of how these processes had contributed in improving business efficiencies. Approach: The research methodology applied in the context of this study involved both primary and secondary research methods in gaining a deeper and practical insight into the issues facing Lean and EMS integration. The primary data collection process involved the use of questionnaires for the purpose of gaining a practical insight into the research issue. The literature review summarized the evidence collected from various secondary sources to enable an understanding of the scope, benefits and application of Lean and EMS systems. Results: The findings contributed to the framing of new conceptual framework that combines benefits of both Lean and EMS principles for enhanced business results. Conclusion: This study concluded that an integrated business model can help organisations realize potential benefits and possibilities in the field of business enhancement

Last Planner System: Experiences From Pilot Implementation in the Middle East

The work described in this paper is devoted to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing Last Planner to improve construction planning practice in Saudi construction industry. Firstly, the primary results of implementing Last Planner System (LPS) in two construction projects in Saudi Arabia are presented. Action research strategy was undertaken with different data collection methods employed included interviews, observation and survey questionnaire. Secondly, benefits gained in terms of improving construction management practice are presented, the critical success factors for LPS implementation are discussed, and potential barriers for implementing LPS revealed from the studies are presented. The results demonstrated numerous benefits were gained in terms of improving construction planning and site management. The fact that the structural work in one of the sites finished two weeks ahead of schedule is a clear evident of this improvement. However, there are some potential barriers reported which hindered the achievement of full potentials of LPS. Finally, a comparison between the outcome of this study and some previous studies on Last Planner in other countries is briefly carried out

Sustainability Of ISO 14001 Standards Through An Integration With Lean Principles

Lean and EMS are widely appreciated by organisations in improving business efficiency and productivity. The distinct systems have worked towards the enhancement of business capabilities, reduction production costs and meeting ISO standards. The paper analyses these two systems and provides an understanding of how these processes have contributed in improving business efficiencies. Past research studies have revealed that there are wide ranging possibilities and scope of expanding the application potential of these systems to provide even better business models. The primary objective of the paper is to provide a conceptual framework through an effective integration of these two systems for enhanced business efficiency and productivity. The study concludes that an integrated business model can help organisations realize potential benefits and possibilities in the field of business enhancement. In this context, the study explores the possibilities of integration and aims to provide an understanding of the individual systems. The research then goes on to explore the possibilities of integrating the two models to provide an effective approach in achieving organisational efficiency. The research methodology applied in the context of this study involved both primary and secondary research methods in gaining a deeper and practical insight into the issues facing Lean and EMS integration. The findings contributed to the framing of new conceptual framework that combines the benefits of both Lean and EMS principles for enhanced business results

THE LAST PLANNER® SYSTEM PATH CLEARING APPROACH IN ACTION: A CASE STUDY

The “Last Planner® System” (LPS) is commonly viewed as the foundation of Lean Project Delivery. It is increasingly used in certain parts of the globe. However, LPS implementation often fades off due to issues reported at organisational, project and external levels. The LPS Path Clearing Approach (PCA) offers an antidote to these issues. The goal of this paper is to outline how the LPS-PCA helped restart a stalled implementation of the LPS through a “shallow and wide” organisational approach rather than a more traditional “narrow and deep” project approach. The LPS-PCA in action is documented within an on-going UK case study organisation. Action and covert research methods were used to introduce LPS principles, thinking and language without attributing them to LPS in response to resistance to the actual LPS. The 15 step actions within the LPS-PCA are expanded from a past, current and future state perspective. The study found that the LPS-PCA’s 15 step actions were useful as a benchmark to continuously remove constraints that blocked the implementation of the LPS. In summary, the use of the LPSPCA is recommended before, during and after organisations engage with LPS Consultants if organisations are serious about sustaining the implementation of the LPS

Principles and Business Improvement Initiatives of Lean Relates to Environmental Management System

Lean and Environmental Management System (EMS) are widely appreciated by organizations in improving business efficiency and productivity. The distinct systems have worked towards the enhancement of business capabilities, reducing production costs and meeting ISO standards. This paper analyzes these two systems and provides an understanding of how these processes have contributed in improving business efficiencies. Past research studies have revealed that there are wide ranging possibilities and scope of expanding the application potential of these systems to provide even better business models. The research study aims to provide an understanding of the individual systems and then goes on to explore the possibilities of integrating the two models to provide an effective approach to achieving organizational efficiency

Principles and Business Improvement Initiatives of Lean Relates to Environmental Management System

Lean and Environmental Management System (EMS) are widely appreciated by organizations in improving business efficiency and productivity. The distinct systems have worked towards the enhancement of business capabilities, reducing production costs and meeting ISO standards. This paper analyzes these two systems and provides an understanding of how these processes have contributed in improving business efficiencies. Past research studies have revealed that there are wide ranging possibilities and scope of expanding the application potential of these systems to provide even better business models. The research study aims to provide an understanding of the individual systems and then goes on to explore the possibilities of integrating the two models to provide an effective approach to achieving organizational efficiency

Creating Social Value within the Delivery of Construction Projects

The purpose of this paper is to present the current knowledge surrounding social value and show how lean approach supports social value realisation in the delivery of construction projects. A critical literature review was adopted, to gather the current knowledge surrounding social value from mainstream management sciences, construction management and lean literature. A total of 70 studies were critically reviewed. The study reveals that the separation theory propagated by Friedman, (1962), tends to separate social value from economic value, thus making organisations care less about delivering social value. The study found that there is still no clear or single criterion for measuring social value delivered and there is a dearth of scholarly publications on social value especially in construction management literature. The investigation shows that lean production approach has the potentials to enable construction organisations to conceptualise the community and the physical environment where they operate as customers, which contributes to the delivery of social value objectives in construction projects. This study conceptualises the community and the physical environment around where the construction project is executed as customers using lean production approach and shows that the Transformation, Flow & Value view support smooth workflow which enhances the achievement of social value objectives. This creates a new insight into how social value can be realised in construction project delivery. This study extends the on-going debate around the need for social value in construction project delivery and contributes to construction management and lean construction literature on social value. Future studies could build on this to obtain empirical data and develop an approach/method that would support the evidencing of social value delivery in construction projects