Visual management/visual controls implementation pilot : 5S in Highways Construction and Maintenance

This report presents a collaborative research effort between the University of Salford and Highways England on the implementation of the Visual Management (VM) concept,a fundamental element of lean construction, in the highways construction supply chain. After 10 visits to 5 different highways construction sites to identify VM implementation opportunities for the project, the 5S, which is a systematic visual workplace structuring methodology and the very first step to creating a visually transparent workplace, was implemented in one of the highways construction sites. The recorded benefits include a significant reduction in item transaction times (circa 50% reduction on average), savings in space (both vertical and horizontal), and improvements in the overall health and safety conditions. Alongside demonstrating the captured benefits, the report also explores the current 5S condition and how to disseminate the 5S concept further through the highways supply chain. A discussion of the 5S pilot and the 5S in general as per Highways England’s KPIs was also presented

Visual controls at the workface of road construction and maintenance : Preliminary report

Visual Management (VM) is a fundamental element of the lean production system that relies on the effectiveness of sensory communication to realise the lean production/construction goals. VM can be implemented by following certain frameworks in an incremental fashion. Visual controls are one of the main tools of VM that are used to limit and guide process outcomes. They are generally adopted in production management, process, safety, quality, and maintenance management efforts. VM and visual controls have extensively been an important part of lean construction initiatives for a while. Their implementation is also envisioned to be relevant to highway construction and maintenance projects. A set of critical points, general recommendations and possible areas of implementation for VM and visual controls identified from both research and practical experience are presented in this report

Benefits of visual management in construction: cases from the transportation sector in England

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of Visual Management (VM) systems in transportation construction projects in England. Design/methodology/approach: Following a comprehensive literature review, the benefits of VM were investigated through action and case study research executed within two construction projects in England. Findings: The main findings are; VM can contribute to (i) increased self-management, (ii) better team coordination, (iii) better promises or an increasing Plan Percent Complete (PPC), (iv) easier control for the management, and (v) improved workplace conditions in the transportation sector. It is important for the management to obtain the engagement of their workforce for VM through increased participation and demonstrating the actual benefits. However, managerial monitoring and control on the systems should not be underestimated. Originality/value: The transportation sector in England has been systematically deploying lean construction techniques in its operations for a while. One of those lean techniques is a close-range visual communication strategy called Visual Management (VM). The literature on the VM implementation in construction is scarce and generally limited to the building construction context. This paper documents the benefits of VM systems for the transportation sector by using data captured through both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The paper also identifies a set of recommendations for similar research efforts in the transportation context in the future

Earth­works Con­trol Automa­tion

Earthwork processes are influenced by a wide range of factors, including varying soil and weather conditions, machine related factors, traffic conditions, local site constraints and other human related factors. Dumpers and bulldozers are heavy duty equipment and there is need to optimise their operational efficiencies. Given dynamic nature of site and changing weather conditions, like temperature, precipitation or wind, can lead to process disturbance like complete restrictions on the site roads or a considerable slow down. Therefore, it is necessary to capture accurate data from site operations to reduce waste in earthwork processes. Even though various commercial vendors (e.g. Leica, Trimble) have started to provide commercial solutions to allow telematics operations (e.g. remote support, fleet management, grade control), costs of these solutions are prohibitive. Presented research proposes the use of low cost data capturing techniques and off-the-shelf technology components to collect real time and reliable data on Earthworks processes. This research aims to enhance earthworks efficiency through better utilisation of building vehicles and an improved information flow. On-site observations and anecdotal evidence suggest that waiting time for excavators and dumpers on Highways Agency’s schemes is a common occurrence. However, despite this evidence, there is a lack of real-time or archival data available on site operations and not enough effort is spent on gathering reliable and accurate data. In order to enable an optimised process, the need for an automated real-time data collection on construction sites is apparent

Visual Management in Brazilian Construction Companies: Taxonomy and Guidelines for Implementation

Visual management (VM) is the managerial strategy of consciously integrating visual tools in workspaces with the aim of increasing transparency on construction sites. Several VM tools and approaches that had been originally developed in the manufacturing context were implemented in construction. However, research on the application of VM in construction as a managerial strategy is scarce. This paper aims to investigate and classify the types of visual devices that can be used in construction sites through multiple case studies carried out in nine construction companies actively implementing VM. It also discusses strategies for the implementation of VM in construction. The main contributions of this investigation are: (1) a VM tools taxonomy that can be used to identify VM application opportunities, providing a basis for evaluating the level of VM implementation in construction; and (2) identification of critical factors for the implementation and various features of the VM strategy in construction

Using quantitative approaches to enhance construction performance through data captured from mobile devices

Lack of primary empirical data within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry has in the past hindered developments of academic research in the field of performance measurement in construction. This paper presents quantitative analysis of construction production data captured through mobile information systems and provides empirical evidence that data captured through mobile devices has the potential to deliver new and enhanced methods for performance measurement and enhancement. Relational data gathered through mobile devices is used to generate metrics against which construction issue resolution performance is measured. Paper also discusses various methods for early identification and visualisation of performance deviations. Research approach and findings can be used for the development of academic performance measurement frameworks and also as an evidence base for further development by industry in the field of performance enhancement. The paper contributes insight regarding innovative ways to interrogate construction production data and provide stimulus to others to develop the methods and approaches taken

From Conventional to IT Based Visual Management:A Conceptual Discussion for Lean Construction

Lean construction and construction automation are two of the important efforts to improve the performance of the construction industry. However, apart from a small number of scholarly articles and implementation prototypes, the lean and digital construction movements seem to be largely running independent of each other. This paper aims at exploring those connections between Visual Management (VM), a fundamental information management strategy in lean construction, and emerging technologies, demonstrating the synergy between the two concepts over potential implementation scenarios and establishing their conceptual connections in construction. Consequently, the hypothesis of the paper is there is a significant synergy between emerging technologies (construction automation) and visual/sensory information management strategies (Visual Management) in lean construction. The hypothesis is explored by (i) discussing how emerging technologies can support conventional VM tools and techniques and (ii) presenting a conceptual architecture to integrate emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, context aware and mobile computing, the use of drones and quadcopters, auto identification (AutoID) systems and laser scanning, to support lean construction and VM on construction sites. Futuristic scenarios for the implementation of the context-aware VM in application areas such as production control, production levelling, quality control, project planning and control, plant maintenance and safety control are examined from a lean construction perspective, alongside the presentation of a higher-level implementation architecture to integrate various VM and emerging technology components to support the implementation in a holistic picture. The use of such scenario based approach was found useful in summarising the technology components, their interconnections and possible implementation areas in relation with VM. This paper demonstrates how the integration of conventional and IT based visual management approaches is within reach and holds the potential to enhance the construction and maintenance phase of complex, large-scale construction projects by reviewing the synergies between operational VM concepts and IT

Investigating major challenges for industry 4.0 adoption among construction companies

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges hindering the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) among construction companies. Design/methodology/approach: The construction industry needs innovative technologies due to its complex and dynamic nature. In this respect, the latest trends such as digitalization, building information modeling (BIM), Internet of things (IoT) are of utmost importance in terms of fostering the change in managing projects and encouraging industry practitioners to adopt the change for better performance. This paper focuses on I4.0adoption among construction companies. In this respect, a questionnaire was designed and administered to construction professionals to reveal the challenges in I4.0 adoption among construction firms. The respondents were requested to fill in the questionnaire on the I4.0 efforts of their companies. The questionnaire was intended to collect the perceptions of industry practitioners working at large construction companies. Based on these, the challenges listed were ranked based on their relative importance and success indices. Finally, the Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to test whether statistically significant responses exist among groups of respondents (i.e. young and old companies, large and small, high and low revenue and main area of expertise). Findings: The results of the study indicated that resistance to change, unclear benefits and gains and cost of implementation are the major important challenges in terms of I4.0 adoption in construction projects. On the other hand, the data analysis implied that the majority of construction organizations successfully deal with the problems arising from lack of standardization, legal and contractual issues and cost of implementing in terms of promoting I4.0 adoption. Research limitations/implications: The study is expected to guide construction practitioners in terms of benefitting from I4.0 applications and deliver projects with better outcomes. This study might be used as a guide for the companies aiming to start their I4.0 transformation knowing the challenges and develop strategies for how to handle them. A concrete plan would help them achieve greater performance and benefit from the I4.0 implementation at the maximum level. Finally, the study implies that construction firms shall prepare action plans for handling each challenge listed and monitor their performance based on the planned and actual data of their projects. Originality/value: This study investigates the major challenges of I4.0 among construction companies. This is one of the important studies, which puts I4.0 focus forefront of the construction industry with a clear identification of challenges that construction organizations have to address to transform their organizations into construction 4.0. The study has the potential to guide both industry practitioners and researchers to develop awareness for the benefits of using the latest technology and fostering innovation. This is expected to create value for construction clients in terms of achieving the product with serious gains such as time and cost