Clients of the construction industry often express their dissatisfaction with the

performance of the industry. This criticism comes on the basis that clients want
greater value from their investment on project and achieve a product this is delivered
in a timelier fashion, and of quality standards. The supply team has raised concerns
that construction has a low and unreliable rate of profitability, and thinks that efforts
are not generally being rewarded accordingly for all the hard works, safety measure,
challenges and difficulties encountered bringing these projects to completion. While
all these factors and more plague the construction industry, this is also coupled with
mistrust and the engagement of blame game. However, the manufacturing industry
on the other hand has been exceeding, using lean management principles to deliver
its products with continuous improvement.
As pointed out by (Bertelsen & Koskela, 2004) only half of the work scheduled
for a week on construction projects sometimes get accomplished. This indicates that
the construct industry needs to improve its product output and that new approaches
and concepts must be the employed.

Lean thinking can be one of these

approaches. The main driver behind lean thinking is that it recognizes, only a small
fraction of total time and effort put into delivering the product adds value to the end
user. The Lean method is considered to be a dynamic process, always looking for
ways of improvement but ensuring waste elimination.

(Alarcon, 2007) Defines

waste as all activities that produce cost, direct or indirect, but do not add value or
progress to the product can be called waste.

The construction process is made up of a number of activities and tasks that

is carried out to meet project goals and objectivities. Within the scheme of things
there are certain activities or task which adds direct value to the project, while some
task dont. However, tasks that do not add value to the finish product, are often
necessary components of the work that ensures the satisfactory completion of the
finished product.

Example, the construction of a reinforced concrete column,

requires the sub-trade to construct the formwork in place so that the concrete can be
poured into the form. The true value of this task is the finished concrete column(s) in
place. The formwork was required for the task but in the end it has added no value
to the project.

Lean philosophy are founded on the premise of the concept of

conversion and flow, where only conversion adds value to the product as pointed out
by (Alarcon, 2007).

Therefore close attention should be made to those activities

bounded together when reducing or eliminating waste, thus making conversion more
efficient.
Base on study conducted by A. Serpell et.al. most waste came from flow
activity, conversion activity and management activity, as factors identified that
produce waste in construction and came from two condition which contributes to this,
are work inactivity and ineffective work. Inactive work contributes to waiting time,
idle time, traveling, resting and physiological needs. On the other hand ineffective
work contributes to reworking working slowly and inventing work (Alarcon, 2007).
Therefore, to reduce or eliminate waste the role of managers becomes critical in
providing adequate planning. The lack of poor layout distribution, poor allocation of
work, all contribute to the lack of proper planning, and thus the waste.
According to (Miller, 2009) Taiichi noted that keeping waste at absolute
minimum or elimination all together, two things must be considered. a) Improved
efficence is tied to cost reduction, and this is achieved only by producing what are

needed using minimum resources and; b) Look at efficiencies at all levels which
must be improved at every step and at the same time.
Non-value added activity can be seen as activities that has no impact on the
finish product or the activity was done poorly which could be considered a waste of
time and effort from the client perspective. Waste according to (Sayer & Williams,
2007) is an activity that consumes resources without creating value for the
customer.

Seven forms of waste was identified by Ohno Taiichi, in the

manufacturing industry of which principles could be applied in the construction

industry.

These key forms of waste reviewed by (Forbes & Ahmed, 2011) are

transport, waiting, overproduction, defects, inventory, motion and extra processing.

The transportation or unnecessary movements of materials from one place to
another is waste. In the case where a drywall sub-trade stock pile materials in a
common route on the site that end up requiring multiply moves of the materials. The
constant movement can cause damage to the material, use of effort and resources,
which adds no value to the work. This reflects on the level of planning, the lack of
process flow and or poor site layout.
Waiting or idle time is waste. Waiting can be caused by any reason, which
includes waiting on instruction or a go-ahead to carry out an activity. The delay or
idle time before a person can begin the next activity because the upstream task is
not yet completed.

Lack of proper instruction or late decisions and or use of

resources to do the required assignment.

Overproduction is building or performing more than what is required which
does not add value to the project and thus seen as waste to the customer.

For

example the block work sub-contractor move along quickly with the block work
installation without allowing the electrical nor the plumbing sub-contractors a chance
to install their first fix runs in the wall. This may results in the unnecessary cutting

and or damages to the installed block wall. Lack of work coordination can contribute
to overproduction.
Defects or rework is another form of waste. Substandard works that fail to
meet project specification often have to be redone, which is adds no value to the
project. Take the case of a tile finishes that did not follow instruction given in laying
out the tile pattern but carries out the activity differently. A task should be done right
at the first time. Remedial work to this mistake cost material, money and time.
Inventory or stock that is not currently needed in the flow of thing is nonadded value, and in this case, it is a waste of financial resource tied up in stock.
While it is necessary to have stock on hand, it poses a risk when these stock gets
damaged or loses it shelf life then these item would have to be replace when
required for installation.
Motion or ineffective movement of person not positively contributing to the
process or work flow, is a waste that does not product any addition value to the
project. This can be attributed to a worker who is carrying out an activity on a
scaffold but is constantly moving up and down in search of tool or equipment to carry
out the task. This reflect a level of poor organization, and no pre-planning of the
equipment of tool needed for the task.
Over Processing is seen as performing more operations of using excessive
specification which in itself adds no value to the project. for example the contract
manager may give a supplier last minute order approval for purchase of product that
cost more than the tendered amount in the document, because of the availability and
need to complete the task and to stay project on track.

This is a scenario where

expensive material or product is being used which adds no value to the client. This
further indicates the lack of adequate planning and procurement arrangement.
However, studies have shown that waste has been identified in other area in
the construction industry that can be reduced or eliminated. According to (Alarcon,

2007) review, other authors have considered three waste areas noted; bureaucracy,
people and time. These three area could clearly address. The bureaucratic process
or top down management approach to address things. Lack of people (human
resource) with adequate skills set to assist in creative thinking thereby improving the
process of things and the time that can be saved by being effective and efficient in all
aspects of delivery.

SUMMARY
The concept of waste and value in the construction industry is considered to
be not clearly understood by construction personnels, according to (Alarcon, 2007),
and some level of training is needed so that they can improve performance by
adopting strategies that can reduce or eliminate waste in the industry.

Many of the

problems associated with waste and non-value added activities can be controlled or
eliminated by first recognizing the need for improvement and then implementing new
approach and concepts to improve the processes. One such strategies that can be
adopted for improvement is lean construction principles.
Performance measurement can be use as an indicator for improvement of the
company. Egan stated clearly that measurable objectives should be set and then
focus on them by use of quantified targets. Best practices performance benchmark
targets are set for achieving the objectives. As stated in the course notes

WORKSCITED
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Bertelsen, S., & Koskela, L. (2004). Construction Beyond Lean: A neaw
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International Grop for Lean Construction (p. 11). Elsinore, Denmark, 2004:
IGLC.
Forbes, L. H., & Ahmed, S. M. (2011). Modern Construction Lean Project Delivery
and Integrated Practices. Florida: Taylor & Francis Group.
Miller, J. (2009, January 18). The Toyota Production System by Taiichi Ohno,
Chapter 2 Pt.1. Retrieved February 24, 2015, from Kanzen Institute: message
posted to http://www.gembapantarei.com/2009/01/the toyota production
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Sayer, N. J., & Williams, B. (2007). Lean for Dummies. New Jesser: Wiley
Publishing.