There is deep recognition in the construction industry that driving higher productivity is key to lowering project costs. While there are external forces at play, such as increasing project complexities, regulations, scope changes, labor shortages, and more, many inefficiencies and cost overages stem from internal productivity issues and resistance to […]
Overcoming Resistance to Change READ MORE
When HGA agreed to join McGough Construction on their first contractual IPD project, I jumped feet first into a trial-by-fire arrangement. Our project – McGough’s own new corporate headquarters in Roseville, MN – was a unique one, since McGough served a dual role as both Owner and Contractor. As trusted
Learnings from the Field: An Architect’s Musings from Her First IPD Project READ MORE
In my previous post How to Excel as a Leader of a Construction Team, I wrote about the importance of having a compelling vision and the Construction Leaders Dashboard, a valuable tool for newly promoted team leaders. This article will look into the EAR Framework as a valuable tool for
Discover the Ultimate Communication Tool for Lean Executives READ MORE
The design process is an organized method to gather the thousands of decisions needed to design a building, ranging from the big picture vision and architectural image to excruciating details about every system and every surface in every room. Despite having a well-established process honed over centuries, too many projects
Getting Decisions that Stick in Design and Construction (Part 1) READ MORE
One of my mentors asked me what is the biggest factor preventing me from spending more time forgetting the past (unlearning) and innovating for the future. My instant response was, “Innovation? I hadn’t thought about it.” As an Extrovert with a capital “E”, I next blurted out something about hyper-awareness
The Secret to Increasing Daily Performance and Happiness READ MORE
Have you just been promoted into a leadership role in the construction industry? Wondering how to excel in your new role? You are most probably sitting in your office thinking about what you are going to do in the next three to five years to really nail this next chapter
How to Excel as a Leader of a Construction Team READ MORE
Felipe Engineer-Manriquez is the brain behind the podcast The Easier, Better, for Construction Show, which focuses on Lean IPD in construction and sharing how to make large construction projects easier and better. The following questions are an extract from Episode 11 where we chatted about: Building with Integrated Project Delivery
5 Minutes with Felipe Engineer-Manriquez READ MORE
The healthcare industry is growing. According to Revista’s construction report, “from June 2018 to June 2019 over 21 million square feet of medical office space have been delivered across the country” (Revista, Hilda Martin, 2019) and this number is expected to continue to grow. The report further states that “preliminary
Can Owner Standardization Transform Healthcare Construction? READ MORE
What if you as a project owner in healthcare could build faster, control your supply chain, increase the quality of the finished product, and lower costs by utilizing an industrialized construction approach? Sounds too good to be true? Read on. At Mark III, we are fuelled by our vision to
Project Mountain: Build Better, Faster, and Cheaper READ MORE
In my article Confessions of a Social Researcher in the Building Industry, I shared the challenges we face in the construction industry because we don’t have a formal research structure. What I have been working on lately is the tie between Lean and equity exploring what is a lean equitable
Why Lean and Diversity are Going to Get You the Best Results READ MORE
When people hear the word research, they often think of research in science or medicine that seeks new solutions to known problems by building on studies that came before. It’s expected that new research builds upon previous findings and does not repeat them. To give you an example from the
Confessions of a Social Researcher in the Building Industry READ MORE
Are you one of those people who think that Scrum is for a bunch of software nerds who sit around programming all day? Maybe it’s time to shift your perspective. Yes, Scrum originally took hold in the Software industry as companies realized how Scrum allowed them to adopt and react
The Secret to Gaining Market Advantage in the Construction Industry READ MORE
We have all seen Big Rooms. Some are dynamic and exciting. There is open discussion and healthy conflict. By contrast, others are Big Room in space only. People from companies congregate together, instead of cross-functionally. Information is hidden from fear of consequences and lost reputation. Interaction is formal and trust
Going BIG in the Big Room READ MORE
Building complex capital projects with Lean Integrated Project Delivery has many advantages. Choosing the best contract to encourage a collaborative team right from the start is crucial for a successful outcome. How can you go about this? How can you ensure that the owner, design partners, and builders are collaborating
IFOA and the Advantages of Bringing People Together Faster READ MORE
Since the popularization of quality circles in the 1960s, companies around the globe continue engaging front line employees to improve their work using variations of PDCA, a scientific method for problem-solving using four steps: Plan a change or test aimed at improvement. Do carry out the experiment. Check (study) the
A3 Thinking for Powerful PDCA to Improve Project Delivery READ MORE