Lean Construction Education Program Unit 6: Lean Design and Pre-construction - Instructor’s Guide

WELCOME TO UNIT 6: LEAN DESIGN AND PRE-CONSTRUCTION
Lean Construction is driven to minimize costs and maximize value on each project completed, challenging all
stakeholders to develop and apply better ways to manage the overall construction process. Everyone related
to the construction process has incentive to get the project done faster and at a lower cost — from the project
owners, who want to see tangible results for their investment, to designers and contractors, who want to do
their job well and move on to the next project.
Throughout the construction process — planning, design, construction, activation, operations, maintenance,
salvaging and recycling — the holistic pursuit of continuous improvement drives more efficient, effective and
economical projects.
On a corporate level, lean is most effective when embraced by all areas of the company. To do so, senior
management must understand the need for and advantages of lean implementation. But lean is also an
individual journey. All project team members must work together on a daily basis, incorporating lean principles
into their most basic work, to see the true benefits of lean. This course is just one part of the foundation that is
available to help you reach these goals.
Up to this point, the courses in the Lean Construction Education Program have been focused on variation
inherent to workflow, the value of pull production and effective structuring, planning of those activities on
the project site and eliminating and maximizing value in the supply chain. With Unit 6: Lean Design and
Pre-construction, we will look at the contracting design process and techniques, the role of contractors and
specialty contractors in lean design, teamwork in design, tools used in lean design and Target Value Design.
The course is divided into three sessions:
Session 1 introduces the design process and presents the case for lean design and pre-construction, along with
defining value in design and how it affects the value of the entire project.
Session 2 introduces ways contractors and specialty contractors participate in the lean design process. The
session emphasizes the importance of teamwork and explains the tools used to facilitate lean design.
Session 3 presents the concepts of value engineering with a simulation and the need for cross-functional teams
in lean design along with an introduction to Target Value Design.
The optional Leveling Session is designed for classes with a majority of participants who have not completed
the prerequisites. The session consists of an overview of the key concepts of lean construction: reduced
variation, the benefits of pull in construction, the relationship between pull and the amount of work
completed, and the benefits of continuous flow. The Light Fixture Assembly Simulation is used to reinforce
these concepts. This session should be presented first if participants need to be brought up to a level of
understanding to comprehend the information presented in the three course sessions.