Lean Project Management

In the 1990s, Toyota revolutionized the auto industry with Lean Production Management, a novel approach to getting the right things to the right place at the right time in the right quantity, all with the intent of minimizing waste and maximizing operational flexibility. Consultants in the construction industry adapted this set of practices for their own purposes and it eventually became known as Lean Project Management.

In the traditional method, plans are prepared by a team of designers who work in relative isolation from each other and from the trades workers who perform the construction. Completed plans go to a general contractor who manages subcontractors, making scheduling and sequencing decisions in a top-down manner. The subcontractors often carry out their appointed tasks with little communication or cooperation.

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