Moving from lean manufacturing to lean construction: Toward a common sociotechnological framework

Abstract

Since the early 1990s, the construction industry has taken some interest in the application of lean production to its own case. A new body of research led by the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) has been exploring new techniques for the industry. In this article the techniques developed for lean construction are compared with those of lean manufacturing. Differences between the manufacturing and the construction cases showed why lean production does not fully suit the construction industry. Although some elements are in an embryonic state, lean construction has built a set of techniques that are transferable to any constructor. Lean manufacturing and lean construction share many common elements despite their different techniques. The need for a joint combination of technical and human elements shows that both approaches conform to a common sociotechnological design. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 15: 233–245, 2005.