Development of lean model for house construction using value stream mapping

Lean construction has recently attracted considerable attention in the home building industry. Lengthy delivery time and significant waste in the construction process have caused many home builders to seek a more effective production model that will increase process reliability, reduce total lead time, and improve quality. However, although housing construction provides the closest analogy to manufacturing, a high level of variability prevents the direct transplantation of lean paradigm and techniques. In collaboration with a local home builder, a systematic approach based on value stream mapping technique is developed in this research to analyze the current process and to formulate a lean production model. The model has four main features: synchronized first-in, first-out lane-based flow, production leveling at pacemaker, work restructuring, and improved operation reliability. A simulation template is built to verify the model and to assist in the development of interim implementation models. This paper presents data collection and value stream selection, current practice analysis, and specific changes proposed for the lean production model.