Fuentes-Del-burgo, J; Fernández, J P R and Navarro-Astor, E (2024) Kanban applied to construction: A literature review. Construction Economics and Building, 24(4-5), pp. 43-57. ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
Kanban is a process management system originally developed in the automotive industry that is migrating to other fields such as construction. This article provides a literature review of 53 international scientific contributions that focus on the application of Kanban in the construction sector. The content has been qualitatively analysed using ATLAS.ti 8.1 software and interpretative synthesis applied to summarise relevant findings. Kanban has been used for supply chain management, Just In Time (JIT) implementation in construction, and the Last Planner® System (LPS) for work management and coordination. In addition, we have detected a progressive evolution to E-Kanban systems and their application in Building Information Management (BIM) environments, as well as the development of new software applications and methods. Kanban's flexibility and its value in terms of improving the performance of construction sites is highlighted. Future research is suggested to explore the implementation of this system in the European and Spanish construction sector.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | BIM; construction industry; e-kanban; kanban; Last Planner system |
| Index terms: | implementation, construction industry, coordination, planner, automotive industry, construction sector, kanban system, evolution, last planner system, process management, just-in-time, building information management, construction site, literature review |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, environmental science, lean logistics, lean construction, data analysis and analytics, work location, profession, industry analysis, information systems, project controls, management |
| Topics: | Site Management, Organizational Design, Time Control, Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Sustainability, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here