Development of a lean construction framework for the Saudi Arabian construction industry

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia construction industry is bedevilled with many problems. Many construction projects delivered to poor cost, time, quality performances. In addition, many of the construction organisations in the KSA operate with inefficient project delivery processes and produce enormous wastes and low-value return to clients. Lean construction has been proposed as a management strategy for overcoming the problems associated with construction project delivery and organisational processes in the KSA construction industry. Despite the avalanche of frameworks for implementing lean construction strategies, the appropriate framework for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry is lacking. The result is the limited implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Beside the lack of an appropriate framework for implementing lean construction strategies, there is a concerning dearth of research addressing issues pertaining to the implementation of lean construction such as the barriers and critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. As a result, the state of art of lean construction in the KSA construction industry is unknown. Therefore, this study is carried out to promote lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The research methodology follows a pragmatic research paradigm which allows the combined use of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The quantitative methodology aspects involve the questionnaire survey of experts to obtain their opinion on the types of wastes, the tools and techniques that support the implementation of lean construction, benefits of lean construction, and stages of application of lean methods in the KSA construction industry. In addition, the questionnaire was used to gather experts' opinion about the barriers to the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The data obtained from the survey was analysed using powerful statistical analysis techniques such as one-way ANOVA, and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. An open-ended questionnaire combined with an interview scheme was also designed to obtain the experts' views on the CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The data obtained was qualitatively analysed using content analysis to derive a comprehensive list of CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. On the basis of the list derived, selected experts were asked to complete a pairwise comparison of the CSFs through a well-designed row and column questionnaire. An ISM technique was employed to specify the interrelationships among the CSFs, as well as their hierarchies in order to develop an ISM model for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry. An interview with experts who have the understanding of lean construction and the operations of the KSA construction industry was carried out to check for conceptual inconsistencies, and to confirmif the model can be implemented as a lean construction framework for improving the performance of construction projects and organisations in the KSA construction industry. The investigation reveals that 'waiting' is the most pervasive type of waste in the KSA construction industry, while the level of pervasiveness of the over-processing and over-production types of wastes are different between the large and small construction companies mainly due to resource constraints. There are a myriad number of different tools/techniques that support the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry, but the computer aided design (CAD) provides the most support to the implementation of lean construction. The top ranked barriers which are of greatest concern to the implementation of LC in the KSA construction industry are: influence of traditional practices, unfavorable organisational culture, lack of technical skills about lean techniques, and lack of understanding of lean approaches. In escending order of pervasiveness, the principal factors that constitute these barriers in the KSA construction industry are the traditional practices barrier, client-related barrier, standardisation barrier, a technological barrier, performance and knowledge barrier, and cost related barrier. Of these principal barriers, the client related barrier is a new kind of barrier to implementing lean construction in the body of knowledge. There are 12 CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. As a result, an ISM model that specifies the relationship between the CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry is developed, while a further validation study confirms that the ISM model can be implemented as a lean construction framework for improving the performance of construction projects and organisations in the KSA construction industry. The ISM model comprises of 7 hierarchies (VII-I) of the 12 CSFs. The CSFs in the top hierarchy are the most important CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Those in the middling hierarchy are very unstable, whereby any action taken on one or more of them has an effect on another. Therefore, utmost care and consideration are necessary when putting in place any of these CSFs for the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The CSF in the least hierarchy is the least important in the KSA construction industry, and to apply this CSF is entirely reliant on the other CSFs, in other words, other CSFs need to be in place to apply this CSF to the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Overall, the study generates a new knowledge in the area of lean construction in the KSA construction industry context. This study reveals the state of art of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. In addition, this study identifies the barriers to, and the CSF for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. This study also develops an ISM model that specifies the relationship among the CSFs for implementing lean construction towards the development of a framework for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry. In contrast to existing frameworks, the framework reflects the socio-cultural and operation context in the KSA construction industry.