Managing for continuous improvement in off-site construction: Evaluation of lean management principles

Purpose - Several off-site manufacturing companies in Sweden have attempted to apply lean management to improve process effectiveness and efficiency. A state of continuous improvement is a key goal of lean management, as described in, e.g. Likers 4P model. The aim of this study is to test a method to measure the degree to which lean management principles have been adopted by companies that base their production on off-site manufacturing, as a prerequisite for a sustainable approach to continuous improvement. Design/methodology/approach - A survey is applied as research method, using a questionnaire based on the authors' perceptions of best practices corresponding to each lean management principle. Two questionnaires were distributed to both management and factory production personnel in two off-site manufacturing firms in Sweden. Findings - The Likert scores regarding the degree to which lean principles have been applied in the two studied companies showed similar patterns (and similar differences between the management and production personnel's responses), indicating that the results can be generalised within an off-site construction context. The study shows that continuous improvements must emerge and evolve simultaneously with a focus on processes, people and long-term thinking. Research limitations/implications - In order to obtain more generalised and detailed results a more extensive survey covering several companies, as well as more detailed case studies and more questions regarding each principle, are needed. A multivariate analysis will also scan the material for further dependences. Originality/value - The paper highlights several aspects that are important for management to be aware of when aiming for continuous improvements in off-site manufacturing.