Value Stream Mapping in Construction for Improving Productivity

Abstract

Remarkable productivity improvements are observed in manufacturing industry which encouraged the emergence of lean thinking into construction industry. Poor management, output variability, labour intense work, interior work conditions and insufficient quality are the potential problems in construction industry which prevent implementing lean techniques. In this report productivity measurements for different activities like rebar installation, formwork installation and concrete pouring for column and slab processes are evaluated accordingly using output/input ratio. Value stream mapping (VSM) is used to analyse the lead times, work in progress levels (WIPs) and non-value added time. From the current state VSMs of bar-cutting/bending and column processes we have significant lead times, idle times Improvements are done by identifying the wastes and eliminating them and reducing the non-adding value.