Lean Thinking as an Approach for Improving Client Communication During the Design Process

Abstract

Lean thinking is perceived as a successful strategy for saving time and cost, while improving at the same time the position in the market. Lean thinking is about eliminating waste and increasing the quality. When applied correctly, lean thinking is a well understood and well examined platform upon which to build firm practices. In the architectural profession miscommunication has a lot of consequences including time and cost overruns, conflict and ultimately project failure. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of lean thinking in improving the communication between the client and the architect during the design process. To achieve the aim of this research, an indepth firstly, a literature review was used to build a comprehensive background about the research topic including the design process, causes and impacts of poor communication during the design process, and lean thinking. Secondly, an analysis of case studies was used to investigate the role of lean thinking in enhancing the client communication during the design process. It was found that comprehending, understanding and incorporating lean thinking principles in the design stages can assist in reducing the causes of poor communication between the architect and the client.