A FUZZY EXPERT SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE DEGREE OF LEAN IMPLEMENTATION IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Abstract

Lean construction has emerged as a production management philosophy that can achieve significant performance improvements within the construction industry. However, the industry has not yet achieved full potential in terms of the implementation of Lean principles as compared to other industries. Such achievement necessitates continuous improvements throughout the project lifecycle. However, it is first necessary to understand the current level of Lean implementation to identify opportunities for improvement. Previous researchers have developed frameworks for measuring the degree of Lean implementation of an organization as a means to assess continuous improvements. However, being on the organizational level, these frameworks might not provide the means for assessing the incremental improvements toward transforming into a “Lean” construction company. There is a need to gauge the level of lean implementation at the project level, serving as a crucial stepping stone for overall organizational achievement. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a framework for measuring the degree of Lean implementation in a construction project using fuzzy expert systems (FES). This system provides decision-makers with an evaluation of the current implementation of Lean in construction which, in turn, provides a direction on further opportunities for improvement.