Using TVD simulation to improve collaboration

Abstract

Target Value Design (TVD), a lean approach, has been implemented successfully in the past decade in various countries and its process mandates the collaboration of project participants. However, issues of adapting collaborative practices and the time it takes first-time users to understand TVD practices have been a challenge in TVD projects. Recently, there has been an increase in the creation, reinvention and use of simulations and serious games to teach TVD and other lean principles to project stakeholders encountering them for the first time. The 50 minute version of the simulation game developed in Texas A & M University was used to illustrate TVD practice and collaboration in this study. The study used 24 industry stakeholders from a reputable real estate developer during the implementation of TVD on a live project in Nigeria. The results reported that the simulation is effective in illustrating the practices of TVD including collaboration and designing to set targets. Finally, this study recommends the inclusion of the TVD simulation game in training and workshops for project team before the commencement of construction projects because it demonstrated to be a simple and practical method of understanding collaboration and TVD practices.