Lean construction and project performance in the Australian construction industry

Abstract

The construction industry is plagued by poor project performance and the adoption of lean construction is seen as a way to address this issue. Therefore, this research aims to assess the implementation of lean construction and its relationships with project performance in the Australian construction industry. Just in time, last planner system, Six Sigma, and 5S management are the four lean construction tools investigated in the research. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from construction practitioners in Sydney, Australia. Results show that the implementation of these four tools is adequate, although some lean activities need to be implemented at a higher level. Lean construction also has strong correlations with many project performance indicators, demonstrating its value to the construction industry that is in a dire need of improvement. Finally, this research also recommends specific areas for improvements.