Constraint removal and work plan reliability: A bridge project case study

Ashtad Javanmardi, S. Alireza Abbasian-Hosseini, Simon M. Hsiang, Min Liu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Entry/PoemConference contribution

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Effective removal of constraints is critical in the Last Planner System (LPS®)to improve work plan reliability. While removing constraints is important, it remains unclear to project managers about which types of constraint have the highest level of uncertainty and to what extent the constraint removal discussions are efficient for improving work plan reliability. This research uses a bridge project as an example to answer these research questions. The authors collected planning meeting minutes, look ahead plans, and production dataof11 weeks to analyze constraint removal discussions in weekly plan meetings and the associated Percent Plan Complete (PPC).Information theory method was used to calculate the amount of information gain and the information transmission efficiency for PPC improvement. Results show that “Prerequisite Readiness” is the most important constraint to discuss and contributes to 24% of the total information gain for PPC improvement. This constraint also has the highest information transmission efficiency of 36%, almost twice the average information transmission efficiency of the other constraints. The method proposed in this paper can be used repetitively on other projects and will help project managers to improve their meeting effectiveness in order to achieve higher work plan reliability.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationIGLC 2018 - Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction
Subtitle of host publicationEvolving Lean Construction Towards Mature Production Management Across Cultures and Frontiers
EditorsVicente A. Gonzalez
PublisherThe International Group for Lean Construction
Pages807-817
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9789380689296
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes
Event26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction: Evolving Lean Construction Towards Mature Production Management Across Cultures and Frontiers, IGLC 2018 - Chennai, India
Duration: Jul 16 2018Jul 22 2018

Publication series

NameIGLC 2018 - Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction: Evolving Lean Construction Towards Mature Production Management Across Cultures and Frontiers
Volume2

Conference

Conference26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction: Evolving Lean Construction Towards Mature Production Management Across Cultures and Frontiers, IGLC 2018
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityChennai
Period7/16/187/22/18

Keywords

  • Constraint analysis
  • Information theory
  • Lean construction
  • Meeting
  • Plan reliability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Building and Construction
  • Civil and Structural Engineering

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