The relationship between the Last Planner® System and collaborative planning practice in UK construction

Daniel, E.I. ORCID: 0000-0002-5675-1845, Pasquire, C. ORCID: 0000-0001-6344-2031, Dickens, G. and Ballard, G., 2017. The relationship between the Last Planner® System and collaborative planning practice in UK construction. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 24 (3), pp. 407-425. ISSN 0969-9988

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify how the newly emerging UK practice of "Collaborative Planning" (CP) for construction project delivery aligns with the advocated principles of the Last Planner System (LPS) of production planning and control. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed, qualitative, exploratory approach was adopted for the study. This entailed qualitative data through three techniques namely: semi-structured interviews, documents analysis, and structured observation. Thirty in-depth-interviews were conducted over a 12 month period with lean construction consultants, clients, main contractors, and subcontractors drawn from the building, highways and infrastructure and rail sector. Fifteen projects were visited where practices were observed. Findings – The study reveals that the current practice of CP in the UK partially aligns with the LPS principles. Where practitioners have heard of the LPS they believe it to be the same practice as CP. Limitation: This study is limited to 30 interviews, observation of 15 projects and document analysis. The aim of the study is not to generalise the findings, however, since the study examined top construction companies and practitioners in the UK and the findings were consistent across the sample, some conclusions could be made. The study is also limited to examining the construction phase only, future studies should incorporate the design phase. Practical Implication - A clear identification of the elements of current practice compared to the components of the LPS provides a contribution to the future practice of project production planning and management in the construction industry. Social implication – The study highlights a continuing resistance to collaboration within the industry. This resistance is subtly embedded within implemented practices even though they are based on collaborative working for their success. Originality and Value – This is among the first studies in the UK that comprehensively examines and reports the application of Last Planner System/Collaborative Planning practice in construction across the major construction sectors. Future studies could build on the findings from this work to develop an approach/methodology to improve the current practice.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
Creators:	Daniel, E.I., Pasquire, C., Dickens, G. and Ballard, G.
Publisher:	Emerald
Date:	2017
Volume:	24
Number:	3
ISSN:	0969-9988
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	11 Aug 2016 08:56
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2017 13:20
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28295

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