Exploratory study into the use of Last Planner ® System and collaborative planning for construction process improvement

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Daniel, E.I. ORCID: 0000-0002-5675-1845, 2017. Exploratory study into the use of Last Planner ® System and collaborative planning for construction process improvement. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

The Egan report, generally called Rethinking Construction, challenged the lack of collaboration in planning, designing, and executing work on site, and recommended the adoption of lean production principles such as the Last Planner System (LPS) to enhance the image and efficiency of the industry. Recent evidence from different parts of the world suggests that the implementation of the LPS has gained prominence in the construction industry and its influence on the production system is rapid and significant. However, the application of this system in the UK construction industry has not been fully explored among industry practitioners. In addition, a systematic understanding of how Collaborative Planning (CP) practice in the UK aligns with the LPS is still lacking. The absence of authoritative research and empirical data makes it difficult for an appropriate approach to be developed to improve current practice.

In view of these problems, this research was under taken to unravel how the current application of CP for delivering construction projects in the UK align with the LPS principles and to develop an approach to support construction stakeholders in the implementation of the LPS. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this investigation. Data were collected from across these sectors (building, highways infrastructure, and rail) of the UK construction industry. A total of 58 interviews were conducted, 15 projects observed, 3 case studies conducted and 10 evaluation surveys received. The study found that the current practice of CP as observed in the major sectors of the UK construction industry only align partially with some of the generally advocated principles of the LPS acknowledged in the literature. Analysis of the results reveals that the current practice of CP in the UK has not explored all components of the LPS and depth of application of the more complex attributes contained in the LPS is weak or missing.

The information gleaned from the finding uncovers and highlights the need to develop an approach to support construction stakeholders in the implementation of the LPS. Accordingly, this study developed the Last Planner System Path Clearing Approach (LPS-PCA) that includes organisational and external path clearing levels. This expands previous approaches to the implementation of the LPS in construction which focused more on the project level. Pilot implementation on a live project indicates that the developed LPS-PCA supports LPS implementation.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Daniel, E.I.
Date:	May 2017
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the Author, Emmanuel Itodo Daniel. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any reuse of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level, and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	23 Jun 2017 08:53
Last Modified:	23 Aug 2021 09:35
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31057