Differences Between Lean Construction Approach and Project Management Institute (PMI) Approach
The differences between and PMI approach are listed below:
- Managing the interaction between activities and combined effects of dependence and variation, is a first concern in lean construction because their interactions highly affects the time and cost of projects(Howell,1999);in comparison, these interactions are not considered in PMI.
- In lean construction optimization efforts focus on making work flow reliable (Ballard, LPDS,2000 ); in contrast PMI focuses on improving productivity of each activity which can make errors and reducing quality and result in rework.
- The project is structured and managed as a value generating process (value is defined as satisfying customer requirements) (Howell, 1999), while PMI considers less cost as value.
- In lean approach, downstream stakeholders are involved in front end planning and design through cross functional teams (Ballard, LPDS, 2000); on the other hand PMI doesn’t consider this issue.
- In lean construction, project control has the job of execution (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000); whereas, control in PMI method relies on variance detection after-the-fact.
- In lean method, pull techniques are used to govern the flow of materials and information through networks of cooperating specialists (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000); in contrast, PMI uses push techniques for releasing the information and materials.
- Capacity and inventory buffers are used to absorb variation(Mura). Feedback loops are included at every level, to make rapid system adjustments, (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000); in comparison, PMI doesn’t consider adjustments.
- Lean construction tries to mitigate variation in every aspect (product quality, rate of work) and manage the remaining variation, while PMI doesn’t consider variation mitigation and management. (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000)
- Lean approach tries to make continuous improvements in the process, workflows and product (Howell, 1999); whereas PMI approach doesn’t pay that much attention to continuous improvement.
- In lean construction, decision making is distributed in design production control systems (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000); by comparison, in PMI decision making is centered to one manager some times.
- Lean construction tries to increase transparency between the stakeholders, mangers and labourers, in order to know the impact of their work on the whole project (Howell, 1999); on the other hand, PMI doesn’t consider transparency in its methods.
- In lean construction a buffer of sound assignments is maintained for each crew or production unit (Ballard, PhD thesis, 2000); in contrast, PMI method doesn’t consider a backlog for crews.
- Lean construction is developing new forms of commercial contracts to give incentives to suppliers for reliable work flow and optimization at the deliverable-to-the-client level (Howell, 1999); while PMI doesn’t have such policy.
- Lean construction production system design resists the tendency toward local suboptimization. (Ballard thesis); however, PMI persists on optimizing each activity.
- The PMI-driven approach only considers managing a project at the macro-level. This is necessary but not sufficient for the success of projects. Lean Construction encompasses Project and Production Management, and formally recognizes that any successful project undertaking will inevitably involve the interaction between project and production management. (Abdelhamid et al. 2008)
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