The implementation of LEAN Efficient Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Basics can add significant value to physical assets, while also maximizing financial investments.
Current Approach to Facilities Repair, Renovation, Construction, and Facilities Management
Multiple competencies/disciplines, business domains, and technologies are required to to ensure optimal functionality of the built environment. It is the integration of people, process, information, and technologies that is provided for by adopting LEAN strategies.
Currently most facilities management practitioners and service providers primarily rely upon archaic and antagonistic project delivery methods and a focus upon “first costs” versus “life-cycle costs”. There is also not the required focus upon the used of a common data environment (CDE), including for example detailed line item construction tasks organized by CSI MasterFormat(TM). Lastly, paper documents and spreadsheets unfortunately either prevail or are used inappropriately, thus creating opportunities for miscommunication and avoidable errors/delays.
Even though the majority of costs (approximately 80% of total life-cycle costs) occur during the operational and maintenance (O&M) phase, decision-making is largely made based upon lowest bidder versus best value as well as current year impacts versus multi-year considerations. As a result, staggering levels of economic and environmental waster are common across the architectural, engineering, construction, operations, and owner groups.
LEAN Facilities Management / LEAN Construction Delivery
LEAN methods provide a proven integrated, coordinated, and efficient way to manage all project and program phases (from design through construction, into operation, and beyond).
There are currently at least three proven LEAN methods relevant to this discussion:
- Life-cycle total cost-of-ownership modeling and management
- Integrated Projects Delivery
- Job Order Contracting
All require taht information is collected, managed and shared through a common data environment (CDE) to ensure that everyone working on a project has access to the latest information.
All focus upon best value outcomes and long term relationships, as well as continuous improvement and required ongoing training.
All necessitate a change in how people (participants and stakeholders) interact on daily basis.
The Benefits
LEAN facilities manage can improve overall productivity by 60%. Furthermore, 90%+ of projects can be consistently delivered on-time, on-budget, and to everyone’s satisfaction.
Change orders and legals disputes are all but eliminated.
The Obstacles
LEAN FM and project delivery has been around for over thirty years, yet is practices by less than 5% of the “market”.
Technology is not a barrier, nor should it be the driving factor. For example, BIM technology is not required for either LEAN FM or LEAN project delivery, but is simply a optional tool.
The primary obstacles to BIM are … People, Culture, and Education.
Collaboration between the owners, service providers, building users, and the community allows knowledge to be captured and exchanged on an early and ongoing basis throughout the entire life-cycle of a built structure. This encourages input form all “team members” and assure a clear “statement of works” and quantitative goals measurement, as well as longer-term thinking, all of which reduce the overall cost of the building/structure.
A shift in focus and associate improvement in formal and professional education with respect to the integration of all facilities management domains is sorely needed.
With respect to culture, owners must understand that they are responsible for all outcomes. The must accept their stewardship roles and provide requisite guidance and leadership. This includes technical and management competency.
From a public sector perspective, any requirement/statue dictating that the lowest bid/bidder must be use is counterproductive and demonstrated a complete lack of fiduciary responsibility. Facilities and structures are NOT commodities and focus must be upon providing the best value for taxpayers over a reasonable timeline.
Learn more about what you can do? info@4BT.us