AECOO Change Management – LEAN Construction are the path to improved productivity.
If the architectural, engineering, construction, operations, and owners sector (AECOO) would stop its hype about digital transformation and BIM/3-D visualization and focus upon change management and associated LEAN construction methods significant benefits would be realized in relatively short order.
As is stands now, without a dedicated focus upon making a success of change management, the AECOO sector is doomed to continue its legacy of economic and environmental waste.
The Fallacy of Digital Transformation
Forward-looking organizations never start of by saying let’s focus upon technology. Their primary focus is upon outcomes and building teams and assuring adequate resources to obtain them.
One only need look at the failures associated with ERP systems and most recently with BIM. Companies looked to ERP technology to prepare them in meeting business challenges, yet for years simply automated existing poor practices verses making fundamental improvements.
BIM has suffered the same fate to date. Companies assume BIM is some sort of ERP for the AEC sector, when in fact, it is little more that a 3-D visualization tool when it comes to a technology, and little more as a business solution.
Collaborative LEAN Facilities/Asset Management
LEAN collaborative construction delivery methods have existed for decades and they have proven to consistently deliver approximately 90% of renovation, repair, and new construction projects on-time, on-budget, and to the satisfaction of all participants and stakeholders. Despite their availability however fewer than 5% of the AECOO sector takes advantage of their use and even few use them properly.
The reason for lack of adoption and proper use is simple. LEAN collaborative construction delivery requires fundamental changes in how people work and interact on a day-to-day basis. Collaboration is required. Financial transparency is required. Shared risk/reward is required. Owner leadership is required. A minimum level of competency for all participants is required. These requirements sadly are foreign to most AECOO participants.
Integrated Project Delivery-IPD, for major new construction and Job Order Contracting-JOC, for renovation, repair, and minor new construction are proven collaborative LEAN Construction Delivery Methods. Tools and services are readily available to any AECOO sector member.
Cultural and people change activities need to take place in BEFORE any major technology change activities, or at the very least in concert with them. The role is technology is secondary, it help so reduce the cost of deployment and assist in assuring levels of consistency and ongoing improvement.
Primary focus MUST be upon education and training. Specially building the level of Owner leadership and competency, as well as assuring all participants fully understand and accept working within a collaborative and transparent environment.
AECOO Change Management – LEAN Construction are the path to improved productivity.
- Strategy and organization alignment and focus upon outcomes
- Feedback and championing success
- Employee and partner team engagement at all levels
- Shared Risk/Reward
- Common Data Environment – CDE
- Transparent financials/costs