2018Case3DPSGroup

21 L EAN C ONSTRUCTION I RELAND A NNUAL B OOK OF C ASES 2018 resulted in almost all the project team being retained for the contract that ensued after this case study project. The DPS Group Construction Manager had the following to say about the use of LPS: “The Last Planner System implemented on the project had a positive impact in many ways. It enhanced acceptance of task ownership and improved leadership skills with our supervisors while in parallel creating a natural team ethos between contractors. It created a very proactive planning approach. Pharma projects can be challenging to close on-target deadlines and last planner provided all the information required to allow constraints to this goal to be mitigated. It also highlighted punch-list closeout requirements which had definite dates for closure. With improved punch-list closeout durations as well as the project being completed on time, this allowed us to see a positive impact commercially as we had no requirement for additional labour or prelims post-Project Completion. The enhanced coordination amongst trades brought greater safety and quality benefits, affording management more time to focus their efforts on value adding tasks as opposed to firefighting and resolving impending issues.” The learning that DPS Group attained on this project has now become the standard procedure in its delivery model, and the lessons learned from integrating EPCM&V into such a challenging schedule has enabled the company to take a major leap forward in the scale of projects that it can now bid for. The DPS Group Design Project Manager suggests the following: “Last Planner in design assists greatly the understanding from design discipline to design discipline, identifying the constraints and highlighting the reasons why work is being scheduled in a specific way. Knowing who your customer is, dr ives a shared respons ibi l i ty to del iver on des ign commitments at the time required.” As Lean is ultimately defined as ‘value in the eyes of the customer’, it is fitting that the final comment on the integrated use of LPS across EPCM&V on the case study project should rest with the Client’s Project Manager: “This client completed two similar sterile facility upgrade shutdowns this year, one with standard scheduling tools with another Engineering firm and another under Last Planner with DPS. There were significant improvements evident within the following areas: • Schedule reliability & forecasting. • Contractor ownership of thei r work streams and milestones. • Issue resolution speed. • Avoidance of issues around overcrowding in certain rooms by entering number of personnel per area/task. • Improvements in safety and coordination. Last Planner is a useful tool to enforce discipline with other stakeholders onsite with regards to work planning (site maintenance/operations/facilities teams) and with other smal ler project works that are occurring in the same workspaces.” Postscript by Aiden O’Dwyer, Director Cork Operations DPS Group “Kevin Hallahan was DPS Group Performance Manager in Cork Operations and was responsible for implementing LPS on this case study project. On the 30th of September 2017, Kevin lost his life as a volunteer with Dublin-Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team on a mountain rescue training exercise in North Wales. In the short space of time since his path crossed with the DPS Cork operation, initially doing Yellow Belt Training and then joining the Operation as Performance Manager, Kevin had such a positive influence on his work colleagues and on the day-to-day workings of projects he was involved in. His energy carried all those eager to join the Lean journey, but moreover Kevin influenced any reluctant team members to participate, by demonstrating the benefits of Lean and LPS in a way that only Kevin’s unique leadership and personable charisma could accomplish. Kevin’s legacy remains resolute, and the Cork Operation is driving forward with Lean initiatives. There are now 18 Green Belts in the office and a strong Lean ethic embedded within the Operation. There will be an annual review of the Lean initiatives undertaken and an award offered to the best submission in Kevin’s name. This annual award, as well as this case study, will maintain focus and due credit to Kevin’s legacy, who through his energy and leadership has started DPS Group Cork Operations on this Lean journey.” Figure 4. In Memoriam: Kevin Hallahan