2018Case4Sisk

23 L EAN C ONSTRUCTION I RELAND A NNUAL B OOK OF C ASES 2018 example, cable-tray on pipe-racks was relocated fractionally to avoid having to delay piping installation, and some suspended ceilings were converted to walk-on ceilings, thus eliminating over € 60k of steel access platforms. Uti l ity piping was rationalised, also providing significant cost savings. Figure 1. Project 3D Modelling Logistics Designed to Eliminate Overlaps To ensure the most efficient logistics on the project and to facilitate maximum cooperation, SISK decided to supply all office accommodation for all contractors. A single shared accommodation block was set-up with, for example, a safety department shared by safety officers from all contractors, a shared BIM area, and a shared staff canteen. To manage the tight footprint, all movement of materials onsite and the provision of skips were undertaken by SISK. This was done with zero cost impact as subcontractors deducted their normal allowances from their bids at tender stage. More importantly, the sharing of facilities and resources helped to dilute the normal barriers which traditionally tend to exist between contractors and the Construction Management Team. Commitment from the Supply Chain at Tender and Award Stage and on Follow-Through The tendering process included a commitment from bidders to the Lean programme for the project. The project’s Lean philosophy and charter were explained, and director-led commitment to the Lean programme was secured from the outset from the full supply chain. The key message of course is that the openness, transparency, and trust which is required in the Lean process is a significant mindset change for many contractors and is most likely to be secured incrementally with each party sharing a little more as the weeks go by. Trust is earned and it is vital that everyone follows through on their commitments. For example, every contractor will from time-to-time be let down by a supplier and/or materials or components will be delivered late. Traditionally there is a tendency not to share this problem – perhaps there is even a tendency to invent reasons why a task cannot be done to hide the issue of the missing component lest another party claim that they were delayed, for example. However, in the collaborative scenario each party must share their problems, be honest if they cannot complete a task, and all others must develop an appropriate work-around. Figure 2. Collaborative Engagement Relate to Supply Chain as if They Are Your Own Staff – Cut Down Emails, Meetings, Reports A team compr i s ing of one company wi l l typical ly communicate and interact in a manner that reflects the fact that they instinctively and intuitively believe that they are on the same team, all working to the same goals on a project. Mistakes will be made and differences of opinion will occur, but the manner of resolving and working around problems will reflect the common goal. Traditionally when we establish a team comprising several contractors we introduce an element of commercial and contractual defensiveness – an element of mistrust, however small. Take a group of contractors on a traditional project and count the hours that are spent writing minutes, preparing progress reports, and writing emails. These activities largely reflect a contractual defensiveness and add little or no value to the project delivery process. The time wasted on such activities detracts from the effort in getting the job done. To break down these traditional barriers and ensure that as far as possible all effort was directed towards the project goals, the directors of the contractor teams agreed not to send any emails during the project if a phone call or face-to-face was adequate – emails were restricted to information sharing or technical matters. During the project, we recognised that too much time was being spent in meetings, perhaps too many people were in attendance, and the minutes were perhaps too detailed. We therefore introduced a “'policy” of allowing no more than an hour per meeting, and no more than a single page of minutes limited to a list of action points. If possible we avoided minutes and s imply recorded act ions on a whiteboard. We tracked time spent at meetings and delivered an approximate 30% reduction in time spent by SISK staff at meetings, with an equivalent saving in the time spent by our supply chain partners. Developing the 3D Model with Maximum Efficiency The 3D Model was developed by the design team to LOD 200. The model was then issued to the construction team who developed the model to LOD 350. A “BIM hub” was established on site – this being an open plan office set-up to get people engaging with the model and collaborating. Key subcontractors came into the open plan area as required and worked together with SISK to overcome issues. The 3D model was used in 90% of meetings to review all design, constructability, and schedule, and it added value to all meetings. The coordination process via the 3D model by the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractors resulted in streamlining and a physical reduction in the quantity of services – particularly on piping, with overall metreage reduced and resulting in savings of over € 145k for the client. This is just the physical non-value-add (NVA) or “waste” that has been stripped out of the project, and does not include the more intangible savings associated with clash prevention, sequencing, or early resolution of details. Information Management and Communications – Common Data Environment SISK manages information on projects using a collaborative cloud-based and off-line mobile field document control and BIM solution. This enables effective collaboration across the entire project team, design, client, and subcontractors. The entire team has confidence in the information process as it minimises the risk of incorrect or out-of-date drawings being used in the field, for example.