2020BookofCases

Contents Lean Construction Ireland Annual Book of Cases 2020 80 Terms & Concepts Continuous Improvement (CI) This is “Kaizen” in Japanese, and it refers to the never- ending cycle of incremental efforts to improve products, services, and processes. Lean is a CI methodology and Lean’s 5th Principle of “Seek Perfection” and “PDCA” speak to CI. Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA) This is a process that investigates and solves problems, identifies causes, takes corrective action, and prevents recurrence of the root causes. The ultimate purpose of CAPA is to ensure that the the problem can never be experienced again. Cost Modelling Developing a model of the cost components and systems specific to a project and structuring it in a manner that the components and system costs can be continually updated either via benchmarks, metrics, or detailed estimates, to provide the team with a constantly up to date cost model for the project. In the TVD environment, the cost model should allow for projecting “what-if” scenarios based on value decisions that have yet to be made. Critical Path Method (CPM) The critical path method is a step-by-step project management technique to identify activities on the critical path. It is an approach to project scheduling that breaks the project into several work tasks, displays them in a flow chart, and then calculates the project duration based on estimated durations for each task. It identifies tasks that are critical, time-wise, in completing the project. Critical To Quality (CTQ) These are the key measurable characteristics of a product or process whose performance standards or specification limits must be met in order to satisfy the customer. CTQs represent the product or service characteristics as defined by the customer/user. Current State Map This is a snapshot of how a process is currently done, showing the current methodology of how you produce products or perform services for your customers. It is a visual method of succinctly recording the key aspects of the current structure and processes in the whole, or any part, of a supply chain. Customer The individual engaged in a conversation for action who will receive the results of performance either requested from, or offered by, the performer. That is, the person receiving goods/ information from a performer. Customers can be internal (for example, a foreman receiving answers to an RFI; or an architect receiving mechanical loads from an engineer), and external (for example, end users or client organisations). Cycle Time The time it takes a product or unit of work (for example, a room, building, quadrant) to go from beginning to completion of a production process. That is, the time it is work-in-process. Defined Task A quality task must be “defined”. It must have a beginning and end, and it should be clear to all when it has been completed. Dependence This refers to where two or more tasks are sufficiently related that one cannot be started (or finished) without a certain measure of progress or completion having been achieved by the other. Waiting on release of work. Direct Observation Also known as “Observational Study”, this is a method of collecting evaluative information in which the evaluator watches the subject in their usual work environment without altering that environment. DMAIC Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control. DMAIC is a data-driven improvement cycle used for improving, optimising, and stabilising business processes and designs. The DMAIC improvement cycle is the core tool used to drive Six Sigma projects. Earned Value (EV) This is an approach involving monitoring the project plan, actual work, and work completed value, to see if a project is on track. Earned Value shows how much of the budget and time should have been spent, considering the amount of work done so far. Eight Wastes A framework of eight types of activity that do not add value – thus they are “Waste”. They can be summarised as “DOWNTIME” (Defects, Over-Production, Waiting, Non-utilised resources/talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Excess-Processing); or as “TIMWOODS” (Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Over-Production, Over-Processing, Defects, Skills). Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) This is the integrated management of core business processes, often in real-time, mediated by software and technology, and providing an integrated and continuously updated view of core business processes using common databases. Expected Cost An expression of the team’s best estimate at the conclusion of the Validation Phase of what current best practice would produce as a price for the facility reflected in the accompany- ing basis of design documents. Typically, the Expected Cost will also be supported by benchmarking or other market data to calibrate the Expected Cost in light of the market context.