Professionals in the built sector know each job comes with its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. What sets the successful projects apart is the ability to maintain safety, quality, and productivity. Key metrics and scoreboards help maintain focus on those important measures that have the most effect on SQP.
When we want to maximize our results and regain our LEAN momentum, we are going to take a look at what Robert Pozesky says in his article, here.
High points below:
They are essential to LEAN success but, just like the methodology itself, it is important to regularly review these metrics and update them as needed to ensure relevance and gain insight into emerging areas for improvement. Here are two areas managers should consider adding to their key metrics:
DELAYS
How many delays does a project experience during a given time period? What is the total duration of these delays? What is the average length of each delay? Consider diving deeper into these answers by applying the Pareto principle and charting the causes of delays. Doing so will help identify common causes of delays and allow your team to allocate resources more effectively and put corrective actions into place to prevent future delays.
REWORK
Correcting an aspect of a project has significant consequences for both budgets and schedules, which begs the question: Why is rework not more widely tracked as a KPM (Key Performance Metric) in the construction industry? Leaders who wish to gain an advantage in planning, coordination and execution of jobs should consider adding rework as a key metric. Doing so will provide objective information to identify trends where the process fell out of sync and refocus energy on preventing repeated mistakes. Was the rework caused by a lack of clarity around design or scope? Time to improve communication between project managers, designers and support departments. Did it stem from poor coordination between subcontractors or worker error? Additional training or facilitation may be needed. Construction companies that add rework as a key metric can reap the benefits of identifying root causes and opportunities for improvement.
The proven benefits of LEAN are too valuable to squander with lack of focus or inertia. This focus can help leaders and their teams regain the momentum to maximize their LEAN results.
