Leveraging lean across multiple concurrent capital projects

Background

The Owner began work on three concurrent projects: an ambulatory center, a research institute, and a neurological institute. Each project was awarded to a unique designer and a unique builder. The Owner hoped to leverage an integrated lean project delivery model so engaged Boulder Associates.

Obstacle

The Owner had experience with Lean/IPD, but never on projects of this scale or on a program with multiple concurrent large projects. The local market was relatively new to lean and IPD as a delivery model. There were also large concurrent projects taking place in the region. We proposed that the owner embrace a program approach, seeking to optimize the whole of all three projects despite the challenges of integrating three separate project teams.

Approach

We worked with the Owner to enhance their delivery process, a method anchored in their founding medical roots wherein they ask their project teams to “behave as a unit.” Through weekly meetings, we worked with the Owner to develop and implement a plan for lean and integrated behavior across the projects.

We worked with the Owner to develop and deploy the following elements:

• A Big Three Project Summit held multiple times per year for shared training, lessons learned, and other inter-team interactions
• A standing series of meetings to coordinate labor relations for the unions and ensure that projects would receive the labor support they would need at the right time
• Lease of shared space for the project teams to utilize for off-site prefabrication activities
• Cross project coaching and learning focused on work toward the Owner’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion goals
• Relational surveys and team health assessments to promote improvement at the individual and project team level
• Cluster Group workshops to share learning across projects at building system and component levels
• Social activities to promote connectivity and relationships across the project teams

Result

Results have been mixed as some elements have been more successful than others. The efforts to coordinate labor relations, the shared prefab space, collaborations across cluster groups, and social activities were well received and productive. Other activities were met with resistance at varying levels.

Lessons Learned

Program level collaboration is rare and is challenging to many designers and builders.

Things work best when the Owner leads – some initiatives were driven by the owner while others were left to the project teams. Owner initiatives were successful while those left to the teams frequently fell flat or met resistance.

Recommendation: Work with the Owner to establish clear conditions of satisfaction and express them to the team.

Collaboration takes persistence – asking competitors to collaborate can be a tough pill to swallow. Consideration must include creating a safe environment.

Recommendation: Leave enough time to develop the program. Start with small, sustained elements before moving on to more challenging issues.