NORMA eResearch @NCI Library

An investigation into the dissemination of lean principles in the Irish construction industry

O'Brien, Kevin (2016) An investigation into the dissemination of lean principles in the Irish construction industry. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

[thumbnail of Master of Business]
Preview
PDF (Master of Business)
Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Lean Construction offers a new construction project procurement and delivery format which can address the fragmentation, inefficiencies, and wastes which prevail in traditional construction methods. This is achieved by building on the principles of a lean production system aimed at maximising value and minimising waste.

With a return to growth following a significant downturn, the Irish construction industry is now looking to new project procurement and delivery formats, such as Lean Construction, to try to avoid repeating the mistakes of old. However, the Lean Construction concept has only
recently been introduced to Ireland and there is limited information available on its adoption and implementation.

To try to address this, research was carried out in the form of a detailed literature review and a survey of Irish construction companies to gauge the level of dissemination of lean principles in the Irish construction industry.

The research found a broad understanding of lean principles and concepts in the Irish construction industry and the adoption rates of lean tools and techniques to be quite high. However, the findings also identify that the Irish construction industry is still dominated by traditional project procurement, planning and management methods and that the use of newer, leaner methods is the exception rather than the norm.

In general there are some very positive signs that there is an ever increasing rate of adoption and, on average, the Irish construction industry has fared better than other countries previously studied. There appears to be a very good foundation already established for the future development and expansion of lean principles in the Irish construction industry and the participants in the survey certainly believe that lean represents the future of construction in Ireland.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: T Technology > TH Building construction
H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Construction Industry
Divisions: School of Business > Master of Business Administration
Depositing User: Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited: 03 Nov 2016 14:59
Last Modified: 03 Nov 2016 14:59
URI: https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/2313

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item