Development of a tool for diagnosing production management efficiency on construction sites

Many studies presented in the literature pinpoint that the construction industry suffers from a lack of efficiency if compared with other industries; e.g. manufacturing. This bad construction industry performance can be attributed to many reasons, and these are the focus of discussion in a literature review and are also evidenced in some case studies carried out during this research. However, it was identified that construction does not have a specific tool capable of recognizing the causes for this low performance, what surfaced is the following main research question: how can production management systems be easily evaluated and diagnosed in construction companies? Thus, the objective of this thesis was to create a theory-based diagnostic tool, relying on the lean production principles of flows management, to measure construction industry efficiency at the production level. This lean diagnostic tool is able to identify and justify waste occurrences in the construction process as well as to pinpoint opportunities for improvement, through mitigation or elimination of those wastes. To fully achieve the thesis' objective the research methodology adopted was constructive research, that aims to provide solutions to explicit problems, in this case pursuing: problem solving, innovation, models, and improved processes. Therefore, this thesis focuses on producing theory-based innovative solutions to relevant practical problems, added to the generation of new learning and knowledge, in the process of constructing the solution. The constructive research cycle was composed of the following phases: awareness of the problem, suggestions, development, evaluation and conclusion. The final artefact is the Lean Diagnostic Tool (LEADIT), an easy to use tool that provides solid theory-based output diagnosis of the performance of construction processes at the production level. The elements that compose the LEADIT structure are a 'Cover Sheet', 'Structure Interview Form', 'Leanness Form', 'Nonvalue- adding Activities Analyses', and a 'Check-list to Avoid Making-do'. To facilitate final adjustments and an evaluation of LEADIT's performance with end-users, four case studies were carried out on construction sites. Concluding this thesis, a critical analysis is made to identify if the LEADIT complied with all the objectives proposed. The artefact's innovative aspect, contribution to knowledge, and practice relevance are also discussed.