LEAN CONSTRUCTION: USING DCV TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE WASTE

Lean Construction, as defined by the non-profit Lean Construction Institute (LCI), is a production management-based project delivery system, emphasizing the reliable and speedy delivery of Value. The goal is to build the project while maximizing value, minimizing waste, and pursuing perfection – for the benefit of all project stakeholders. Owner operators are the main stakeholders in construction projects, and it would be remiss not to recognize that cost, schedule, quality, and safety are the key drivers behind their project approval and funding. However, to truly capitalize on the concept of lean construction, all stakeholders must support the overall lean philosophy of decreasing waste, which inherently increases the “value” of the process.

Waste comes in many forms, some unexpected within the traditional construction paradigm. They include unnecessary transport or motion, waiting, inventory, over-processing, overproduction, and defects. The construction industry has to deal with the major challenge of unnecessary project waste, including time, labor and materials. The crucial role of technology and the beneficial use of Digital Construction Verification (DCV) enables first quality construction by bridging the gap between the design documents and what's built in the field, eliminating costly rework. But what is DCV?

DCV technology, created by SiteAware, uses a process called photogrammetry and point cloud data; to generate a digital twin of the design documents. Autonomous drones capture the data, overlaying with the digital twin, DCV technology flags elements out of tolerance prior to the pour. The project team focuses only on the corrections needed instead of spot checking thousands of elements installed in the field. Observations are reported in real time so corrections can be made without holding up the schedule, within a ? inch accuracy. Trades are able to make corrections before concrete is poured, preventing schedule delays and latent risk later on.

Effective construction management requires accurate information and collaboration tools to complete the construction process. Integration with existing materials management is crucial so materials arrive on-site on time. There must be easy, fast, and accurate reporting; there is no need to reinvent the wheel. SiteAware easily integrates into the processes already in place, effectively reducing the 8 types of waste.?

Defects. Defects are incorrect work that needs to be repaired, replaced, or redone. In lean construction, this includes damaged material, rework, or punch list items. Deficiencies are the basis for why Digital Construction Verification Technology exists. Defects or elements installed incorrectly are the issues SiteAware set out to resolve. DCV? technology verifies elements are correctly installed and reports on deficiencies found outside of tolerance or damage during installation. Reports are issued within a few hours, allowing corrections to be made before it becomes a more costly fix; after concrete is poured. DCV enables corrections to be made throughout construction, preventing thousands of punch list items from piling up, overwhelming your trades or preventing the building from delivering on time with final repairs spilling well past the warranty period.

Excess Processing. Over-processing waste refers to unnecessary steps taken in the project value chain, such as transforming or double-handling material. This also relates to coordination and administrative workflows on a construction project that leads to double data entry, such as multiple signatures on forms, redundant daily reports, and forwarding emails with drawings and RFIs. Eliminating paperwork with documentation software and having one place to communicate from will ensure job site teams are always on the same page. SiteAware is an open interface, the platform easily integrates into Procore, Plangrid and BIM360. By integrating into the documentation management solution teams are already using, it streamlines the process eliminating additional steps.?From your tablet or phone, SiteAware’s web portal can view/share reports, access high resolution images and manage observations.?Teams can determine which observations get integrated, like punch list items or observations tied to certain RFI’s or design changes.?

Overproduction. Overproduction is the process of fabricating material too soon or ordering extra material because of poor quality, rather than producing and delivering the right amount of material at the time it is needed. By using SiteAware to promote first quality and eliminating costly rework, extra materials won’t be needed later on for costly corrections or rework. Decreasing the amount of rework will result in better pricing from subs on future work because they can be more competitive knowing their estimate won’t need 10-20% to cover their cost of rework. Overproduction also applies to the QA/QC process. On several projects not only does the contractor have a person verifying quality in the field, the owner/developer may also have a 3rd party person, checking behind them. In several cases, SiteAware still found a significant number of deficiencies, even after two separate parties claimed to have checked 100% of the elements installed. Human error is real, and there will always be mistakes.?

Waiting. This waste happens when crews are left waiting for the delivery of material or equipment, or for the completion of a preceding activity. This also applies to anyone on the project waiting for information, such as field personnel waiting for a plan or an RFI, a scheduler waiting for progress updates, or payroll waiting for time sheets. Having real-time access to this information in the field — from any device or location — will help crews reduce this type of waste. SiteAware reports are easily accessed from a tablet or phone through a web based portal. They can be easily downloaded and printed/shared with team members in the field. SiteAware analytics help project managers track how trades perform. On a Pre-Pour scan, the project team can see if trades are behind and won’t meet the scheduled pour time. If a single trade is lagging, the project team can see what work in progress is left and decide now, rather than later, if more labor is needed. If multiple trades are lagging significantly, the decision can be made to push the pour out. No project wants to delay a concrete pour, but by doing this, it can avoid trades from rushing last minute, cutting corners and making more costly mistakes.?

The SiteAware DCV? team also cuts wait time by immediately notifying the project team if a major discrepancy is found such as, every plumbing sleeve on the deck is off by 3” when all the other trades are within tolerance, instead of waiting the additional two hours for the report to post. Immediately notifying the team allows more time to troubleshoot the problem, (the plumber used the wrong setting on the total station or the wrong drawing) and more time on the solution (moving 48 plumbing sleeves in 12 hours or pushing out the pour to the following day).

Inventory. In construction, inventory waste occurs when overproduction results in excess material. By having DCV? technology verify 100% of the elements in the field, prior to the pour, avoids costly rework. If trades are making corrections before the flow of concrete, they won’t have to use extra equipment and materials to x-ray slabs, core holes and reinstall in the correct location. Extra materials like concrete, sleeves, casework/millwork and flooring won't be needed when larger issues arise because an error made early on affects multiple trades later. If a plumbing sleeve sits outside the wall cavity and the wall has to move to accommodate, that could affect the size of the cabinets and the amount of flooring needed. If the cabinets are custom and sitting in a warehouse for 3 months waiting to be installed only to find out they are 3” too small, how does that affect the overall budget and schedule? Something has to give, either a lower quality cheaper cabinet is approved or changes are made to the budget and schedule.?

Transportation. Transportation waste involves the unnecessary movement of materials or equipment. While this type of waste cannot be eliminated entirely, transportation waste can be minimized through better communication, coordination, and daily task management. Keeping everyone from the office to the field on the same page reduces the number of unnecessary trips, and reduces the first of our 8 wastes of lean. Having DCV? technology on the project allows the project team to close the gap from what's on the design documents to what's built in the field. Making corrections in real time, prevents transportation waste created by extra site visits for consultants/design team members, or having trades return for rework time and time again. Using SiteAware reports, executive leadership and project managers can manage project performance without daily trips to the job site. Envelope consultants can use facade reports for their inspections to reduce the overall number of site visits. These consultants are usually found out of state with large reimbursable expenses including flights, hotel and car rental. SiteAware DCV? uses pilots that are local to the project location or a full time project member hired by the contractor reducing transportation waste of unnecessary travel.

Motion. Motion waste is a result of extra steps taken by people to accomplish their work. This includes time spent looking for a tool or file, as well as walking extra yards due to a poorly designed work area. With 70 percent of a craftsperson's day wasted on field coordination, it’s important you leverage construction management technology to reduce this number dramatically. SiteAware can reduce the amount of time spent and unnecessary steps on Quality Assurance/Quality Control efforts. Instead of having someone or several people spot-check, DCV technology verifies 100% of the elements in real time allowing trades to make corrections and freeing up team members to focus on more productive work. Making corrections now also prevents a funnel effect, eventually spilling over, making a simple deviation, a more costly fix or by creating a bigger, more expensive problem down the line. SiteAware DCV? technology also uses autonomous drones so there is no interruption of work on the deck. Piles of materials on the deck or vibration created by workers won't distort the data like other capture methods; laser/LIDAR scanning. By allowing the work to continue this eliminates motion created with extra steps created by stopping and starting every time a scan takes place.?

Non-Utilized Talent. The 8th waste of lean involves failing to make use of people’s skills, creativity, or knowledge on a project. Your employees are your greatest asset, so they should be empowered with the tools they need to thrive. Using construction management software allows everyone from the office to the field to communicate and collaborate in real time, ensuring that no idea goes unheard. Using SiteAware DCV? technology as part of that process, you can use reports to track work in progress, communicate/collaborate with trades on schedule and control or ensure quality in real time. Integrating DCV? technology?allows superintendents to focus on driving the schedule and project managers to manage costs more effectively. Everyone spends less time putting out fires, mitigating arguments/finger pointing and more time on productive tasks. Additionally, the Core/Deck scans can be completed by pilots general contractors already have on staff. Instead of just capturing daily progress photos, they can easily train to use SiteAware's proprietary software to capture data along with their regular flights.??

SiteAware’s DCV is next-generation software that is built with lean functionality. It brings advanced technology to the workflow process by putting “lean” tools directly in the hands of trades and embedding a lean construction culture directly into the project planning and execution. It reduces all 8 types of waste, increases transparency and promotes collaboration. It allows your team to be proactive about quality, ensuring, rather than controlling, every step of the way. It’s the best solution to improve efficiency and eliminate waste in any discipline – it makes you lean!