Lean Principle - Value Add vs. Non Value Add

For specialty contractors the field workforce represents most of their competitive advantage as well as their biggest source of variability.

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Making improvements to field productivity requires a deep understanding of the entire value stream and the tools to effectively streamline it.

Field Productivity: Lean Principle, Value Add vs. Non Value Add

This starts with mapping out every step in the process then identifying those steps that are truly adding value to the customer:

  1. The customer must be willing to pay for it.

    2. It must transform the raw materials (inputs) in some way.

      3. It must be done correctly the first time. 

When you look at each step through this lens you start to see a lot of activities that don’t add value (Non Value Add).  These get broken down into two categories:

  1. REQUIRED: Inspections, Submittals, Etc.

    2. PURE WASTE: Additional Handling, Waiting, Etc.

Our approach is “High-Involvement Workflow Mapping” which forces teams to slow down enough to truly see what they are doing, communicate with each other and identify then eliminate waste with each cycle (PDCA).  


Learn more about our approach

Helpful Resources

  • Mike Brunner does a great job with 1:1 personal lean coaching that truly accelerates personal development.  
  • Lean for Dummies is a very well written book providing an overview of many lean concepts and history. Mike Brunner leverages this as part of his 1:1 coaching program.

Lean Principle - Value Add vs. Non Value Add
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Lean Principle - Value Add vs. Non Value Add
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Lean Principle - People First (Then Process and Tools)
To optimize productivity, a contractor must focus on their people first, then processes and tools including technology as an integrated management system with a hierarchy. This is not a linear process: S.M.A.R.T. Experiments + Continuous Improvement.
Lean Principle - Observation (Gemba Walks and Learning to See)
One of the most important tools for improving productivity is going to the jobsite or work area and observing for an extended period of time with the intent to understand but not to immediately interact. Observation progresses through about 7 stages.
Lean Principle - Understanding Lean Construciton
Lean is a body of knowledge dating back hundreds of years focused on sustainably growing an organization. During the last 20 years the construction industry has been rapidly adopting some of these tools to improve productivity.