CONSTRUCTION SECTOR – LEAN EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT
MCA AWARD WINNING CONSULTANCY PROJECT
THE BRIEF
A Construction and Utilities company working as part of an Alliance with National Grid, based in the North West of England.
As is typical in this sector, getting the job done safely, by whatever means possible usually takes priority. As part of a national drive, National Grid challenged the Alliance to remove cost from operations.
Key to any successful change would be the Construction agents who managed the construction gangs out in the field.
Therefore, we not only had to implement process improvements quickly, but also a process that would leverage the knowledge of the agents and drive the ongoing performance improvement across the Business units.
THE IMPLEMENTATION
Due to the fact that we wanted to implement 6 to 7 key process improvements to 60+ construction gangs and 20 construction engineers who managed these gangs, who were spread out across quite a large geography, the implementation presented unique challenges.
Using a relatively small amount of resource, we came up with a phased approach per business unit, deploying resource to implement the following:
- Key Performance Measures
- Push plans to set work sequence and targets
- Use of CCTV to survey pipes
- Use of excavation template to identify where to excavate
- Minimum dig techniques
- Better fittings kitting and reuse processes
- More effective reinstatement processes
- Twice weekly planning and Operational reviews (Control Boards)
THE SOLUTION
The solution was the elimination of waste by driving process improvement through the construction engineers (agents), as well as working directly with the construction gangs themselves.
The implementation of the Control Board process in each of the business units was seen as a huge success, creating the right blend between the day to day operational requirements and the implementation of the process improvements. Joining together these two objectives was the key to making the change process an ongoing and sustainable one.
THE RESULT
Savings:
£4m delivered.
Business Change / Future proofing:
New KPI’s implemented, various Lean improvement tools, change capability, including how to guides for new processes as well as a system for managing the business units and bedding in continuous improvement.
