How To Implement Lean Principles In The Construction Industry - 6S

Lean is a system that focuses on driving out waste to increase efficiency. Lean uses a scientific approach to identify what should be improved to improve the efficiency of the operation. In lean thinking, process steps are minimised to reduce waste and require less effort. Lean thinking also focuses on eliminating variation within processes.

What is lean in construction?

Lean is now in widespread use across the manufacturing industry. So are there some ideas within Lean that the construction industry can use too? If you take a holistic view of the building process, it could be viewed at manufacturing buildings, albeit on a muddy production line in all weathers! Most construction professionals would welcome reduced waste and increased efficiency too, and as those are the main aims of lean, later in this article, we will look at how it can help construction.

Why implement lean and 6S in construction?

The most obvious reason is financial. Reduction in waste and increased efficiency will improve profit margins for construction companies. Using this method is still relatively rare within the construction industry (although proven to work in other sectors), so it could set your company apart and improve your reputation. If implemented correctly, it can lead to increased workforce motivation, too. After all, who wouldn't want to work on a more tidy, organised site with improved safety?

What are 5S + safety and 6S?

5S is one method within the lean methodology; we will focus on 5S plus safety (also known as 6S) in this article as we feel this will bring the most value to the construction industry. 5S is all about continuous improvement, and therefore 5S is a cyclical methodology: sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustain the cycle. The sixth 'S' stands for 'Saftey'; managers added this later to improve this tool further.

The lean 6S stages in construction are:

STEP ONE: SORT (SEIRI)

This first stage, 6S, aims to reduce clutter and organise materials into distinct groups:

1. Waste and clutter that you can dispose of.
2. To keep the workspace clear, materials and tools you do not need until later in the project should be stored away from the work area.
3. Tools and materials that are needed immediately to complete the current phase of works

When implementing 6S, site managers could consider using "red-tagging" for items that can be disposed of and "yellow tagging" items that should be removed and stored elsewhere for use in the future. Systematically work through the site to eliminate waste, clutter and junk. Understand what you will regularly use and what you may need later in the project. Once you have completed this stage, you should have clearly identified three separate groups of materials and tools on site.

STEP TWO: SET IN ORDER (SEITON)

This stage follows on from the previous one and involves taking each of the groups of tools and materials identified and treating them accordingly. Dispose of waste materials into the correct waste streams for recycling or disposal. Move tools and materials that aren't immediately needed to another part of the site (if there is space) or move it off-site until it is required. Finally, set the work area in order by storing tools and materials systematically so you can find each one quickly.

STEP THREE: SHINE (SEISO)

Once essential items have been organised, and non-essential items have been removed from the site, the next step is cleaning the work area. This involves cleaning the work area in construction; you should consider ways to reduce dust and mud in the wares where you are working. It also involves regular maintenance and upkeep of the area and storage to prevent it from gradually returning to mess. The objective is to create an environment that 'shines' it should be a very tidy, clean and organised workspace that promotes good workmanship from the workers on site.

STEP FOUR: STANDARDISE (SEIKETSU)

This stage of the process involves taking the learnings that have been identified as best practices from the earlier stages and rolling them out across other parts of the site. It aims to encourage consistency and the use of procedures to standardise the implementation and maintenance of the earlier principles. In a construction scenario, you could consider trialling the earlier principles on one project and then once you have uncovered the best practices, during this phase you could roll out new procedures across other sites.

STEP FIVE: SUSTAIN (SHITSUKE)

This is arguably the most challenging stage of the process to implement. It takes constant effort from management and discipline to maintain the results – habits take time to form! You need to sustain the improved methods, keep the work area tidy and organised.

STEP SIX: SAFETY

Safety was the final step that was added to the standard 5S methodology. Construction companies will probably be most familiar with this stage of all. It involves identifying hazards using risk assessments and method statements to implement safer working practices, preventative measures and appropriate tools, equipment and PPE to reduce the risk of harm.

How to store materials on your site

We studied these lean principles when we initially developed the SiteStak System and tried to incorporate as many as possible into the design of our workstations. Let's take a look at how some of these principles are applied.

SORT

When your SiteStak workstation arrives, you can instantly sort your stocks of drainage materials into each compartment. Dispose of bags and packaging along with any broken or damaged materials.

SET IN ORDER

A SiteStak workstation can be invaluable during the second stage (Set in order). It gives you a contained unit to store plastic drainage pipes, bends, junctions and fittings along with the tools and accessories needed to cut, chamfer and install the drainage materials. You can quickly move this contained unit around the site or from one site to the next. The separate compartments for each fitting align with the principles of lean, showing you the stock level of each one at a glance.

SHINE

SiteStak enables proper storage of drainage materials prior to installation. This keeps them out of the mud and clean, perfectly in line with this principle. It has practical benefits, too; if drainage is installed with dirt on the fitting, the seal won't be as effective, leading to failures when the drains are tested later.

STANDARDISE

Once you have trialled the SiteStak system on one project (or on several), it is swift and easy to roll this out across all of your sites. When you give the site teams a system to keep the area tidy, they are keen to use it. We also make the SiteStak bespoke to your branding and company colours, which standardises the system across all sites.

SUSTAIN

When installing drainage is completed, you can place any surplus materials straight back into the SiteStak workstation. The work area is instantly tidy, making it easier to maintain tidiness on site. Once the site teams learn to work with SiteStak, they will never return to the old methods. We have over one thousand sites using our system now, and the feedback has been universally positive with great take-up by site teams.

SAFETY

Storing drainage materials in a SiteStak workstation instead of an untidy heap eliminates trip hazards. Moving the drainage in the workstation with a telehandler or excavator is one plant movement. It prevents workers from walking across the site multiple times with bags of fittings and bends. Finally, our saw guide and clamp make cutting and chamfering the drainage pipes safer, reducing the risk of cuts and abrasions.

Lean principles are applied to many industries and can be combined with 6S strategies for maximum efficiency. The SiteStak system is an excellent example of how lean principles (such as sorting, set in order, shining) can increase productivity on construction sites. Construction management professionals who want to learn more about these techniques should contact us today to show you how our products have been helping site teams on over one thousand sites.