Enhancing process efficiency in the construction industry : implementing lean philosophy

Abstract

The construction industry has been proving itself to be a strong pillar of the Maltese economy. The resilience of the industry was manifested by providing continuous economic growth and stability during a global pandemic. Notwithstanding, cost overruns, delays, quality and sustainability issues still remain a great concern. The aim of this study was to explore new avenues associated with lean philosophy in construction. A review of existing literature was carried out to ascertain the nature of lean philosophy. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis was implemented to obtain the perception of various stakeholders on the effectiveness and applicability of lean construction techniques. A statistical analysis of the data collected yielded the mean rank, asymptotic significance and pairwise comparison of the chosen techniques. The findings and their consequent analysis were discussed together with a set of recommendations which aim to enhance the process efficiency in the construction industry.