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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implementation challenges of one of lean construction’s recent tools, the last planner system (LPS), by exploring issues in the New Zealand construction sector to identify potential areas for improvement. To achieve this aim, the study formulated two objectives: to present the challenges in LPS use and to explore solutions by using an Excel spreadsheet for facilitating LPS applications.

The study drew primarily upon a case study approach. A fieldwork study and document analysis of a New Zealand construction project were conducted with an extensive literature review undertaken on the LPS concept.

The findings revealed that although an automated spreadsheet could be a simple and inexpensive option for using the LPS, data collection, storage and transfer into the spreadsheet could significantly influence the reliability of the LPS outcomes. Most data utilisation challenges were found to occur around the three data sets included in the weekly work plan (WWP). The study presented several automation solutions which had been applied to overcome data utilisation challenges.

Among the first of its kind in the construction industry, this study, with its first-hand account of an organisation which uses the lean paradigm, provides an in-depth insight into LPS tool implementation. The study extends the current body of knowledge by unearthing the challenges of LPS integration into construction activities and presenting efforts undertaken in a construction case project to overcome relevant issues. This adds value by enhancing the reliability of the LPS and, consequently, the effectiveness of its implementation in practical terms.

Here's how the new president of the fictional Alpine Corp. changed his corporate culture and forged a unified, effective senior management team.

It was sad news towards the end of last year to hear that Burrell Colours Ltd were in the hands of the Receiver. Apart from the fact that Burrell was a name that had been known in the British paint and inks industry for over a century, it meant the demise of the last substantial size independent pigment manufacturer.

Addresses several considerations involved when implementing empowerment in high‐performance organizations, namely: defining empowerment within the organization; setting out key boundaries; and defining roles and responsibilities. Examines each in turn, discussing ways to overcome common problems. Stresses the importance of these considerations when attempting to empower employees.

Fables, poems, novels—these sure aren't your ordinary business books. Here's a look at the new trend in strategic fiction.

The steel bars account for a high percentage of material costs for the current construction projects. At the present time, most of the construction projects for the factories of thin‐film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT‐LCD) complete the transactions of steel bars when the suppliers ship the steel bars to the temporary storage/processing sites. This paper applies the buy‐in concept in the Theory of Constraint (TOC) on the supply chain of steel bars. In this study, suppliers are required to establish warehouses at the construction sites and complete the transactions when the formed and processed steel bars are shipped into the factory sites. The aim is to find a win‐win solution to meet with the expectations from constructors as they hope that there is no need to build up inventories but supply is ready at any time. Also, this paper compares and analyzes the traditional supply/inventory model of steel bars and the Demand‐Pull (D‐P) model under the TOC framework. It is proved that Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) in the D‐P model is able to more effectively manage steel bars as a material.

A theoretical model for MRP implementation is presented. Much has been written about MRP and its introduction into an organisation, but the low overall success rate of implementation shows the poor level of understanding and control of the implementation process itself. The basic MRP system, its derivatives and the need for a model are discussed. The results of successful implementation such as reduced inventory and improved customer service level are discussed. This model could also be applied to other organisation‐wide systems, such as Just‐in‐Time manufacturing, if modified.

In the 1990s, North American archivists and records managers shifted some of their concern with electronic records and record keeping systems to conducting research about the nature of these records and systems. This essay describes one of the major research projects at the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, supported with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Specifically, the essay focuses on the project's four main products: recordkeeping functional requirements, production rules to support the requirements, metadata specifications for record keeping, and the warrant reflecting the professional and societal endorsement of the concept of the recordkeeping functional requirements.

Film provides an alternative medium for assessing our interpretations of cultural icons. This selective list looks at the film and video sources for information on and interpretations of the life of Woody Guthrie.