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Increasing demand for the best value for client’s money necessitates waste reduction while enhancing the project functionality in construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to propose Lean integrated Value Engineering (LiVE) approach by establishing the synergy between Lean and Value Engineering (VE) concepts for construction industry.

A literature survey and in-depth un-structured interviews with six subject matter experts in three steps were used to investigate the synergy between Lean principles and VE job plan to develop LiVE approach for the construction industry. The gathered data were analysed using code-based content analysis and the LiVE approach was finally validated using interviews by two additional subject matter experts representing industry and academia.

Research findings established that there is a synergy between Lean principles and VE job plan. Accordingly, the study developed a LiVE approach, which specify client’s value, identify the value stream, make value flow without interruption, let the client pull functional requirements and pursue perfection during “value establishment”, “value analysis of functional requirements”, “value creativity”, “value evaluation”, “value development”, “value verification” and “value achievement” phases.

The novel LiVE approach will guide construction industry practitioners on how to integrate Lean concept with VE in order to reduce unnecessary costs and wastes, to enhance project functionality and ultimately to achieve value for client’s money.

The purpose of this study is to systematically analyse and synthesise the existing research published on offsite manufacturing/construction. The study aims to highlight and associate the core elements for adopting the offsite concept in different construction contexts. This ultimately facilitates the enhancement of the offsite uptake.

The research study was carried out through a systematic literature review (SLR). The SLR was conducted to identify and understand the existing themes in the offsite research landscape, evaluate contributions and compile knowledge, thereby identifying potential directions of future research. The grand electronic databases were explored to gather literature on the offsite concept, lean and agile principles and simulation. A total of 62 related articles published between 1992 and 2015 have been included in this study. The relevant literature was systematically analysed and synthesised to present the emerging offsite themes.

The descriptive and thematic analyses presented in this paper have identified related offsite research studies that have contributed to setting a firm foundation of the offsite concept in different construction contexts. Each of the 62 articles was examined for achieving the aim and objectives of this study, the method of data collection and coverage of offsite themes. The results of the analyses revealed that the articles mostly provide information on the offsite concept and its definitions (53 per cent) and offsite barriers and/or drivers (27 per cent). However, limited attention has been paid to the integration of lean and agile principles (13 per cent) and simulation (7 per cent) within the offsite concept, which are therefore more open to research within the offsite concept.

The literature review highlights the main themes and components of the offsite construction concept. This forms a solid basis and motivation for researchers and practitioners to build on to enhance the uptake of the offsite concept in different contexts. This study also presents a research roadmap within the offsite concept, along with a recommendation for further research to be conducted using the research framework proposed in this study. The framework could lead to validation of using simulation to integrate lean and agile principles within the offsite concept.

This paper presents a systematic review of the literature related to offsite construction in different contexts. The emerging components, that is, offsite definitions, drivers and/or barriers, lean and agile principles and simulation have been highlighted and discussed thematically. A research framework that enables pursuit of the integration of lean and agile principles offsite through the lens of simulation has been proposed. The framework is expected to open up new opportunities on the effectiveness of offsite development in different contexts.

Construction industry hesitates to associate Green concepts on building projects mainly due to its high initial investment cost. Even if it is economical in the long run, often the benefits are suppressed with the costs generated through non-value-adding activities in the construction process. Lean construction principles have proved to eliminate such waste while enhancing the construction process. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the integration of Lean and Green concepts in the construction industry.

The fundamental principles of both Lean and Green construction were evaluated through an extensive literature survey. A qualitative approach was adopted, and thus, based on the literature findings, expert interviews were conducted with professionals having experience in both Green and Lean concepts. Furthermore, the findings were validated through experts to analyse the adaptability of the integration. Content analysis technique was utilised with NVivo software programme to analyse the findings.

The integration of the Green concept was found to alter the traditional application of Lean concept, considering the social and environmental aspects without limiting to economic considerations. The study revealed that the perception of the Sri Lankan stakeholders towards the application of integrated Lean-Green concept is focussed on a positive direction. As a result, the identified enablers to implementing the integrated concept supersede the barriers by confirming the appropriateness of the application in the local construction industry.

A framework was developed through the findings to guide the implementation of integrated Lean-Green application in Sri Lankan context.

A systematic literature review is performed to reveal the state-of-the-art in the implementation of lean principles in the petroleum industry. This paper aims to generate a conceptual framework and reveal research gaps with respect to lean concept application in the petroleum industry.

After formulating research questions, the search strategy is generated, followed by data extraction, literature review and synthesis of the results. The search covers any studies in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings in the period 1990-2017 that discuss the implementation of the lean concept in the petroleum industry.

The lean concept has been used to improve operational and technical aspects, contractor/supplier relationships, team organization and project management practice in the petroleum industry. Based on the literature review, a conceptual framework is generated comprising four main elements: leadership and commitment from management, employee involvement, cooperation and trust with contractors/suppliers and lean project management. These elements are the pillars that are founded on lean philosophy and principles to support technical/operational improvement in the organization. The types of literature identified indicate that the subject of the study is still immature.

This study focuses only on the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, which restricts the generalizability of the results to midstream and downstream businesses.

This paper provides knowledge and information regarding the current state of lean implementation in the petroleum industry. The developed conceptual framework provides general guidance for practitioners regarding lean implementation in the petroleum industry, and is also expected to support research on theory building.

Few studies have discussed the application of the lean concept in the petroleum industry. This paper contributes a platform for researchers and practitioners to comprehend how the lean concept has been applied in the petroleum industry, and provides a foundation for further studies on lean implementation in the petroleum industry.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the definition of lean production and the methods and goals associated with the concept as well as how it differs from other popular management concepts.

The paper is based on a review of the contemporary literature on lean production, both journal articles and books.

It is shown in the paper that there is no consensus on a definition of lean production between the examined authors. The authors also seem to have different opinions on which characteristics should be associated with the concept. Overall it can be concluded that lean production is not clearly defined in the reviewed literature. This divergence can cause some confusion on a theoretical level, but is probably more problematic on a practical level when organizations aim to implement the concept. This paper argues that it is important for an organization to acknowledge the different variations, and to raise the awareness of the input in the implementation process. It is further argued that the organization should not accept any random variant of lean, but make active choices and adapt the concept to suit the organization's needs. Through this process of adaptation, the organization will be able to increase the odds of performing a predictable and successful implementation.

This paper provides a critical perspective on the discourse surrounding lean production, and gives an input to the discussion of the implementation of management models.

During the last decades, different quality management concepts, including total quality management (TQM), six sigma and lean, have been applied by many different organisations. Although much important work has been documented regarding TQM, six sigma and lean, a number of questions remain concerning the applicability of these concepts in various organisations and contexts. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to describe the similarities and differences between the concepts, including an evaluation and criticism of each concept.

Within a case study, a literature review and face‐to‐face interviews in typical TQM, six sigma and lean organisations have been carried out.

While TQM, six sigma and lean have many similarities, especially concerning origin, methodologies, tools and effects, they differ in some areas, in particular concerning the main theory, approach and the main criticism. The lean concept is slightly different from TQM and six sigma. However, there is a lot to gain if organisations are able to combine these three concepts, as they are complementary. Six sigma and lean are excellent road‐maps, which could be used one by one or combined, together with the values in TQM.

The paper provides guidance to organisations regarding the applicability and properties of quality concepts. Organisations need to work continuously with customer‐orientated activities in order to survive; irrespective of how these activities are labelled. The paper will also serve as a basis for further research in this area, focusing on practical experience of these concepts.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the history of dissemination and use of lean concepts in construction and potential challenges for continued use, as application of lean concepts transitions from a small group of first adopters to an industry‐wide community.

Using insights obtained from a meeting with industry practitioners, literature review, and published cases in which different approaches were used to disseminate lean production/construction, evidence is presented that supports these challenges.

The authors identify three challenges facing lean construction (LC) practitioners, researchers, and educators. One challenge is lean has many meanings (whether denoted or connoted) when applied to construction. Another challenge is to have academics constantly working with industry practitioners to keep working on the adaptation of concepts/systems and not only tools. The third challenge is that without a sustained effort to engage people in meaningful learning experiences, LC may be viewed as a fad in the construction industry.

The discussion presents the authors’ interpretation of facts and existing literature reviewed to support the arguments made. Moreover, while the literature reviewed addresses sources from different parts of the world, the preponderance of the authors’ research activities and experience are limited to two countries, Brazil and the USA.

In the face of overwhelming interest in lean by the construction industry, research on effective methods for disseminating lean concepts is overdue.

By partnering with industry practitioners who are already implementing LC or want to start the journey, academics have access to projects (labs in the real world) and can bring back to the classroom examples to educate future generations of professionals who can push for changes in the industry. This partnership also helps the validation of experiments regarding LC implementation, as data can be collected and analyzed in a scientific way, and can be documented for dissemination within the industry.

The paper discusses challenges related to the evolution of LC in the industry, with the aim of forming a basis for an informed discussion on how to promote sustained and informed learning in construction.

This paper deals with the subject of “Lean Normalization.” The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive methodology which combines the benefits of both International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and Lean Management. The application of this methodology leads manufacturing or service companies to certification without creating more documentation. It guarantees agility and flexibility in the day-to-day management of the company, and induces lower costs and reduced times. This methodology provides a new way of tackling the implementation of ISO standards in a company.

This methodology is based on the synergistic combination of both ISO standards (Quality Management System) and the key concepts of Lean Management. After a short presentation of ISO standards and Lean Management, the possibility of implementing a synergy between these two different approaches will be discussed. At this point, ISO 9001 standards will be focused on. The proposed methodology will be introduced step by step. Each step of the model will be formalized using the Structured Analysis and Design Technique graphic representation tool. Moreover, each step is associated with a key concept of Lean Management. In order to illustrate the proposed method, an example of implementation will also be presented.

To show the feasibility of this methodology, this paper finishes with a summary of the results achieved in a company and draws some interesting conclusions. Companies have the possibility of achieving certification in combination with a Lean Quality Management System (LQMS): a one-page quality manual, only ten records, no major non-conformities and no customer complaints over a two-year period.

The methodology may have to be adapted to better suit the needs of companies seeking to implement the latest version of the ISO 9001 standards.

This paper presents the deployment of ISO 9001 standards whilst simultaneously respecting key Lean Management concepts. The practical results for enterprises are the implementation of an LQMS leading to a certification.

This paper presents a new method combining both ISO standards and Lean Management concepts to achieve certification with an LQMS.

Due to its simplicity and the relevance of its steps, the proposed methodology can be applied to companies with a guaranteed success of certification.

This study aims to seek to advance a system dynamics-discrete event hybrid simulation modelling concept useful for taking improvement decisions where one needs to consider the interactions between human factors and process flow elements in lean manufacturing systems.

A unique approach is taken to hybrid simulation modelling where the whole problem situation is first conceptualized using a causal loop diagram and stock and flow diagram, before transmitting to a hybrid simulation model. The concept is intended to simplify the simulation modelling process and make the concept pliable for use in various types of lean manufacturing problem situations.

The hybrid simulation modelling concept was applied to a lean manufacturing case where quality performance was sporadic mainly because of production pressures. The hybrid modelling concept revealed a solution that advanced full compliance with lean and one that required changes in job scheduling policies to promote both continuous improvement and throughput increases.

Because non-tangible aspects of lean were objectively assessed using the hybrid modelling concept, the study is an advancement towards establishing a credible link between human resource aspects of lean and the performance of an organization.

The applied hybrid model enabled managers in the plant navigate the trade-off decision they often face when choosing to advance production output ahead of continuous improvement practices.

System dynamics-discrete event hybrid simulation modelling is a rarity in lean manufacturing systems.

This editorial aims to introduce the theme of the special issue: “Lean vs agile from an organizational sustainability, complexity and learning perspective”.

The methodology of the editorial is that of a survey. In the first part it presents the relevance of the theme and in the second part it presents the papers included in the special issue, including their themes, findings and novel contributions.

The individual findings by the papers present significant new contributions in a deeper insight of the “lean” and “agile” philosophies, or approaches in, and to, organizations. It could be noticed that the controversies of the issue “lean vs. agile” still remain. However, it could be said that an eventual further investigation in the phenomenology of “lean” and “agile” will be more informed after consideration of the results presented in this special issue.

Further investigation should be undertaken on a more abstract “level” of the theories of “lean” and “agile” and their mutual relationship, such as theories about the internal processes of “lean”/“agile” users, general “lean”/“agile” theories, epistemology of “lean”/“agile”, and ontology of “lean”/“agile”, and relationship with learning organization and chaordic organization.

Readers, both theoreticians and practitioners, will find in this editorial a “guide” to the issues of their interest concerning the valuable explanations, ideas and tools, presented in the special issue, for both concrete applications in enterprises and organizations, and for further research and development of learning, complex and sustainable organizations, and towards new ideas and insights generation.

This editorial presents an analysis of the special issue on “lean vs agile”, contributing to the higher levels of the theories of “lean” and “agile” and their mutual relationship, namely to the theories about the internal processes of “lean”/“agile” users, general “lean”/“agile” theories, and epistemology of “lean”/“agile”.