Introduction

Since the first training sessions on Lean Construction in 2010, the launch of the first website in the same year and the first practical application of the Last Planner system on site, we have been running a series of workshops, seminars and conferences on implementing the principles of the Lean philosophy in different areas of the construction sector, primarily in the field of higher education, where the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) deserves a special mention.

The work of publicising Lean Construction and training in its application has been carried out in various cities around the country, notably:

  • The Polytechnic University of Valencia, with a number of meetings of the Spanish Group for Lean Construction, and the congress of the European Group for Lean Construction in 2013;
  • The Fundación Laboral de Navarra, with the holding of the InnoLEANco symposium in 2015;
  • The training sessions run by AEiCE in Valladolid;
  • The international conferences Lean in the Public Sector (LIPS 2015) and Last Planner System 2016 organised by ITeC and Bimetric.

In addition, leading experts have run workshops to introduce and provide training in Lean methods and techniques.

2016 saw the first pilot tests of integrated project delivery IPD contracts – for example, by the property development company Solvia in Barcelona – ​​and even the introduction by some public clients of aspects of Lean Construction in their technical specifications and conditions for tendering.

The Constructing the Future Commission was created by ITeC in 2015 for the purpose of promoting the adoption of Lean principles and BIM methodology as drivers of change in the construction sector in the wake of a crisis that has not yet been left behind.

Finally, from October 2016 to October 2018 the Fundació Laboral de la Construcció is acting as coordinator of the Lean.co project within the Erasmus+ programme. The key interventions here centre on the creation of a training programme in Lean Construction: teaching methods and development, educational tools and materials, and the validation, transfer, replication and piloting of the programme.

Practical examples of the application of Lean Construction

Up until now, the principal experiences shared at most of the conferences and conventions took place outside of this country and were presented by foreign experts in Lean Construction, whether from the organisations themselves or independent advisers, consultants or trainers.

On 5 October this year ITeC will host the Lean Construction Barcelona 2017 event at the Palau Macaya in Barcelona, promoted by Bimetric and the Institute with the support of the “la Caixa” Foundation. The primary purpose of this symposium is to draw attention to notable successes in the implementation of Lean principles in Spain with input from the people involved.

To this end ITeC is pleased to announce an open process for the submission of proposals for inclusion in the final programme of the symposium, which will be conducted in Spanish, and is specifically aimed at:

  • clients, public and private developers, who have contemplated changes in their contractual processes, whether in tendering conditions or in contracts, with contributions on the differences they have observed and measured in works carried out using Lean Construction;
  • architectural and engineering firms that have used Lean processes and techniques to improve their project management procedures, both internal and external;
  • construction companies that have introduced Lean techniques into their systems put in work or in their production planning and management, with contributions on the results obtained;
  • suppliers who have adjusted their manufacturing systems or changed the organisation of their work areas as well as their expertise in Lean works,

who would like to share the experience acquired in recent years from the application of the principles of the Lean philosophy. The symposium will be conducted in Spanish and the Technical Committee of Lean Construction Barcelona 2017 will be responsible for selecting the proposals best suited to the programme.