Authors :
Babatunde Moshood Adegbite
Volume/Issue :
Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 2 - February
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/283d539m
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/mr2j88x2
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24FEB1682
Abstract :
With increasingly complex demands, dynamic
environments, and rapid technology changes defining
business landscapes, project management methodologies
are prime for disruption. Traditional project models –
characterized by rigid, sequential stage-gates and siloed
functional groups – struggle with wastefulness, reactive
mindsets, and misalignment to customer purpose. As
such, practitioners are turning to lean philosophies
pioneered in manufacturing but applicable across sectors.
This paper examines deploying lean principles to project
environments to eliminate activities that do not directly
add customer value (waste), amplify learning, decide
slowly but deliver quickly, empower teams, and
continuously improve. Core facets of lean covered include
Value Stream Mapping to visualize workflow and identify
waste; Kanban systems to limit work-in-progress,
facilitate pull-based work authorization, and surface
bottlenecks; Root Cause Analysis to get to the heart of
problems; 5S activities for well-organized, mistake-proof
workstations; and Kaizen events for rapid iterations. As
illustrated through integrated case studies, these tools and
mindsets facilitate lean’s primary aim within projects –
determining what matters for the end-customer and
optimizing all activities to directly serve this purpose.
Tactics covered include defining value from the
beneficiary standpoint early on, focusing on enhancing
workflow from end-to-end rather than functional silos,
and instilling learning and improvement mechanisms at
all levels – from C-suite leadership to ground floor
production. The paper closes by delineating a gradual
implementation methodology – factoring in change
management challenges – as well as outlining skills
development required for staff to transition toward cross-
functional, accountable, lean-oriented teams. While
specifics vary across industries and project types,
overarching insights suggest the principles represent the
future of project delivery – cutting waste-related costs by
upwards of 30%, accelerating timelines by over a third,
minimizing scrap/rework to near-zero levels, and serving
customer goals substantially better. For leaders to
position projects and organizations for increasing
marketplace complexity, leanness is pivotal.
Keywords :
Lean Project Management, Value Stream Mapping, Waste Reduction, Continuous Improvement, Customer Centricity, Timeline Acceleration, Cost Reduction and Employee Empowerment.
With increasingly complex demands, dynamic
environments, and rapid technology changes defining
business landscapes, project management methodologies
are prime for disruption. Traditional project models –
characterized by rigid, sequential stage-gates and siloed
functional groups – struggle with wastefulness, reactive
mindsets, and misalignment to customer purpose. As
such, practitioners are turning to lean philosophies
pioneered in manufacturing but applicable across sectors.
This paper examines deploying lean principles to project
environments to eliminate activities that do not directly
add customer value (waste), amplify learning, decide
slowly but deliver quickly, empower teams, and
continuously improve. Core facets of lean covered include
Value Stream Mapping to visualize workflow and identify
waste; Kanban systems to limit work-in-progress,
facilitate pull-based work authorization, and surface
bottlenecks; Root Cause Analysis to get to the heart of
problems; 5S activities for well-organized, mistake-proof
workstations; and Kaizen events for rapid iterations. As
illustrated through integrated case studies, these tools and
mindsets facilitate lean’s primary aim within projects –
determining what matters for the end-customer and
optimizing all activities to directly serve this purpose.
Tactics covered include defining value from the
beneficiary standpoint early on, focusing on enhancing
workflow from end-to-end rather than functional silos,
and instilling learning and improvement mechanisms at
all levels – from C-suite leadership to ground floor
production. The paper closes by delineating a gradual
implementation methodology – factoring in change
management challenges – as well as outlining skills
development required for staff to transition toward cross-
functional, accountable, lean-oriented teams. While
specifics vary across industries and project types,
overarching insights suggest the principles represent the
future of project delivery – cutting waste-related costs by
upwards of 30%, accelerating timelines by over a third,
minimizing scrap/rework to near-zero levels, and serving
customer goals substantially better. For leaders to
position projects and organizations for increasing
marketplace complexity, leanness is pivotal.
Keywords :
Lean Project Management, Value Stream Mapping, Waste Reduction, Continuous Improvement, Customer Centricity, Timeline Acceleration, Cost Reduction and Employee Empowerment.
