Lean construction training for 30 firms in Singapore

SINGAPORE – About 30 built environment firms are expected to work with global management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG) over the next two years in an initiative to increase productivity and collaboration in projects.

Starting in November, the lean implementation and field transformation (LIFT) initiative will help participating firms redesign jobs and build capabilities.

Contractors, subcontractors, developers, design consultancies and others in the sector will receive support through live coaching to deploy lean methods to improve team coordination and streamline workflows.

Speaking at the Singapore Contractors Association’s (SCAL) annual dinner on Oct 16, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat outlined three priorities for the built environment sector: improving productivity, better organising and delivering of projects, and investing in people to improve talent attraction and retention.

Even as the sector faces manpower and resource constraints, Chee pointed to the need to deliver “the ambitious pipeline of projects well” – from Housing Board Build-To-Order flats to MRT lines to major undertakings such as Changi Airport Terminal 5 and the Long Island project.

“We must find better ways to build, deploy manpower more productively and reduce unnecessary red tape, while upholding high standards of safety and quality,” he said.

There is more that can be done to organise and deliver projects better, the minister noted.

“This is where lean construction can make a real difference,” he said.

“Lean construction is not about asking people to work faster. It is about planning and coordinating our work better, reducing unnecessary waiting and rework, and improving sequencing to improve efficiency. Done effectively, it enables project teams to make better use of their time and resources,” he said.

Gammon Singapore, an early adopter of lean construction, has shown what this can look like in practice.

“For one of its infrastructure projects, using lean principles, Gammon brought its project teams, supply chain and subcontractors together to plan backwards from key milestones, coordinate work more closely and identify potential roadblocks early,” Chee said.

“The teams also conducted regular ‘waste walks’ (or on-site walks) to identify instances of unnecessary waiting, idle manpower and inefficient processes, and then worked together to address them,” he said.

Through these efforts, Gammon reduced weeks of delay across various project milestones and avoided costly rework.

“We want to help more contractors and subcontractors achieve similar improvements,” Chee said.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) will roll out the LIFT initiative with SCAL’s support.

Participating firms will receive six months of dedicated workforce consultancy support from BCG, Chee said.

They will also be supported in applying lean practices to solve real challenges in their projects.

BCG will provide training and coaching, including workshops on lean construction methods.

“This is not just classroom training. Firms will receive dedicated coaching on live projects and work on actual processes – from how equipment is deployed and teams are coordinated, to how submissions and workflows can be streamlined,” Chee said.

“LIFT aims to help participating firms fundamentally improve how they plan, coordinate and deliver work, including strengthening collaboration between main contractors and subcontractors,” he added.

Local firms that have adopted lean construction methods have recorded productivity improvements by as much as 30%.

“More importantly, this is not about solving one problem on one project. We want firms to develop better ways of working that they can sustain and scale up across future projects,” Chee said.

Projects under the initiative are supported by the SWDA’s Workforce Development grant.

Eligible firms can receive up to 70% funding support for job redesign-related costs, as well as up to 90% salary support for a three-month period through the career conversion programme to support employee reskilling.

On improving productivity, Chee said this work is “still ongoing, but we have started translating industry feedback into practical changes that can help firms save time, reduce cost and make better use of manpower”.

“For example, we are supporting firms to adopt robotics and automation through the robot leasing support scheme,” he said.

“SCAL is working with vendors to help contractors identify robotic solutions that can be deployed across different types of projects.”

In addition, the approval processes for standardised designs and precast components have been simplified. Instead of making a fresh submission for every project, firms can draw from a pre-approved catalogue.

“This can save consultants around 320 man-hours per project, reduce precast component manufacturing costs by at least 10%, and lower manpower needs by at least 20%,” Chee noted.

And through the introduction of virtual temporary occupation permit (TOP) inspections, agencies can conduct inspections remotely and concurrently.

This could potentially reduce inspection manpower by up to 30%, and enable projects to obtain TOP up to two months earlier, he added.

The sector must also continue investing in its people, Chee said.

“While new technologies and construction methods can open up new possibilities, it is the people who ultimately turn them into results. We must therefore equip our workers with relevant skills and create opportunities for them to take on higher-value roles.”

He highlighted firms that are taking practical steps through job redesign, skills development and internal career progression.

In particular, DLE M&E, a mechanical and electrical engineering and construction firm, has also automated some repetitive administrative work, allowing its employees to spend more time on higher-value tasks.

“There is scope for this approach to be applied across more processes and job roles across the built environment sector,” Chee said, adding that automation and artificial intelligence could improve the way work is done.

“It is not simply about doing the same work with fewer people, but empowering existing workers to do more and achieve better outcomes.

“It is about redesigning jobs so that our workers can contribute more, take on better roles and build stronger careers,” he added.