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Purpose The construction industrys business model is mainly based on the interaction among the architecture office, the engineering office and the construction company. The performance and practices of architects offices, unlike those of the other actors, are difficult to characterize and there have been few studies on these issues. To better understand architects' performance, the purpose of this paper is to develop a benchmarking tool based on real practices identified by managers of Chilean architecture offices.Design/methodology/approachThe research method includes a complete literature review, followed by a study of a sample of nine Chilean architecture offices, with whom a series of four workshops was developed, to establish both performance indicators and relevant management practices. Finally, these metrics were applied in an architectural office as a pilot case.FindingsFour management dimensions were defined: client management, external coordination, internal organization and human resources. Key performance indicators were divided into process, financial and quality indicators. The workshops carried out with the architectural offices demonstrated the relevance of benchmarking tools such as the one developed, which enables the systematic measurement of both management practices and performance indicators. Originality/valueAlthough there have been several efforts to create benchmarking tools for the construction industry, few efforts have focused on architecture offices. Therefore, this research aims to explicitly identify management practices that can be used for this type of organization and to coordinate among multiple actors to find the best way to measure their performance, other than the fulfilment of schedules and budgets.

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Lean Construction as a project management approach offers a comprehensive set of tools to solve problems that prevent a continuous flow in projects. The need to manage production processes through permanent work in the value chain by means of improved communication and coordination from the parties involved has been identified as one of the key factors of the Lean approach. Tools such as the Obeya Rooms represent an alternative to solve these problems by seeking greater effectiveness from the interaction of a project's participants as theseprovide a unique space under a collaborative management methodology based on continuous improvement. However, the experiences identified in Chile have failed to establish common patterns towards a proposal to standardise these tools. The present study aims to identify current practices in Obeya Rooms through literature review and qualitative data collected by national and international Lean experts who have participated in the design of this tool. Analysis of data collected allows the identification of common management practices to design future Obeya Rooms in the construction sector. Collected data is structured according to the following items: Frequency and Duration, Management of Indicators, Participants and Roles, Stages, Physical Space, Rules and Recommendations.

Throughout its development, Lean implementation in the construction industry has been characterized only by efforts focused on the use of Last Planner System tools, without greater emphasis on the philosophical and cultural aspects associated with a paradigm shift in the industry. This research seeks to identify the main competences of professionals in charge of Lean implementations in Construction Projects from a Latin American point of view, as a basis for the development of key behavioural indicators (KBI). The results obtained correspond to the identification of the main dimensions, which in the opinion of Latin American experts make a project relate with a Lean approach in construction and a set of competences proposed for these three main preferences: collaborative planning systems, culture based on continuing improvement and developing people based on Lean thinking. In addition, as a first step towards the development of a Lean competence management system in construction, a model for assessing the level of expertise of a professional in charge of these dimensions is proposed, by separating the performances identified in one-dimensional behaviours and applying a compliance scale.