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Operations strategies focus on how a firm delivers value, while business strategies focus on what to deliver and where. Lean is an operations strategy prioritizing flow efficiency. In construction, empirical underpinning of operations strategies has been limited. The aim is to capture how perceptions of operations strategy in construction practice aligns with existing theories of operations strategy organized in decision categories. Nine in-depth interviews with contractor middle managers were transcribed and analyzed to capture their perceptions of operations strategies. Results show: (1) decision categories in construction differ from manufacturing, and (2) differences between resource and flow efficient operations strategies exist. A resource efficient strategy focuses cost and delivery as competitive criteria, while customer value is targeted in a flow efficient strategy. Proposed structural decision categories are standardization, organization and production planning, supply chain, and infrastructural decision categories are human resources, continuous improvement, long-term perspective, process vs. project, and performance measurements. Infrastructural categories are more difficult to replicate and render competitive advantage if successfully aligned with business strategy. An operations strategy strictly focused on project delivery, such as lean construction, is not automatically aligned with the business strategy, but can achieve satisfactory project performance.

Purpose -A comprehensive intervention test platform, Valla Coach, including quantitative and qualitative methods to measure and improve work flows on site and promote coaching and collective learning has been developed jointly by researchers and practitioner. The study aims to describe the methodological underpinning of the platform, and discusses the preliminary results and implications.Design/Methodology/Approach -Expansive Learning Theory grounded in a cultural-historical perspective underpins the conceptual realisation of the test platform. The viability of the platform was tested in four contextually different construction sites (and contractors), combining established and new measurement tools, qualitative intervention approaches and coaching according to the production challenges at hand. Findings -Valla Coach created a space on site where researchers-as-coaches and operatives converged to co-construct (new) knowledge and learn together. The knowledge that emerged from the interactions gained legitimacy through its situatedness and practical value for the operatives.Research Limitations/Implications -Valla Coach provides opportunities for researchers and practitioners to probe the taken-for-granted. Moreover, a variety of methods and tools are tested in different contexts. The interventions prompt questioning of assumptions and make contradictions visible. Valla Coach remains work-in-progress and needs further evaluation and validation.Practical Implications -We contribute insights from negotiating socio-technical complexities, evaluating digital measurement tools and technologies and experiences of operatives. Tensions at the interface between the organisation and project are rendered visible.