In recent years, the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has broadly expanded the use of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), particularly Lean Construction methods, to deliver value to their customers. VDC includes the use of Production Management using Lean methods as an integral part of the defining theory and method, and multiple case studies have concluded that the greatest performance improvement is achieved by implementing both initiatives together. This paper reviews extensive literature of VDC and Lean Construction with the intent to show benefits in the application of Lean Construction in the actual practice of VDC and to provide examples of waste and opportunities for improvement in projects if Lean methods are applied. This study found that use of Lean methods can help to reduce waste within the VDC process, in the phase of information flow (process view). Specifically, our main finding from this study was that only five types of waste represent 80% of the referenced occurrence of waste in VDC processes, which suggests that if teams use Lean Methods and focus on elimination of these types of waste (i.e., motion (excess), inventory (excess), overproduction, waiting and employee knowledge (unused)), teams can improve VDC practices dramatically.

Virtual design and construction (VDC) implementation remains a challenge as companies lack understanding of the implementation strategies and their relation with other important improvement efforts such as lean management. This article presents a performance modeling methodology that allows companies to assess VDC implementation strategies, including lean management as a moderator. The methodology is based on a conceptual model of the implementation variables that influence project performance and a mathematical method that uses partial least squares to explain the relationships among the multiple variables. The methodology was tested using data from an existing survey to identify the variables and quantify the relationships. A significant finding is that using lean as a moderator strengthens the connection between strategies and allows a better performance on companies. The results are exploratory but provide interesting insights into VDC implementation strategies and provide evidence of the methodology's power.