Combining Lean and Agile Project Management in a Multi-Project Environment: Case Study in a Retail Company

Abstract

Both the Last Planner System (LPS) and Scrum have been suggested as suitable planning and control methods for dealing with complex project environments. However, most previous studies have investigated the use of those methods for planning and control in single projects, in general managed separately from other projects. This paper reports the results of an investigation which aims to propose a planning and control model for managing construction projects in a multi-project environment. Using Design Science Research (DSR) as a methodological approach, an empirical study has been carried out in a fashion retailer company from Brazil. The model has been built by using a research strategy similar to Action Research. These are the main findings so far: (a) the nature of the project management activities demand a different planning and control approach, compared to what is normally found in relation to planning and control design or construction; and (b) there are challenges on the systematic use of performance measures to support learning and decision-making. These initial conclusions will serve as a basis for incorporating improvements in the model. KEYWORDSLean construction, agile project management, planning and control, project management, construction projects.projects are built in different parts of the country, and in other Latin American countries. The company has a Department of Architecture and Engineering (DAE), which is in charge of managing the design and construction stages. DAE coordinates the work of several types of suppliers, including designers, construction management companies, general contractors, and furniture suppliers, which are directly responsible for the design and delivery of the projects. In the department routine, multiple projects are developed simultaneously, with relatively short lead-time (typically within a year). Some of them are refurbishment or retrofit projects. The individual characteristics of each project and the fact that there is some degree of interdependence between projects, due to shared resources, make this project management environment highly complex. Before the beginning of this study, the company had been adopting a very traditional project management approach, strongly based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), produced by the Project Management Institute (PMI): Critical Path Method (CPM) as a planning and control tool, emphasis on the control of deliverables, performance measurement focused on results, etc. Based on an assessment of the company's project deliverable system, one of the main improvement opportunities identified was to change the planning and control process, which included both design and construction stages at a project management level. In fact, the company had been faced several problems related to additional costs, project delays and lack of quality.The underlying assumptions of project management have evolved over time in an attempt to improve managers' ability to cope with different circumstances (Laufer et al. 1996). Althoug...

Characterising project management of lean initiatives in industrial companies — crossing perspectives based on case studies

“…Their Scrum board has six columns: task description, product backlog, to do, in progress, to check and done. This approach helps to facilitate the work and create flow, as referred to in other works (Hamerski et al, 2019;Ribeiro et al, 2019).…”

“…The searched literature is not clear about the main management approaches. However, the agile approach is successfully applied to manufacturing, which reveals a constant need for adding value and time-to-market in a more complex and uncertain world (Hamerski et al, 2019;.…”

“…A project is an ecosystem that depends on project complexity, resources, and time. The project complexity is the result of an equation in which the project management approach, business area, bureaucracy, legal procedures, level of innovation, and human context are relevant variables (Gonzalez et al, 2011;Hamerski et al, 2019;Hidalgo, 2019;Schwaber & Sutherland, 2020).…”

“…This team leader, which can be the project manager, helps to design the requirements, the milestones, the prioritisation, manage the risks and define the product or service quality. The teams are guided by his knowledge and leadership (Hamerski et al, 2019;Hidalgo, 2019;.…”

Scrum Complementing Last Planner System – a Case Study

“…Case studies have established that Scrum can enhance design coordination (Kalsaas et al 2014;Lia et al 2014;Demir and Theis 2016), collaboration in planning (Daniel et al 2020), and management of construction projects in a multi-project environment (Hamerski et al 2019). While LPS has also thrived in design, management, and support functions there is a paucity of tangible data to demonstrate the benefits Scrum can bring to construction execution.…”