Lean and Iot Integration to Improve Flow in Construction Prefabrication: a Proposed Framework

Abstract

Creating a stable and smooth flow is an essential principle of lean thinking. Failure to create a stable flow in the production system degrades performance and impacts value creation. In construction prefabricated systems, variability in flow between the construction site and manufacturing plant can cause an increase in time and cost of the projects. This paper aims to deal with the problem of lack of synchronization between the onsite and offsite fabrication. To achieve this aim, a framework that is based on the integration between lean and the Internet of Things (IoT) is proposed. The proposed framework integrates the planning and control work from the Last Planner System® (LPS) with IoT to improve the planning, tracking, and delivery of prefabricated components. The study sheds the light on some of the expected challenges that may face the use of the proposed framework and covers the preliminary observations after putting it in use to improve flow in the delivery of prefabricated steel components.