History and Overview of Lean Construction Fundamentals

The history of Lean Construction (LC) includes diverse implementations that have evolved since 1988. LC theory is supported by extensive academic contributions and empirical experimentation, with numerous pilot projects tested worldwide. The original goal was to improve the efficiency of the construction production flow. The most modern goal has been to make the construction industry structure more sustainable, always considering Respect for People, one of the two fundamental pillars of LC. The LC sector in Europe is facing new challenges due to shifting economic conditions, geopolitical factors, and resource management constraints. Interestingly, this situation resembles the context in which Toyota and Mr. Taiichi Ohno developed the foundations of this discipline through the Toyota Production System. This work has its roots in the Implementation of Lean Construction in Finland, which explored, back in 2022, how different construction companies in Finland were applying LC tools such as BIM-based software or LC elements such as Transparency, Collaboration, and Integration Project Delivery. How has the concept of lean thinking evolved over the years? What happened in the past three years? This overview will represent the first step of the research project on Lean Construction Implementation. It aims to lay the foundation for future work on Lean Construction related to waste management, circularity, resource management, and contract management.