Lean Digital Transformation in Construction: Case Study of Stavanger Hospital
The ambitious hospital project in the Stavanger region of Norway is a prime example of advanced planning and execution methods in the construction industry. With an area of around 100,000 square meters and a completion date of 2024, the project faces a variety of challenges. To overcome these effectively, an innovative planning method based on Lean principles was implemented. The introduction of the Lean methodology into the planning of the major hospital project in Norway was not only a paradigm shift, but has also received international recognition. This project was recognized as the world's best digital construction project. The recognition came from the American IT giant Autodesk during the world's largest digitalization conference for the construction industry.
The hospital project must meet several critical requirements simultaneously. These include tight scheduling, the complexity of construction activities and the coordination of a large number of players and subcontractors. With a construction period of only five years and over 22,000 individual activities running in parallel, time for planning and execution is tight.
Traditional methods of project planning, which often rely on long-term planning cycles of several weeks or months, proved to be insufficiently flexible for the dynamics of the project. A Lean-based planning system was therefore introduced, which uses adaptive, short-term planning intervals of one week.
This approach allows for precise and adaptable planning that continuously adjusts to changing conditions and unforeseen challenges. The short intervals allow for timely review and adjustment of planning, minimizing bottlenecks and delays.
Another step towards optimizing the planning processes was the introduction of a uniform planning tool tailored to the needs of the project. This tool allows the visualization of all tasks and activities in the form of "trains" and "wagons," which greatly facilitates coordination. By using a unified tool, all stakeholders "speak" the same "language," which increases the efficiency of the entire project.
Conclusion
The introduction of the Lean methodology in the planning of this extensive hospital project in Norway has led to a significant optimization of the construction processes. The combination of short-term planning intervals and standardized planning tools has created a flexible and robust project structure that is capable of meeting the diverse and complex challenges.
The approach thus shows that the consistent use of Lean principles, the adaptation of best practices from other industries and the use of digital tools can achieve outstanding results in traditional industries such as construction.