Application of Lean Construction Concepts to Manage the Submittal Process in AEC Projects

Abstract

Office processes are repetitive, common to multiple projects, involve multiple specialists, and are necessary to support the work of trades. Not much attention has been given to the management of office-related processes in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) literature despite their importance in supporting core activities in this industry. Anecdotal evidence provided by industry practitioners and research carried out by the authors suggest that these processes lack transparency (e.g., actual durations are unknown, indicators are not used to manage the process) and suffer from low reliability, that is, planned times do not reflect the reality and are often underestimated. Aiming to address this gap in the literature, this paper presents a two-phase study carried out to investigate the submittal process in a construction company using lean construction concepts and tools. The study revealed that durations used to manage the submittal process are unreliable and often do not match what is indicated in schedules and contractual requirements. Actual lead times to process a submittal are variable and root causes for their variability are not properly understood; consequently, unreliable durations continue to be used to prepare schedules. The authors suggest that by using the method and variables presented in this paper for the submittal process, companies can take the first step in mapping this and other administrative processes in order to visualize the chain of tasks necessary to process information in their offices. This method provided transparency to the process managed and allowed the management team to identify areas that needed improvement in the process.