Real-Time Project Imaging and Archiving Drives Lean Construction

A W H I T E P A P E R F R O M O X B L U EReal-Time Project Imaging and ArchivingDrives Lean ConstructionProject managers use on-site, time-lapse construction camerasto challenge doctrine of “time, quality and cost”By: Chandler McCormack, President, OxBlueC H A L L E N G E :Save time, manage costs and maintain quality through lean constructionIt is a long-held belief in the construction industry that theremust be a trade off among time, quality and cost. The leanconstruction movement challenges that notion. Through theuse of lean construction tools like time-lapse cameras thatprovide photographic documentation and virtual site access,project managers can improve planning and control, maximizevalue and minimize waste throughout the construction process.According to the Lean Construction Institute, key tenets oflean construction project management compared to non-leanproject management are:n Control is redefined from “monitoring results” to “makingthings happen.” Planning system performance is measuredand improved to assure reliable workflow and predictableproject outcomes.n Performance is maximizing value and minimizing wasteat the project level. Non-lean practice attempts to optimizeeach activity and thus reduces total performance.n Project delivery is the simultaneous design of the facilityand its production process. This is concurrent engineering.Non-lean practice, even with constructability reviews is asequential process unable to prevent wasteful iterations.n Value to the customer is defined, created and deliveredthroughout the life of the project. In non-lean constructionpractice, the owner is expected to completely definerequirements at the outset for delivery at the end, despitechanging markets, technology and business practices.Coordinating action through pulling and continuous flowis preferred, as opposed to traditional schedule drivenpush with its over-reliance on central authority and projectschedules to manage resources and coordinate work.Part of the Texas Children’s Hospital Pavillion for Women Bridge Project.Decentralizing decision-making occurs through transparencyand empowerment. This means providing project participantswith information on the state of the production systems andempowering them to take action.“As an advocate of LEAN processes, FKP Architectsis constantly seeking ways to enhance value andeliminate waste. The decision to install a liveOxBlue jobsite camera has improved our team’sefficiency, assisting us significantly during theconstruction of the Texas Children’s HospitalPavilion for Women Bridge project. Due to thecomplexity of the coordination and integrationinvolved on this project, multiple users benefitfrom the convenient camera access including theCity of Houston, the Texas Medical Center andHouston METRORail, in addition to the design andconstruction team.”

A W H I T E P A P E R F R O M O X B L U ES O L U T I O N :Real-time, virtual jobsite access enables lean project deliveryAccess to jobsite images through a simple, clean, easy touse Web-based software interface enables project managersto achieve the promise of lean construction by providing areal-time view of current project status with vivid clarity, easyreview of historical “moments in time” and virtual jobsiteaccess throughout the construction process.More Effective Project Control and Performance ManagementIn order to move from the retrospective “monitoring of results”toward proactively “making things happen,” one must providebroad stakeholder access to job site events as they happen inreal-time and impact the larger planning system. Accordingto LCI, in a lean construction planning system, performanceis measured and improved to assure reliable workflow andpredictable project outcomes. Through the use of real-timevisual access to the jobsite, performance can be measuredand improvements made at literally any moment in time.Lean performance requires maximizing value and minimizingwaste at the project level rather than within each individualactivity. In other words, lean performance means you don’tsacrifice total project performance for the sake of one efficienttask. Big picture analysis and decision making is best achievedby providing everyone invested in overall performancemanagement with a comprehensive, real-time “virtual” accessto the evolving project.Dynamic Engineering Versus Sequential Process ExecutionLCI describes lean project delivery as the simultaneous designof the facility and its production process. This is opposed to atraditional approach that relies on constructability reviews topreemptively manage risks such as:n Inconsistencies between plans and specificationsn Site and/or project access issuesn Coordination of tradesn Sequencing and project schedulingEven the most thorough constructability review cannoteliminate the need for production-driven design adjustmentsthat become necessary as projects evolve. On-site constructioncameras facilitate dynamic, concurrent engineering byproviding virtual access to the job site throughout theconstruction process. Design teams and project managers caneasily make adjustments to the design and production processin response to new information and events.Value enhancement through dynamic,decentralized decision-makingNo project happens in a vacuum. As such, value cannot beensured without ongoing consideration of changing markets,technology and business practices. A major premise oflean construction is the continuous regard for dynamicenvironments, context, risks, and stakeholder involvement.The final two tenets of lean construction are defined by LCIas the “continuous pursuit of value” and the “decentralizationof decision making.” The former cannot be fulfilled withoutthe latter. And neither can happen without the constantdissemination of information that portrays in real time theevolving conditions within which a project is being fulfilled.Onsite cameras provide remote project participants with realtime, visual access to the production system, enabling themto take action to manage resources and coordinate work –ultimately enhancing value for the customer.As the industry continues to evolve toward lean construction asstandard practice, photographic technology will play an importantrole in more effective and efficient project management.About OxBlue: OxBlue is a leading construction camera service provider, giving numerous Fortune 500 companies the hardware, connectivityand expertise to enable constant access to job sites through high-resolution, time-lapse, web-enabled construction camera images.OxBlue’s cameras connect people on and off site, and help measure variables such as labor, risk, quality and materials. The cameras provideaccountability and increase communications between construction companies and clients.OxBlue Corporation • 814 Bellemeade Ave. NW • Atlanta, GA 30318www.oxblue.com • Toll-free: (888) 849-2583 • Voice: (404) 917-0200 • Fax: (404) 917-0201