Over 75 percent of construction projects are delivered behind schedule, plagued by operational problems like erratic resource use and trade partner sync issues. But the construction industry can now leverage Lean Construction infused with artificial intelligence (AI) to improve project efficiency, safety and decision-making, says a new white paper, How Can AI Help You Drive Lean Construction Performance?

The white paper comes from the Lean Construction Institute in collaboration with Buildots. “AI progress management and Lean Principles belong together...they’re completely complementary,” the report says. 

"At its core, AI progress management helps project teams get the most out of Lean Principles by addressing a long pain point – a lack of data and actionable insights," the paper says. Lean can only deliver ongoing improvement and efficiency if teams have "timely, accurate and reliable data to work from," it adds. "AI platforms create, process and present this data, giving projects a much-needed boost.”

However, access to real-time data is the key to battling and reducing waste and boosting productivity in a construction project. That's where AI comes in, says the paper. "AI progress management platforms offer early error detection and progress verification so teams can catch mistakes that would otherwise go unnoticed.”

AI progress management can also help teams more nimbly adjust schedules and mitigate other risks, proactively lowering the likelihood of rushed work and unforced errors, says the white paper. In addition, AI can “also help optimize resource allocation by accurately forecasting material needs and managing labor,” the report points out.

"AI and machine vision provide accurate, unbiased data presented in actionable metrics," says Andy Steele, chief strategy officer at Buildots. "It's the only way teams can make informed decisions and unlock continuous improvement... [it is] completely complementary to Lean Principles,” Steele says. “Before the advent of this technology, the ability to capture data at the granular level we’re now seeing simply didn’t exist [and] the human eye isn’t capable of it.”

The white paper suggests looking at a construction project as a sports team, noting that team members have clear and distinct roles and responsibilities but are also working toward a shared long-term goal. “We all know that if every athlete focuses solely on their own stats and performance, their whole team is doomed to failure...but this is precisely how trades often behave on a construction site. 
Instead, the white paper advocates leveraging Lean and AI to “optimize the whole” when tackling a construction project. “In Lean Construction, optimizing the whole means prioritizing the entire project’s success over individual targets or outputs,” the white paper says.

There are five ways AI can enable this holistic approach:

  • Communication and transparency
  • Continuous feedback loop
  • Proactive problem solving
  • Cross-project learning
  • Resource allocation

“Close collaboration is crucial,” says Chris Vine, project superintendent at Hensel Phelps. “Years ago, we still thought, “As long as I do what I need to get done, that’s good.” Eventually, you learn that your sole success doesn't necessarily translate to project success and that you might not actually be successful operating that way."

Vine and others, looking ahead, believe AI is ready for its close-up. "If you're using AI and this performance-based methodology now, I'm sure you're excited, as you already see that you can do more with less," he says.  

Vine has good news if you have yet to leverage AI. "The tech you need is now much more available...this means you don't need to hire more staff or price yourself out of your scope to get the data you need," he says. We're super excited about AI and using it ourselves." 

AI-LCI-Whitepaper.pdf