Lean Construction Conformance among Construction Contractors in Turkey

Abstract

Lean construction is the term that corresponds to the reflection of the production system developed at the Toyota Corporation (automotive industry) on the construction industry. Turkish contractors constitute a large portion of the local economy and are important global actors in contracting business. Lean construction–based research and practice, as a production management–based approach for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the construction industry, are scarce among Turkish contractors. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire prepared to predict the lean conformance levels of Turkish contractors and discusses the results. The comparative strengths and weaknesses of Turkish contractors for a lean construction initiative are highlighted. The findings that are presented in this paper can be used as a starting point to disseminate the research and practice in lean construction among Turkish contractors in the future. A similar kind of research can be repeated to compare the lean conformance levels in different countries and to evaluate the lean construction programs at different companies after the introduction of lean construction.