A PC team on one of our Washington, DC, jobsites recently used the Lean principle of simple visual management to solve a problem, saving their project time and money. The team was tasked with assembling and installing approximately 400 hand rails when they found an unexpected challenge: many of the assemblies were nearly identical, with only a small difference in either the length or the bolt hole pattern.
The team recognized that they needed a system to identify and organize the components as they were produced to prevent potential confusion during installation. They selected an online labeling service to create weatherproof identification tags to withstand rain and snow. The crew implemented the new approach, fabricating and labeling the railing kits to identify where they should be installed. The new system also provides a more organized site with the added benefit of early inventory for possible missing materials and quicker labor installation, saving time and money.
This is a perfect example of how PC Construction’s employee-owners have adopted the Lean philosophy.