10 Lean training courses for construction
The lean philosophy in construction aims to solve the challenge of waste, inefficiency, and lack of collaboration in construction projects. Here are 10 lean training courses for construction to help your team reduce waste in their workflow while focusing on what matters most to your client.
Lean Refresher Training
Introduce lean concepts to a team of beginners or refresh your construction team’s knowledge for a more effective implementation of lean principles. This SC Training course features a dedicated lesson on each of the five lean training concepts and some tools commonly used to put them into practice.
The course also shows your team what to expect from a lean work culture by listing the benefits and challenges they might encounter upon implementing lean principles. It also helps them recognize the eight types of waste that lean methods seek to reduce to avoid delays and keep up with the client’s timeline.
Each lesson comes with built-in quizzes throughout the course. For additional comprehension checks, you can easily create short assessments for your team with SC Training’s Rapid Refresh feature. By simply filling out a form, you can easily generate a quiz and monitor your team’s understanding of key lean training topics.
Created by: SC Training (formerly EdApp)
Length: 5 to 10 minutes (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Lean Principle 1: Define Value
For those who need a more in-depth understanding of lean construction, SC Training offers dedicated courses on each lean principle. This particular course covers the first lean principle in more detail, discussing commonly used tools to define value, like voice of the customer and customer journey mapping.
The course covers the differences between pure waste, necessary waste, and value-adding work based on your client’s needs. Finding out what matters most to the client sets the team up for success once they start planning out what tasks to prioritize.
Signing up for SC Training gives you access to this course, along with data and analytics features that can track your team’s training performance. This makes for easy compliance checks to make sure the lean philosophy is the new standard in your construction projects.
Created by: SC Training
Length: 5 to 10 minutes per lesson (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Lean Principle 2: Map the Value Stream
The next course on the list tackles the second principle of the lean philosophy: mapping the value stream. It explains what a value stream is and highlights its relevance in reducing inefficiencies.
To enhance value mapping processes, the course covers a step-by-step guide your team can use for implementation. It offers helpful tips and shares the TIMWOOD acronym for your team to recall the common types of waste they must look out for.
An assessment is given midway through the course to test your team’s ability to identify waste. It lists several scenarios that demonstrate waste in the construction process, helping them build the skill to spot inefficiencies as they trace the value stream.
Created by: SC Training
Length: 5 to 10 minutes per lesson (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Lean Principle 3: Create Flow
With the value stream laid out, it’s time to work out how production tasks should be tied together so there are little to no bottlenecks, delays, and waste. Here, SC Training explains how to create optimal workflows, making sure all aspects and individuals involved in the construction process operate smoothly at all points.
The theory of constraints is a key concept discussed in the course. It highlights the importance of addressing bottlenecks to prevent issues further down the line and assists in understanding the third principle on a deeper level.
The course uses scenario-based training to discuss flow creation tools like the Kanban board and root cause analysis. It also presents case studies to relate concepts to real-world situations and to encourage practical application.
Created by: SC Training
Length: 5 to 10 minutes per lesson (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Lean Principle 4: Pull
This SC Training course comprehensively covers the fourth lean principle. It differentiates push systems from pull systems, emphasizing how the lean philosophy focuses on pull systems to keep the project on track with the customer’s given timeline.
Further discussed in the course are some tools that can support your team in establishing a pull system. It explains how demand forecasting, heijunka (leveling), and just-in-time can be used to identify and meet customer demand. This is essential in avoiding delays or idle time in construction.
Featured case studies in the course help your team gain a better understanding of how these lean construction tools can help improve work efficiency. Additionally, SC Training makes it possible to combine these lessons with practical assessments by allowing you to track training progress both digitally and in-person.
Created by: SC Training
Length: 5 to 10 minutes per lesson (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Lean Principle 5: Continuously Improve
Also known as Kaizen, the fifth and last principle is all about continuous improvement. Here, SC Training discusses the role Kaizen plays in lean thinking, highlighting the benefits it offers to construction companies when implemented properly.
It lists five important steps to establish Kaizen, from observing the workplace to making the necessary improvements. To give your team more guidance, it also explores different tools construction teams use for Kaizen, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle.
The course covers the last principle in short, bite-sized lessons, making sure that your team gets the crucial information. This allows them to focus on applying the concepts into practice, which can be tested through the built-in assessments that come with the course.
Created by: SC Training
Length: 5 to 10 minutes per lesson (self-paced)
Certificate: Available (for completion)
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
The Ultimate Guide to Lean Construction
Procore Learning helps your team understand how lean techniques can benefit the construction industry. It tackles the core principles of the lean philosophy and discusses common tools like 5S, Last Planner System, and the PDCA Cycle to implement lean into their work.
White Belt Lean Construction
This white belt course from the Lean Construction Academy is a great way to establish the lean mindset in your team. This course uses gamified worksite simulations and other interactive elements to introduce your team to basic lean management concepts and their importance in construction.
Six Sigma Black Belt Training & Certification
The Lean Six Sigma concept is often included in lean topics, as it supports the lean principle of reducing waste and boosting efficiency. This course is for teams who want to learn about Lean Six Sigma in construction. It covers the Six Sigma phases and a series of statistical tools to detect defects and inefficiencies in the construction process.
This black belt-level training covers advanced topics that focus on real-world scenarios that give your team multiple opportunities to apply their learning into practice. Upon completion, it offers a lean certification that can be used to develop careers in lean construction.
Lean Construction Certification Training Course
Rcademy offers a comprehensive lean construction certification course that tackles everything your team needs to know to become a successful lean practitioner. It features 15 modules that cover the lean principle in detail, along with additional lessons on topics like machine monitoring, total productive maintenance, and more.
What is lean training for construction?
Lean construction training involves the application of lean principles to minimize waste, whether it’s time, manpower, or materials. It teaches construction teams how to implement concepts and use tools to improve the efficiency of daily operations and maximize the value stakeholders get out of the project.
Why is lean training important for construction companies?
Lean training equips construction companies to do more with less. Below are some of the benefits lean training offers when implemented in construction projects seamlessly:
- Reduces waste: Construction teams are taught various techniques to minimize waste, like material, time, and effort, to lower the project’s overall costs.
- Enhances safety: Unsafe practices are more likely to occur when employees are under pressure. Lean training includes improvements to construction workflow that could ease stress off employees, making them less likely to commit unsafe practices.
- Boosts quality: Training on lean principles is typically built on the foundations of continuous improvement. This teaches your team to regularly seek out ways to make the construction process better and increase the quality of service they provide.
- Higher customer satisfaction: Lean training introduces process improvements that make sure your construction team meets the client’s expectations. It also lets them complete the project without going over budget.
- Improves efficiency: Lean methods taught in training aim to reduce delays and downtime. This means projects are completed faster and without any issues.
What are the core principles of lean construction training?
Lean training for construction is centered on improving efficiency, reducing waste, and creating value throughout the construction process. To give teams a more straightforward guide during implementation, it can be broken down into five principles:
- Identify value. Understand what the customer truly values in the project and focus on what delivers real benefits to the client and other stakeholders.
- Map the value stream. Analyze all the steps in the construction process to spot waste and inefficiencies so non-value activities can be reduced or eliminated.
- Create flow. Make sure work moves smoothly and continuously without interruptions or delays.
- Use pull systems. Schedule tasks based on real demand rather than pushing work before the project really needs it.
- Pursue perfection. Always look for ways to do things better by learning from experience, feedback, and data.
Who should attend lean training for construction?
Construction projects cannot be completed efficiently by a one-man team. It involves several groups of people with diverse roles that can benefit from lean training for construction in their own way.
- Project managers: As they oversee the entire project, lean training can help them optimize scheduling, resource allocation, and overall project efficiency according to the client’s needs.
- Site supervisors: They’re responsible for managing on-site activities. As such, lean methods give them the opportunity to improve workflow and worker safety during operations.
- Contractors and subcontractors: Lean training helps them better collaborate with other teams to make sure that resources are maximized and that the project stays on track.
- Project engineers: They support project planning and execution, and lean training equips them with tools to optimize processes and improve quality control.
- Client representatives: Lean training teaches them how to maximize available resources so they can set realistic expectations and collaborate with the construction team better.
How is lean training different from traditional project management training?
Lean construction industry training is a modern approach to project management. It differs from traditional project management training in several ways:
- Waste vs. cost minimization: Lean training reduces all forms of waste to maximize value, be it time, materials, or manpower. Traditional project management often focuses mainly on minimizing expenses, which may still allow inefficiencies.
- Decision-making: Lean encourages teamwork and empowers everyone to contribute to decisions for faster problem-solving. Traditional methods tend to follow a strict top-down structure where higher-ups can quickly overrule others’ decisions. This can restrict collaboration and slow down decision-making.
- Planning: Lean promotes flexible, ongoing learning and involves adapting to changes throughout the project. Traditional methods rely on sticking to a fixed plan, which can struggle to handle unexpected challenges.
- Value vs. scope: Lean aims to deliver what truly adds value to the client, even if it means adjusting the project. Traditional management often rigidly sticks to the original scope of the project.
- Safety and respect for people: Lean training focuses on creating a safe, respectful work culture where everyone has a say in decisions. However, it’s not heavily emphasized in traditional project management as much as it is in lean training.
Complete construction projects that exceed client expectations
SC Training has various training courses on lean techniques, tools, and concepts to get your team started on reducing waste and maximizing project value. Signing up also gives them access to lessons on construction safety topics that can help them carry out the lean principle of continuous improvement.
Manage a safe and efficient construction project that delivers the most value. Join SC Training today.