Ensuring deadlines in port construction with lean thinking

Port infrastructure in Brazil is set to grow in the coming years, due to the large amount of public and private investment in this segment. Some examples are works to expand and reinforce quays at the port of Santos, the expansion of the terminal at the port of Itapoá and of the backup area of the port of Paranaguá.

Port construction works have typical characteristics due to the strong influence of weather and tides, the high demand for land and maritime logistics equipment and the extensive use of precast and prefabricated elements. These specific features point to the need for special attention to the physical and logistical planning of these types of works.

We will present five tips on how to guarantee deadlines in port construction works by implementing “lean thinking”:

1 - Plan the work in continuous flow

Continuous flow is one of the main concepts of lean, as it allows activities to be carried out in sequence without interruption. By implementing continuous flow, we can avoid overproduction and imbalances between activities, in addition to eliminating systemic idle time on site, which provides a smoother and faster execution of port construction works.

The line of balance tool helps to convey easily and visually how we can incorporate this element into planning.

To do this, we must involve people, because we understand that planning and control is much more than a department: it is a process that passes through several areas until it reaches production and receives feedback from it. We need to connect this planning and take advantage of the holistic view with a good procurement strategy and the macro logistics of the project.

Finally, a continuous flow should be adopted that is connected to an optimized cash flow (without harming productivity) and adapted to the specific context of the current situation of the company and the project.

2 - Tackle the work in small batches

We know that, sometimes, some companies use the strategy of advancing as much as possible on the initial services (as in the example of piles, because of prior planning decisions and mainly to generate billing). These decisions often make it difficult to move forward with the other activities due to the logistical difficulties caused by the progress of the initial activities. In addition, any quality problems that occur take a long time to be identified by the subsequent services in certain cases (and even when they are discovered, they generate an enormous amount of rework).

When using lean, the aim is to combine good and fast progress of execution with a previously planned cash flow. To apply the concept of “small batches”, the question to be asked is “What is the minimum area (stretch, module, axes, etc.) on which I can advance the services without having problems of occupational safety, quality and execution logistics?”. By advancing in minimum areas, we create the effect of eliminating waiting between activities, which reduces lead time without the need to add more resources. One example that can be mentioned is the advancement of precast beams, precast slabs and concrete pours in small modules. Along these lines, we can conclude that commissioning activities would benefit from using the concept of small batches, since they could hand over the project little by little and thereby bring forward stages of operation.

3 - Structure problem solving with productive routines

One of the major problems found in large port construction projects is the delay in solving problems. These projects normally have a large workforce, with enormous difficulty in managing information and problems.

Lean construction seeks to structure productive management routines involving, initially, field and site engineering leaders and, later, expanding to the production team.

Constraint removal routines are commonly carried out for these types of projects on a weekly cadence. There are also weekly planning meetings with clear targets aligned with the project's macro planning. In these meetings, the causes of deviations are also analyzed, and clear actions are taken to mitigate and eliminate recurring problems.

Daily management is also a very productive routine, carried out through a quick 15-minute meeting to solve urgent problems with the project's engineering and production teams.

All these routines bring agility in correcting deviations, with a view to getting back on track with the macro planning. They also result in enormous team engagement and make strong use of visual management (another element of lean) to make it possible to identify clearly and quickly whether the information has been understood. As a result, problems are quickly solved without accumulating.

4 - Leverage productivity with value stream mapping and standardized work

Productivity is a fundamental element for any construction project. For port works, we recommend the use of value stream mapping, which is a tool from industry that was adapted to construction precisely to eliminate waste in specific activities or in a set of activities. The main types of waste we eliminate in port works with VSM are motion and waiting between the processes of the activities. For these types of works, these types of waste consume approximately 1/3  of the time of execution activities.

After developing the future state of the activities, we move on to designing the work with the help of the “standardized work” tool. With it, the work of each employee, pair or team is standardized at the level of a shift or day of a repetitive cycle. The logistics team's routine is also standardized. Workplace layouts are designed to reduce the waste of transportation, inventory and motion.

This work design has strong involvement from the field teams, including carrying out pilot tests to improve and validate the planning of the activities.

Typical results achieved with these approaches include productivity increases of between 20 and 35%.

5 - Synchronize logistics

Logistics is important in every large construction project (and in port works, it is even more important). Lean logistics helps with sizing supermarkets (minimum inventories to make production flow), supply routes, and the sizing and standardization of the activities of a team dedicated to logistics.

The logistics of precast elements becomes extremely relevant in port works. For this, it is suggested that systems pulled by production be used, with provision for the correct storage locations, the correct quantity and with kits of pre-assembled auxiliary elements that facilitate the assembly carried out by the production team.

Getting started on the lean journey

Lean can be implemented in port works at any stage of project development. Projects not yet started will have the benefit of planning carefully by introducing continuous flow planning strategies before services begin. Projects already under way can tackle planning in parallel with the introduction of management routines and the application of tools to raise productivity in critical services.

We suggest that, before implementation, you identify and dive into the main challenges that the project will face or is already facing, because lean implementation must be situational, that is, in line with the difficulties of the moment.

Lean in port construction has brought several benefits to the companies that have been adopting it in their production management system. The main one has been guaranteeing the deadlines agreed with their clients, which helps reduce construction costs and earn early-completion bonuses. The contracting party also benefits, as it secures an early start of operations, generating results sooner than initially forecast.

Companies that have applied lean in port works report that they are not yet at the end of the journey, but rather at the beginning, and that they expect even greater results ahead.