CHANTILLY, Va. — The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) announced that it recently signed a mutual agreement, a memorandum of understanding, with the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) of Arlington, Va.

As a result of the agreement, SMACNA members will benefit from the latest research and educational programs on lean construction thanks in part to the sharing of resources by LCI.

As part of the agreement, members will have access to the extensive research, analysis, and educational materials compiled by LCI through SMACNA’s various business education programs. Contractors who adopt lean construction practices into their businesses benefit greatly from the elimination of waste and improvement of schedules and processes.

Lean theory, principles, and techniques, taken together, provide the foundation for a new form of project management. From roots in production management, lean construction produces significant improvements, particularly on complex, uncertain, and quick projects.

Lean production management has caused a revolution in manufacturing design, supply, and assembly. Applied to project design and delivery, lean changes the way work is done throughout the delivery process. Lean construction extends from the objectives of a lean production system — to maximize value and minimize waste — to specific techniques, and applies them in a new project delivery process.

Publication date: 8/19/2013 

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