Spire Consultant Marcelo Azambuja Introduces New Metrics for the Last Planner System

SPIRE CONSULTANT MARCELO AZAMBUJA INTRODUCES NEW METRICS FOR THE LAST PLANNER SYSTEM

Marcelo Azambuja, PhD, Consultant, had a paper published in the 2016 Issue of the Lean Construction Journal. The paper titled “Aligning Near and Long Term Planning for LPS Implementations:Review of Existing and New Metrics” was co-authored with Mr. Samir Emdanat of Ghafari Associates, and introduces new metrics to help align near- and long-term planning for the Last Planner System (LPS) implementation. Developed by the Lean Construction Institute, LPS is a collaborative, commitment-based planning system that improves workflow reliability by continuously aligning what will be done on a project with what should be done while ensuring that all of the known constraints are identified, planned, and resolved in advance. Specifically, the authors found that integrated database-driven tools can help improve LPS data collection and align near- and long-term planning to improve reliability. Ultimately, the study gives industry professionals an understanding of the LPS metrics and their overall impact on schedule performance. These metrics benefit contractors and owners by creating transparency on a project, allowing parties to track if project teams are accomplishing milestones on time, and exposing areas for improvement.

The paper was honored and accepted as keynote for the 24th Annual International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) Conference. During their keynote, Mr. Azambuja and Mr. Emdanat addressed roughly 200 professionals from the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.

Mr. Azambuja received his PhD in Construction Engineering and Project Management from the University of Texas at Austin and has been involved in the construction industry for nearly 15 years. With Spire, he provides proactive construction and program management consulting services for owners, contractors, and subcontractors by determining contract risk, estimating costs, and evaluating complex schedules. Mr. Azambuja also provides litigation support to clients in complex construction-related disputes in the commercial, educational, industrial, residential, and healthcare sectors.