Application of Last Planner System to Modular Offshore Wind Construction
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 11
Abstract
The focus of this study is the applicability of the Last Planner System (LPS) to modular offshore wind construction. Following a design science approach, a conceptual model for LPS adapted to modular offshore wind construction was developed, then refined and evaluated in a field study. The field study investigated was an offshore wind project in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Theoretical knowledge from academics as well as practical experience from field experts allowed adjusting LPS to the context of modular offshore wind construction. The case study organization participated in artifact development and evaluated its utility through implementation. Implementation of the developed artifact reduced the project duration by 21% compared to the as-planned original critical path method (CPM) schedule. Because offshore wind projects have tended to substantially overrun their scheduled durations, 21% may understate the actual improvement. Compared to current installation time within the industry, the project made a 36% reduction, measured by average installation time per megawatt. The developed LPS artifact contributes to the body of knowledge by adaptation of LPS to modular construction, and the evaluation shows its usefulness in the context of modular offshore wind construction.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
References
Abusalem, O. 2018. “Towards last planner system implementation in Gaza Strip, Palestine.” Int. J. Constr. Manage. 20 (5): 367–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2018.1484861.
Alla, A. A., M. Quandt, and M. Lütjen. 2013. “Simulation-based aggregate installation planning of offshore wind farms.” Int. J. Energy 7 (2): 23–30.
Alsehaimi, A., P. Tzortzopoulos, and L. Koskela. 2009. “Last Planner System: Experiences from pilot implementation in the Middle East.” In Proc., 17th Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction, edited by Y. Cuperus and E. H. Hirota, 53–66. Taipei, Taiwan: International Group for Lean Construction.
Alsehaimi, A. O., P. T. Fazenda, and L. Koskela. 2014. “Improving construction management practice with the Last Planner System: A case study.” Eng. Constr. Archit. Manage. 21 (1): 51–64. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2012-0032.
Backe, S., and D. Haugland. 2017. “Strategic optimization of offshore wind farm installation.” In Computational logistics, edited by T. Bektaş, S. Coniglio, A. Martinez-Sykora, and S. Voß, 285–299. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International.
Ballard, G. 1999. “Improving work flow reliability.” In Proc., 7th Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction, 275–286. Berkeley, CA: International Group for Lean Construction.
Ballard, G. 2000. “The Last Planner System of production control.” Ph.D. dissertation, Faculty of Engineering, Univ. of Birmingham.
Ballard, G., and G. Howell. 1994. “Implementing lean construction: Stabilizing work flow.” Lean Constr. 2 (Sep): 105–114.
Ballard, G., and G. Howell. 1998. “Shielding production: Essential step in production control.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 124 (1): 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1998)124:1(11).
Ballard, G., and I. Tommelein. 2016. “Current process benchmark for the Last Planner System.” Lean Constr. J. 89 (Jun): 57–89.
Barlow, E., D. T. Ozturk, A. H. Day, E. Boulougouris, M. Revie, and K. Akartunalı. 2014a. “A support tool for assessing the risks of heavy lift vessel logistics in the installation of offshore wind farms.” In Marine heavy transport & lift IV, 11–20. London: Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
Barlow, E., D. Tezcaner Ozturk, S. Day, E. Boulougouris, M. Revie, and K. Akartunali. 2014b. “An assessment of vessel characteristics for the installation of offshore wind farms.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Marine Technology ICMT2014. Glasgow, UK: Univ. of Strathclyde.
Barlow, E., D. Tezcaner Öztürk, M. Revie, K. Akartunalı, A. H. Day, and E. Boulougouris. 2018. “A mixed-method optimisation and simulation framework for supporting logistical decisions during offshore wind farm installations.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 264 (3): 894–906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2017.05.043.
Baskerville, R. 2008. “What design science is not.” Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 17 (5): 441–443. https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2008.45.
Besnard, F., M. Patriksson, A. Strömberg, A. Wojciechowski, K. Fischer, and L. Bertling. 2011. “A stochastic model for opportunistic maintenance planning of offshore wind farms.” In Proc., IEEE Trondheim PowerTech, 1–8. New York: IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/PTC.2011.6019376.
Browell, J., I. Dinwoodie, and D. McMillan. 2017. Forecasting for day-ahead offshore maintenance scheduling under uncertainty. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Castillo, T., L. F. Alarcón, and J. L. Salvatierra. 2018. “Effects of Last Planner System practices on social networks and the performance of construction projects.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 144 (3): 04017120. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001443.
Castro-Santos, L., A. Filgueira-Vizoso, I. Lamas-Galdo, and L. Carral-Couce. 2018. “Methodology to calculate the installation costs of offshore wind farms located in deep waters.” J. Cleaner Prod. 170 (Jan): 1124–1135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.219.
Chua, D. K., and L. J. Shen. 2005. “Key constraints analysis with integrated production scheduler.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 131 (7): 753–764. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2005)131:7(753).
Cusack, M. M. 1984. “The use and limitations of mathematical models in the planning and control of construction projects.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 2 (3): 219–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446198400000020.
Daniel, E. I., C. Pasquire, and G. Dickens. 2015. “Exploring the implementation of the Last Planner System through IGLC community: Twenty one years of experience.” In Proc., 23rd Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction, edited by O. Seppänen, V. A. González, and P. Arroyo, 153–162. Perth, Australia: International Group for Lean Construction.
Daniel, E. I., C. Pasquire, and G. Dickens. 2019. “Development of approach to support construction stakeholders in implementation of the Last Planner System.” J. Manage. Eng. 35 (5): 04019018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000699.
DEME. 2019. “DEME-group.” Accessed July 1, 2019. https://deme-group.com/deme.
Deming, W. E. 2000. The new economics: For industry, government, education. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Devoy McAuliffe, F., et al. 2018. “The LEANWIND suite of logistics optimisation and full lifecycle simulation models for offshore wind farms.” J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1104 (1): 012002.
Elia. n.d. “Legal framework.” Accessed April 7, 2019. https://www.elia.be/en/company/legal-framework.
El-Sabek, L. M., and B. Y. McCabe. 2017. “Coordination challenges of production planning & control in international mega-projects: A case study.” Lean Constr. J. 2017 (Jan): 25–48.
El-Sabek, L. M., and B. Y. McCabe. 2018. “Framework for managing integration challenges of Last Planner System in IMPs.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 144 (5): 04018022. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001468.
FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers). 2019. “Plant and design-build contract 2nd ed (2017 yellow book).” Accessed June 20, 2019. http://fidic.org/books/plant-and-design-build-contract-2nd-ed-2017-yellow-book.
Flynn, B. B., S. Sakakibara, R. G. Schroeder, K. A. Bates, and E. J. Flynn. 1990. “Empirical research methods in operations management.” J. Oper. Manage. 9 (2): 250–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-6963(90)90098-X.
Flyvbjerg, B. 2006. “Five misunderstandings about case-study research.” Qual. Inq. 12 (2): 219–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800405284363.
Flyvbjerg, B. 2011. “Over budget, over time, over and over again: Managing major projects.” In The Oxford handbook of project management, edited by J. K. P. Peter, W. G. Morris, and J. Söderlund, 321–344. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Flyvbjerg, B., N. Bruzelius, and W. Rothengatter. 2003. Megaprojects and risk: An anatomy of ambition. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Gao, S., and S. P. Low. 2014. “The Last Planner System in China’s construction industry—A SWOT analysis on implementation.” Int. J. Project Manage. 32 (7): 1260–1272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.01.002.
Gill, T. G., and A. R. Hevner. 2013. “A fitness-utility model for design science research.” ACM Trans. Manage. Inf. Syst. 4 (2): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1145/2499962.2499963.
Gundegjerde, C., I. B. Halvorsen, E. E. Halvorsen-Weare, L. M. Hvattum, and L. M. Nonås. 2015. “A stochastic fleet size and mix model for maintenance operations at offshore wind farms.” Transp. Res. Part C: Emerging Technol. 52 (Mar): 74–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2015.01.005.
Guo, S.-J., J.-H. Chen, and C.-H. Chiu. 2017. “Fuzzy duration forecast model for wind turbine construction project subject to the impact of wind uncertainty.” Autom. Constr. 81 (Sep): 401–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2017.03.009.
Gutierrez-Alcoba, A., E. M. T. Hendrix, G. Ortega, E. E. Halvorsen-Weare, and D. Haugland. 2019. “On offshore wind farm maintenance scheduling for decision support on vessel fleet composition.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 279 (1): 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.04.020.
Gutierrez-Alcoba, A., G. Ortega, E. M. T. Hendrix, E. E. Halvorsen-Weare, and D. Haugland. 2017. “A model for optimal fleet composition of vessels for offshore wind farm maintenance.” Procedia Comput. Sci. 108 (Jan): 1512–1521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.230.
Halvorsen-Weare, E. E., C. Gundegjerde, I. B. Halvorsen, L. M. Hvattum, and L. M. Nonås. 2013. “Vessel fleet analysis for maintenance operations at offshore wind farms.” Energy Procedia 35 (Jan): 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2013.07.170.
Hevner, A. R., S. T. March, J. Park, and S. Ram. 2004. “Design science in information systems research.” MIS Q. 28 (1): 75–105. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148625.
Hopp, W. J., and M. L. Spearman. 2001. Factory physics: Foundations of manufacturing management. New York: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Hopp, W. J., and M. L. Spearman. 2004. “To pull or not to pull: What is the question?” Manuf. Serv. Oper. Manage. 6 (2): 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.1030.0028.
Innella, F., M. Arashpour, and Y. Bai. 2019. “Lean methodologies and techniques for modular construction: Chronological and critical review.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 145 (12): 04019076. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001712.
Irawan, C. A., N. Akbari, D. F. Jones, and D. Menachof. 2018. “A combined supply chain optimisation model for the installation phase of offshore wind projects.” Int. J. Prod. Res. 56 (3): 1189–1207. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1403661.
Irawan, C. A., X. Song, D. Jones, and N. Akbari. 2017. “Layout optimisation for an installation port of an offshore wind farm.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 259 (1): 67–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2016.09.032.
Järvinen, P. 2007. “Action research is similar to design science.” Qual. Quantity 41 (1): 37–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-5427-1.
Johnston, R. B., and M. Brennan. 1996. “Planning or organizing: The implications of theories of activity for management of operations.” Omega 24 (4): 367–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-0483(96)00016-3.
Kalsaas, B. T., J. Skaar, and R. T. Thorstensen. 2015. “Pull vs. push in construction work informed by Last Planner.” In Proc., 23rd Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction, edited by O. Seppänen, V. A. González, and P. Arroyo, 103–112. Perth, Australia: International Group for Lean Construction.
Koch, C. 2012. “Contested overruns and performance of offshore wind power plants.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 30 (8): 609–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2012.687830.
Koskela, L. 2000. An exploration towards a production theory and its application to construction. Espoo, Finland: Technical Research Centre of Finland, VTT Publications.
Koskela, L. 2004. “Making-do—The eighth category of waste.” In Proc., 12th Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction, edited by S. Bertelsen and C. T. Formoso. Helsingør, Denmark: International Group for Lean Construction.
Koskela, L., and G. Howell. 2002. “The underlying theory of project management is obsolete.” In Proc., PMI Research Conf., 293–302. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
Lacal-Arántegui, R., J. M. Yusta, and J. A. Domínguez-Navarro. 2018. “Offshore wind installation: Analysing the evidence behind improvements in installation time.” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 92 (Sep): 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.04.044.
Lagos, C. I., R. F. Herrera, and L. F. Alarcón. 2019. “Assessing the impacts of an IT LPS support system on schedule accomplishment in construction projects.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 145 (10): 04019055. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001691.
Laufer, A., G. A. Howell, and Y. Rosenfeld. 1992. “Three modes of short-term construction planning.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 10 (3): 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446199200000021.
Lerche, J., H. Neve, S. Wandahl, and A. Gross. Forthcoming. “Categorization of the offshore wind production system.” Int. J. Oper. Res.
Lerche, J., O. Seppänen, K. B. Pedersen, H. Neve, S. Wandahl, and A. Gross. 2019. “Why would location-based scheduling be applicable for offshore wind turbine construction?” In Proc., IGLC 2019—27th Annual Conf. of the Int. Group for Lean Construction. Dublin, Ireland: International Group for Lean Construction.
Liker, J. K. 2004. The Toyota way: 14 management principles from the world’s greatest manufacturer. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Lindhard, S., and S. Wandahl. 2015a. “Exploration of correct LPS practices in scheduling of large, complex, and constrained construction projects.” Int. J. Project Org. Manage. 7 (1): 56–71. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPOM.2015.068005.
Lindhard, S., and S. Wandahl. 2015b. “Scheduling of large, complex, and constrained construction projects—An exploration of LPS application.” Int. J. Project Org. Manage. 6 (3): 237–253. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPOM.2014.065258.
Liu, M., G. Ballard, and W. Ibbs. 2011. “Work flow variation and labor productivity: Case study.” J. Manage. Eng. 27 (4): 236–242. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000056.
Lutz, J. D., and A. Hijazi. 1993. “Planning repetitive construction: Current practice.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 11 (2): 99. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446199300000003.
Muhabie, Y. T., J.-D. Caprace, C. Petcu, and P. Rigo. 2015. Improving the installation of offshore wind farms by the use of discrete event simulation. Copenhagen, Denmark: Maritime Development Center.
Nieto-Morote, A., and F. Ruz-Vila. 2012. “Last Planner control system applied to a chemical plant construction.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 138 (2): 287–293. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000415.
O’Connor, J. T., W. J. O’Brien, and J. O. Choi. 2015. “Standardization strategy for modular industrial plants.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 141 (9): 04015026. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001001.
Olivieri, H., O. Seppänen, T. d. C. L. Alves, N. M. Scala, V. Schiavone, M. Liu, and A. D. Granja. 2019. “Survey comparing critical path method, Last Planner System, and location-based techniques.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 145 (12): 04019077. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001644.
Otary. 2018 “Rentel.” Accessed November 5, 2018. https://www.otary.be/en/projects/rentel.
Paterson, J., F. D’Amico, P. R. Thies, R. E. Kurt, and G. Harrison. 2018. “Offshore wind installation vessels—A comparative assessment for UK offshore rounds 1 and 2.” Ocean Eng. 148 (Jan): 637–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.08.008.
Peffers, K., T. Tuunanen, M. A. Rothenberger, and S. Chatterjee. 2007. “A design science research methodology for information systems research.” J. Manage. Inf. Syst. 24 (3): 45–77. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222240302.
Peltokorpi, A., H. Olivieri, A. D. Granja, and O. Seppänen. 2018. “Categorizing modularization strategies to achieve various objectives of building investments.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 36 (1): 32–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353119.
Priven, V., and R. Sacks. 2016. “Impacts of the social subcontract and Last Planner System interventions on the trade-crew workflows of multistory residential construction projects.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 142 (7): 04016013. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001102.
Quandt, M., T. Beinke, A. Ait-Alla, and M. Freitag. 2017. “Simulation based investigation of the impact of information sharing on the offshore wind farm installation process.” J. Renewable Energy 2017: 11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8301316.
Raknes, N. T., K. Ødeskaug, M. Stålhane, and L. M. Hvattum. 2017. “Scheduling of maintenance tasks and routing of a joint vessel fleet for multiple offshore wind farms.” J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 5 (1): 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse5010011.
Sarker, B. R., and T. I. Faiz. 2017. “Minimizing transportation and installation costs for turbines in offshore wind farms.” Renewable Energy 101 (Feb): 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.09.014.
Schmenner, R. W. 1993. Production/operations management: From the inside out. New York: Macmillan.
Schmenner, R. W., and M. L. Swink. 1998. “On theory in operations management.” J. Oper. Manage. 17 (1): 97–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(98)00028-X.
Seppänen, O., G. Ballard, and S. Pesonen. 2010. “The combination of Last Planner System and location-based management system.” Lean Constr. J. 43–54.
Shtub, A. 1988. “The integration of CPM and material management in project management.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 6 (4): 261–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446198800000023.
Simon, H. A. 1996. The sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Sovacool, B. K., P. Enevoldsen, C. Koch, and R. J. Barthelmie. 2017. “Cost performance and risk in the construction of offshore and onshore wind farms.” Wind Energy 20 (5): 891–908. https://doi.org/10.1002/we.2069.
Stålhane, M., E. E. Halvorsen-Weare, L. M. Nonås, and G. Pantuso. 2019. “Optimizing vessel fleet size and mix to support maintenance operations at offshore wind farms.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 276 (2): 495–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.01.023.
Stock-Williams, C., and S. K. Swamy. 2019. “Automated daily maintenance planning for offshore wind farms.” Renewable Energy 133 (Apr): 1393–1403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.08.112.
Synergrid. 2019. “Energy grids serving society.” Accessed June 20, 2019. http://www.synergrid.be/download.cfm?fileId=synergrid_EN.pdf&language_code=NED.
Taghaddos, H., U. Hermann, and A. Abbasi. 2018. “Automated crane planning and optimization for modular construction.” Autom. Constr. 95 (Nov): 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.07.009.
Tekle Muhabie, Y., P. Rigo, M. Cepeda, M. de Almeida D’Agosto, and J. D. Caprace. 2018. “A discrete-event simulation approach to evaluate the effect of stochastic parameters on offshore wind farms assembly strategies.” Ocean Eng. 149 (Feb): 279–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.12.018.
Thomas, H. R., C. T. Mathews, and J. G. Ward. 1986. “Learning curve models of construction productivity.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 112 (2): 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1986)112:2(245).
Ursavas, E. 2017. “A benders decomposition approach for solving the offshore wind farm installation planning at the North Sea.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 258 (2): 703–714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2016.08.057.
van Aken, J., A. Chandrasekaran, and J. Halman. 2016. “Conducting and publishing design science research: Inaugural essay of the design science department of the Journal of Operations Management.” J. Oper. Manage. 47–48 (Nov): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2016.06.004.
Viana, D. D., C. T. Formoso, and E. L. Isatto. 2017. “Understanding the theory behind the Last Planner System using the language-action perspective: Two case studies.” Prod. Plann. Control 28 (3): 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2016.1233360.
Vis, I. F. A., and E. Ursavas. 2016. “Assessment approaches to logistics for offshore wind energy installation.” Supplement, Sustainable Energy Technol. Assess. 14 (SC): 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2016.02.001.
Yeo, K. T., and J. H. Ning. 2002. “Integrating supply chain and critical chain concepts in engineer-procure-construct (EPC) projects.” Int. J. Project Manage. 20 (4): 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(01)00021-7.
Yin, R. K. 2014. Case study research: Design and methods. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Zaeri, F., J. O. B. Rotimi, M. R. Hosseini, and J. Cox. 2017. “Implementation of the LPS using an excel spreadsheet: A case study from the New Zealand construction industry.” Constr. Innov. 17 (3): 324–339. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-01-2016-0002.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 11 • November 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 24, 2020
Accepted: May 22, 2020
Published online: Aug 31, 2020
Published in print: Nov 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jan 31, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.