COMMUNITY OF LEARNING & PRACTICE

LCi is a community of learning and practice that advocates for the transformation of the Irish construction sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices by the entire sector to enable and sustain enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and profitability for all stakeholders in the value chain.

VISION

The LCi vision is to create an environment that enables the design and delivery of capital projects Better, Faster, Together, and that also advances organisations’ operational excellence.

WHY LEAN

Explore Why Lean and Why LCi – watch Videos from LCi Board Members and others detailing their interest in Lean and why their organisations have adopted Lean thinking and practices, as well as how they are benefitting from involvement with the LCi community of learning and practice. Click here to view the LCi Vision for the Irish Construction Sector.

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RICHARD FITZPATRICK | CHAIRPERSON. Richard Fitzpatrick, Director for Programme Management and Project Controls at the NPHDB, and LCi Chairperson, provides an overview of LCi, talks about the shared transformation journey for the Irish construction sector and the lead advocacy being taken by the LCi Client Forum, and outlines some of the LCi strategic initiatives that are underway.

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JASON CASEY | DIRECTOR Jason Casey, Deputy Managing Director at Ardmac, and LCi Vice-Chair, discusses Ardmac’s strategic adoption of Lean for its own operational excellence as well as for the design and delivery of capital projects, and outlines how Ardmac’s core values align with the LCi vision, mission, and breakthrough objectives.

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JOE O’SULLIVAN | DIRECTOR Joe O’Sullivan, Regional Director Pharma (Ireland) at SISK, and LCi Board Member, talks about his passion for Lean and how SISK has adopted Lean thinking and practices to improve its own operations as well as to add enhanced value for its Clients.

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TREVOR MCSHARRY, Head of Department of Civil Engineering & Construction at ITSligo, and LCi Board Member, affirms the value of Lean from his prior industry experience and how he and ITSligo have integrated Lean into its construction programme offerings, and goes on to provide an overview of Lean and its benefits for the sector and its employees.

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GEORGE FARQUHAR, Engineering Services Manager at Irish Water, and LCi Board Member, outlines why Irish Water is part of the LCi community of learning and practice and the value it sees in engaging with other Clients interested in Lean as well as understanding how the wider contractor base and supply chain is implementing Lean to deliver enhanced value for Clients.

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DEREK SINNOTT, Senior Lecturer at WIT, and LCi Board Member, talks about the value of Lean and its complementarity with Sustainability, Circular Economy, and Digitalisation, and how their systemic alignment presents enormous opportunities and benefits for all construction sector stakeholders, society, the economy, and the planet.

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Richard Fitzpatrick

Richard Fitzpatrick, Director for Programme Management and Project Controls at the NPHDB, and LCi Chairperson, provides an overview of LCi, talks about.

Play Video

JASON CASEY, ARDMAC

Jason Casey, Deputy Managing Director at Ardmac, and LCi Vice-Chair, discusses Ardmac’s strategic adoption of Lean for its own operational excellence as well as…

Play Video

Joe O'Sullivan, SISK

Joe O’Sullivan, Regional Director Pharma (Ireland) at SISK, and LCi Board Member, talks about his passion for Lean how SISK has adopted Lean thinking and practices to…

AIMS

Promote the application of Lean thinking and practices across the Irish construction sector.

Develop a network of members committed to the application of Lean thinking and practices nationally and internationally.

Challenge traditional project thinking and delivery methods, and procurement and contractual processes.

Advance Lean Construction knowledge, know-how, and skills amongst all stakeholders.

Promote the application of Lean thinking and practices across the Irish construction sector.

Develop a network of members committed to the application of Lean thinking and practices nationally and internationally.

Challenge traditional project thinking and delivery methods, and procurement and contractual processes.

Advance Lean Construction knowledge, know-how, and skills amongst all stakeholders.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

LCi is strategically led by a Board of Directors comprising representatives from across the Irish Construction sector, including Clients/Owners, Contractors, Professional Services Providers, and Academics. Click HERE to view Director Profiles.

CORE VALUES

BREAKTHROUGH OBJECTIVES

LCi undertook a strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri) exercise to identify the breakthrough objectives to enable it deliver on its vision and aims. Three breakthrough objectives were developed: Clients; Contractual Processes; Capability Development.

National and Global Context & Alignment

LCi strategy development and deployment is aligned with national strategic objectives and key global reports, including:

The Business Case for Transformation

WHY: Productivity Imperative

Deliver Enhanced Value from Capital Investments

HOW: Contractual & Procurement Processes

“Lean in Construction” models/templates/language for inclusion in PQQ/SAQ, ITT/RFT, and Contracts. (Emphasising relational-oriented and collaborative approaches to project design and delivery.)

WHAT: Critical Action Areas

Lean Thinking and Practices enabling and sustaining enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and profitability / Procurement Templates / Lean Maturity Assessment Model / Ideal Behaviours / Capability Development

BENEFITS

Positive Delivery Framework & Experience

Successful Project Outcomes

Optimised Lifecycle Asset Performance & Reliability

Organisational & Financial Benefits

Figure 1. The Business Case for Transformation

Both nationally and globally, the business case for the transformation of the construction sector is evidence-based and widely supported (see National and Global Context & Alignment). The LCi community of learning and practice provides a forum for Clients and Owners along with their design teams to engage with Contractors and their Associated Supply Chain to collectively and collaboratively adopt Lean thinking and practices in the design and delivery of capital projects. Additionally, LCi advocates for sectoral organisations to adopt Lean thinking and practices for their own operational excellence purposes to achieve improvement of internal efficiencies and enhancement of overall productivity, profitability, and competitiveness. This all aligns with and complements progression around digitalisation, technology adoption, and the global prioritisation of sustainability.

Clients demand a new way to design and deliver capital projects in order to attain greater value-add and enhanced return on investment.
Contractors and Associated Supply Chain seek more value-adding, relational-oriented, and collaborative ways of working with one another and their Clients.
LCi has initiated a project to research and document suitable models, templates, and language that enable Lean in the procurement and contractual processes.
LCi has initiated a project to develop a “Lean and Enterprise Excellence Maturity Assessment Model”.
DPER, in its Economic analysis of productivity in the Irish construction sector (p.11), emphasises a “collaborative and mutually supportive relationship between clients and delivery partners” (click here).
McKinsey, in its Reinventing Construction: A Route to Higher Productivity report recommends “Reinventing Construction” (p.vi) given that “Global Construction has a Productivity Problem” (pp.15-31) (click here).

IDEAL STATE

LCi envisions the construction sector Ideal State will be founded on:

respect every individual; respect the process; respect the planet; continuous improvement
inclusivity; representation; partnership; collaboration
open and transparent engagement, trust, and communications
value; next-customer mindset; flow; pull; productivity; performance
proactive problem-solving and learning organisations
operational and enterprise excellence
technology and digitalisation
lifecycle mentality and sustainable development
relational-oriented contractual and procurement processes

BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVES

LCi has initiated several projects on areas deemed “breakthrough” in nature to enable and sustain sectoral transformation. These projects include:

Lean in Procurement & Contractual Processes – research and document applicable models, templates, and language that enable Lean in the procurement and contractual processes, and which may be adopted on a project-by-project basis. These will be presented as options that complement current sectoral contract models and global best practices. The emphasis being on more relational-oriented and collaborative approaches to project design and delivery, and they will enable the systemic deployment and fulfilment of Lean across the Irish construction sector.
Lean and Enterprise Maturity Assessment Model – development of a maturity model as the standard for the sector to enable organisations to assess their Lean and Enterprise Excellence Maturity, as well as to enable Clients evaluate the Lean and Enterprise Excellence Maturity of Contractors and Associated Supply Chain organisations in the procurement and contractual processes.
Ideal Behaviours – development of a list of ideal behaviours to be used as the sectoral “credo” and basis for alignment within and between sectoral organisations.
Course Portfolio – development of a course portfolio (White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt) as the standard for the sector in Lean Construction training and certification.
Capital Projects Pipeline – development of a comprehensive “pipeline” mapping public and private capital projects to enable the sector to more effectively and efficiently plan and collaborate in terms of capacity, resources, personnel, raw materials, and equipment.

DIRECTOR PROFILES

Richard is Director for Programme Management and Project Controls with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. Richard has over 30 years’ programme and project management experience having been responsible for managing the delivery of major capital infrastructure programmes both in the UK and Ireland. He has held a senior position with Dublin City Council, and was Project Director for the construction of University of Ulster’s new university campus in Belfast City and Managing Partner for EC Harris’ Irish consultancy business. Richard is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and a Member of the Association for Project Management. He graduated with an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from London South Bank University and holds APMP accreditation. Richard is Chair of Lean Construction Ireland (LCi), a community of learning and practice that advocates for the transformation of the Irish construction sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices.

Jason is Deputy Managing Director at Ardmac. He is a Chartered Construction Manager with more than 20 years’ industry experience, of which the last 15+ years have been with Ardmac. He has gained extensive experience in multiple sectors of the construction industry, including Pharma, Data Centres, Industrial Construction, as well as Retail and Commercial fit-out. Jason is a highly conscientious Director with an exceptional commitment to enabling teams to manage each element of work to the customer’s satisfaction. He has an excellent record in delivering successful projects efficiently whilst maintaining a firm focus on safety, quality, and budget. Jason has been a leader in the Ardmac Lean Construction Journey, and is a champion of innovation and change, believing that people and continuous improvement of processes are at the centre of enabling operational excellence across the industry. He also deems shared knowledge and collaboration in Lean thinking and practices to be critical to the improvement of productivity in the construction industry.

Angelyn is a partner in the Construction, Projects, and PPP team at Philip Lee. Angelyn has extensive experience advising on major infrastructure projects and complex procurement matters. She has advised on some of the most significant projects in Ireland in recent years, including advising the National Development Finance Agency on the Social Housing PPP Programme, the Third Level Institutes PPP, the Grangegorman DIT Campus PPP, and the Primary Care Centres PPP. Angelyn advises funders, developers, employers, and contractors on all aspects of construction law, specialising principally in non-contentious areas including commercial office, residential, healthcare, and energy projects. She advises on many standard form contracts such as the Public Works Contracts, RIAI, IEI, FIDIC, MF1, NEC, and others, in addition to drafting and negotiating bespoke construction contracts. She is also skilled at advising clients on public procurement processes from inception to appointment. Angelyn is recommended for her work in both construction and projects in the legal directories Chambers Europe and Legal 500.

Kevin joined Jones Engineering in 1989 as an Apprentice Electrician. In 2020, he was appointed as an Operations Director of our Electrical Division with responsibility for the Semi-Conductor, Data Centre, Building Services, and Pharmaceutical sectors. Kevin has worked on a wide range of projects, including Swords Labs, Astellas, AIB Ballsbridge, Point Village, and a blue-chip Semi-Conductor Client. In 2003, Kevin graduated with an MSc in Construction Project Management, on which he researched Lean in Construction for his dissertation examining C.L.I.P. Kevin is a founding member of Lean Construction Ireland, and is a Board Member and Company Treasurer.

Derek is Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Waterford Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of Civil Engineering from NUI Galway, and holds an MSc in Civil Engineering and PhD in Energy Management and Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. He regularly leads industry-focused academic research projects, and supervises research at Master and Doctoral levels. He is an advocate of sustainable business development through organisational productivity and performance optimisation, high-performance leadership, sustainability and ESG reporting, low carbon and digital innovations. Derek’s research interests include: construction project delivery, Lean, operational excellence, the circular economy, and transition to a low carbon economy. He is a Member of the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB) and a Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the PRB; he is a judge for the Irish Construction Excellence Awards, and is a Member of the South East Region Committee of Engineers Ireland.

Éamonn is a solicitor, arbitrator, and mediator. He has specialised in construction and procurement law for more than 30 years, working in Ireland, the UK, and the US, having begun his career in 1983 as a barrister in Dublin. From 2004 to 2020, he was a partner in one of Ireland’s big law firms where much of his work included advising on large public projects and resolving disputes. He drafted Ireland’s Public Works Contracts. He advises, lectures, and writes on collaborative contracting structures, among other things. He contributed a chapter to Public Procurement and Human Rights: Opportunities, Risks and Dilemmas for the State As Buyer (Elgar, 2019). Éamonn is a CEDR accredited mediator and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is a member of the Engineers Ireland dispute resolution board and chairs the arbitration sub-committee of the Law Society alternative dispute resolution committee. He is a trustee of Depaul Housing Association.

Avril is Director & Dean of the College of Engineering & Built Environment at TU Dublin. She is a Chartered Geomatics Surveyor and holds a PhD in the application of geomatics to architectural historical studies. Avril is TU Dublin Lead Investigator on the EU-funded BIMCert project; she chairs the SCSI BIM inter-professional working group; is vice-Chair of SCSI’s Geomatics Profession Group; is a Member of the both the UK and the Irish BIM academic fora; is a member of the buildingSMART (bSI) UKI steering committee for the development of the UKI bSI Professional Certification Programme in Open BIM; is the international representative on the survey4bim working group of the UK BIM Task Group; and is a member of the RIA Geosciences & Geographical Sciences Committee. Integration of Lean Construction with BIM is an area of special interest, and links with her as a Director of LCi.

Joe started his career as an engineer and contract manager in the UK, working with both main contractors and large subcontractors on a variety of projects, including commercial, hospitals, and industrial work, joining Sisk during this time. He returned to Ireland in 1997 and has since concentrated on working in the Life Sciences sector, delivering a variety of construction and project management solutions from large-scale new-build to small but complex retro-fit projects on live campus environments for large multi-national clients. Joe passionately believes that efficient and effective construction can only be delivered if those involved truly understand the building process and are focused on finding better and more efficient details and build sequences. Collaboration, coaching, mutual understanding, and the sharing of resources of all kinds are key tools in the drive for efficiency. Joe’s focus is on relationships and people – this he feels is what really delivers successful projects.

Imelda holds a lead role in the Jacobs Global Program Management business as Head of Program Strategy and Services. A Chartered Engineer with over 20 years’ experience, Imelda is a versatile business leader with extensive experience in business operations, major project delivery, and portfolio management. Having spent half of her career based in the Middle East, Imelda has been involved in some of the world’s largest infrastructure projects across a diverse range of sectors, with roles in delivery leadership and regional business leadership. Strategically minded and solutions focussed, she has proven ability to define and implement key business objectives and growth policies, and a reputation for positively impacting overall performance. Imelda is known for her collaborative working style and relationship building. She is focussed on integrated delivery, partnerships, and progressive outcomes, and has demonstrated success in recovering challenged projects, driving innovation, and improving governance and organisational structure.

Trevor McSharry is Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at IT Sligo since 2011, and is passionate about bridging the gap between education and industry through collaboration. He has led the development of Ireland’s largest suite of construction related online part-time educational programmes, which includes industry partners such as Irish Water, the Department of Transport, TII, and the SCSI. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow with Engineers Ireland, certified Project Management Professional with PMI, and holds an MBA with DCU, and a Post Graduate Certificate in BIM and the Digital Environment, including Lean Production. With extensive industrial and academic leadership experience, Trevor’s research interests include project and change management, and Lean and process optimisation. Trevor is currently a doctoral candidate at Maynooth University with a research focus on leading change within the higher educational sector. He has been a director with Lean Construction Ireland since 2018.

Denis is the Head of Integrated Management Systems for GRAHAM. He has a Degree in Building Engineering, an MBA and PhD in Business & Management (Quality Management), and is a Fellow of the Chartered Quality Institute, Fellow of the American Society for Quality, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. A Certified Lean Practitioner, Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and Certified Quality Manager and Auditor, he has experience with Lean, Six Sigma, ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, ISO44001, and the EFQM Criteria. He has worked with Quality Management in the construction industry for 20 years in commercial, civil engineering, and home building in Ireland, UK, and USA.

Shay is a Group Quality Manager at Mercury, leading quality management functions in multiple global locations including Ireland, UK, and Europe. Shay has held multiple roles in Mercury since 2004. Prior to working in Mercury, Shay was a project manager with a leading multinational semiconductor organisation, where he worked across Ireland, the USA, and Israel. Shay holds a first-class honours Diploma in Management of Governance and Compliance from the Irish Management Institute (IMI), a Master Degree in Safety & Health at Work from Dublin City University (DCU), and a Bachelor Degree in Health and Safety at Work from University College Dublin (UCD). Shay is a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills and embracing change and new ideas in dealing with quality management, compliance, and risk management issues that face the construction industry.

Eibhlín is Clúid Housing Association’s Head of New Business, a chartered Architect and member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland. She holds a Master Degree from King’s College, London in construction law and dispute resolution. Eibhlín is responsible for Clúid’s sustainable communities housing design and quality standards. She is instrumental in developing innovative procurement methods for better and faster delivery of housing for Clúid. She has over 20 years’ experience working in the construction industry, with nine years’ working specifically in the voluntary housing sector. She successfully delivered complex high-profile regeneration and new build housing schemes as client, in partnership with various public and private stakeholders. As a member of Clúid’s Operations Team, she is tasked with running the day-to-day operations of a rapidly growing business. One which holds over €1billion euro in assets, with plans to deliver a further 2700 homes by 2023. She leads a highly motivated team of construction professionals and is passionate about creating sustainable communities.

George is the Engineering Services Manager in Asset Delivery at Irish Water. In his role, he has responsibility for design standards, consistency, and quality for delivery of the Capital Investment Plan with planned annual programme in excess of €500m. Prior to taking up this role, he spent 20+ years in the water industry in the UK and in Ireland. He has a degree in Civil Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Development and Transformation. George believes in collaboration across the supply chain, driving lessons learned and the Client setting the culture, mutual understanding to improve, self-development, and people management to build relationships.

Anthony works for a global pharmaceuticals company supporting their global capital portfolio and is a member of their Global Engineering & Facilities team based in Dublin, Ireland. Anthony has over 30 years’ experience providing professional services to a wide range of industries including Pharmaceuticals, Transportation, Food and Beverage, and Micro-Electronics in Europe, Asia, and the USA. Anthony is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). Anthony joined Lean Construction Ireland as a Member of the Client Forum in 2019, before being nominated and appointed to the LCi Board in 2020. Anthony’s areas of experience include Capital Governance, Project Management, Risk Management, Estimating, Procurement, Contract Administration, Cost Management, and Project Controls functions.

STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Darrin is a Lecturer in Management at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Business School since 2004. He is Joint Programme Director of the WIT Lean Enterprise and Operational Excellence portfolio of executive/practitioner programmes, a Faculty Member of the RIKON Centre and LI4, and Principal of the Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence. Darrin lectures, supervises postgraduate research, and researches and publishes in the Lean, CI, and Operational Excellence space. Prior to WIT, Darrin worked for over a decade in the private sector as an Operations Manager and Consultant, and he continues to collaborate extensively with industry. He is a founding member of Lean Business Ireland, is co-chair of the South East Lean Network, and advised on the establishment of the other Regional Lean Networks. Darrin has worked with LCi since 2015, and contributes as a Strategic Advisor to its Board and its Client Forum, as its Capability Development Lead, and as Editor of its Annual Book of Cases.