Implications of even flow production methodology for US housing industry

Bashford, HH; Sawhney, A; Walsh, KD; Kot, K

Implications of even flow production methodology for US housing industry

Bashford, HH Sawhney, A Walsh, KD Kot, K

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Publisher:: Asce-Amer Soc Civil Engineers
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management-asce, 2003, 129 (3), pp. 330 - 337
Issue Date:: 2003-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bashford, HH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sawhney, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Walsh, KD	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kot, K	en_US
dc.date.issued	2003-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management-asce, 2003, 129 (3), pp. 330 - 337	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0733-9364	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/13853
dc.description.abstract	Production building in the residential sector is often described as the portion of the construction industry that is most like the manufacturing sector. In modem tract construction in the United States, a small number of models are generally repeated several times in a relatively confined area, using specialized trade contractors to complete each phase of each home. Management of the handoffs between predecessor and successor trade contractors is therefore a critical component in the successful completion of a residential project. In order to bring more reliable planning to this process, a workflow-leveling strategy known as even flow production has come into use in the industry in recent years. Even flow production is a strategy intended to reduce the variability in the workflow for trade contractors in the process, thereby gaining production efficiencies. In practice, different operational definitions are in use. This paper describes a series of simulation experiments to identify the management implications of two common strategies (activity-based versus start-based). A special-purpose simulation template was built for the Simphony environment for this purpose. The pace chosen for the flow of activities was found to significantly affect the speed at which the subdivision was completed. The even flow strategy was found to affect the subdivision completion time only slightly, but to have a significant impact on workflow variability and management effort. Control of the pace of starts of only the first activity exhibited nearly the same degree of variability as if the pace of starts were matched to a sales pace.	en_US
dc.publisher	Asce-Amer Soc Civil Engineers	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management-asce	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2003)129:3(330	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Building & Construction	en_US
dc.title	Implications of even flow production methodology for US housing industry	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	129	en_US
utslib.location.activity	ISI:000182997500011	en_US
utslib.for	1202 Building	en_US
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	1504 Commercial Services	en_US
dc.location.activity	ISI:000182997500011	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Built Environment
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.volume	129	en_US

Abstract:

Production building in the residential sector is often described as the portion of the construction industry that is most like the manufacturing sector. In modem tract construction in the United States, a small number of models are generally repeated several times in a relatively confined area, using specialized trade contractors to complete each phase of each home. Management of the handoffs between predecessor and successor trade contractors is therefore a critical component in the successful completion of a residential project. In order to bring more reliable planning to this process, a workflow-leveling strategy known as even flow production has come into use in the industry in recent years. Even flow production is a strategy intended to reduce the variability in the workflow for trade contractors in the process, thereby gaining production efficiencies. In practice, different operational definitions are in use. This paper describes a series of simulation experiments to identify the management implications of two common strategies (activity-based versus start-based). A special-purpose simulation template was built for the Simphony environment for this purpose. The pace chosen for the flow of activities was found to significantly affect the speed at which the subdivision was completed. The even flow strategy was found to affect the subdivision completion time only slightly, but to have a significant impact on workflow variability and management effort. Control of the pace of starts of only the first activity exhibited nearly the same degree of variability as if the pace of starts were matched to a sales pace.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/13853