BOSTON, MA – The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) hosted its 17th Annual Congress at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, October 12-16.

Lean experts from around the world came together to further LCI’s mission of increasing industry demand and capacity for Lean and integrated approaches.

Shawmut was a major presence at this year’s LCI Congress, fielding seven speakers across three different panels. Shawmut’s CEO, Les Hiscoe, joined corporate Lean champion and integrated project executive Joubin Hassanein and vice president Ron Simoneau to present Shawmut’s Lean journey—highlighting how the integration of Lean philosophy into Shawmut’s culture fits seamlessly with our goal of providing best-in-class client service. 

Shawmut’s safety director, Shaun Carvalho, joined Lean manager Kim Maul and superintendent Parviz Tabrizi to present a case study that showed how our project team used the Last Planner System to not only improve production, but also to integrate safety.

In addition to his presentation with Les Hiscoe, project executive Joubin Hassanein joined a representative from Brown University to discuss how Shawmut is currently managing the University’s first full IPD project.

Lean manager Kim Maul hosted a one-day AGC 5: Lean Supply Chain and Assembly training course. Participants learned how to create a value stream map to diagnose and improve the supply chain process. They were also shown how implementing such strategies at the project and company levels can reinforce a company-wide Lean culture.

"Lean design and construction represents enhanced opportunities for collaboration on project work, with transformative results in terms of better meeting owners’ expectations and reducing waste, which is the antithesis of value creation. Networking with peers and sharing stories about successes and challenges has always been the hallmark of Congress week”, said Dan Heinemeier, executive director of the Lean Construction Institute.

LCI was created in 1997 with the purpose of transforming the design and build environment through reforming production management in design, engineering, and construction for capital facilities.

Not only are the panels at the forefront of Lean innovation, but Shawmut’s Joubin Hassanein believes, “the side-bar conversations with peers in the hallway at Congress are unbelievably valuable as well. There is no other opportunity like Congress.”