33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) - Osaka and Kyoto, Japan - 2025

https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0219

Direct Work Observations for Workflow Improvement and ISO 18404 Competency Development

Nour Al Hour1, Paul Ebbs2 & Emmanuel Manu3

1Associate, Transport & Infrastructure (T & I), Roads, WSP in the UK, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0003-5630-1726
2Technical Director, T & I, Roads, WSP in the UK, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0003-5630-1726
3Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University, UK, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-9002-3681

Abstract

Direct Work Observation (DWO) is a fundamental Lean technique used to interact with site teams and observe critical activities to improve processes. The process of DWO includes planning the study, observing processes, collecting data, interacting with site teams and identifying areas for improvement. DWO are also reported as first run studies and time & motion studies, however, their use aligned with ISO 18404 competency development is unexplored. By sharing how DWOs were conducted, and the approach taken, this paper explores the dual role of DWOs to improve workflow and support Lean professionals in achieving ISO 18404 certification. Out of 25 DWOs conducted across a UK highway alliance, three DWOs are explored in this paper because they involved ISO 18404 candidates who were seeking to develop their portfolio of evidence whilst improving workflow. Insights from interviews with ISO 18404 candidates reveal that DWOs contribute significantly to both ISO 18404 hard and soft skill development, aligning with the framework’s requirements. Some challenges were also identified, such as lack of make-ready that contributed to waste and inefficiencies, the danger that site teams could feel they were being audited, and the risk that enough follow-ups to DWOs are not conducted to measure improvement effectiveness.

Keywords

Direct Work Observation, ISO 18404, Make-Ready, Lean Competencies, Alliancing

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Al Hour, N., Ebbs, P. & Manu, E.. (2025). Direct Work Observations for Workflow Improvement and ISO 18404 Competency Development. In Seppänen, O., Koskela, L., & Murata , K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) (pp. 1573–1584). https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0219

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Al Hour, N., Ebbs, P. & Manu, E.. (2025). Direct Work Observations for Workflow Improvement and ISO 18404 Competency Development. IGLC33. https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0219

 

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