34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0124

From Lean projects to Lean enterprise: using Hoshin Kanri to make Lean Construction stick

Richardus N. Kasih1, Iris D. Tommelein2, Rafael V. Coelho3, Richardus B. Utomo4 & Gerardus B. Kasih5

1MS Student, Civil and Envir. Eng. Dept. and Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0001-9821-0481
2Distinguished Professor, Civil and Envir. Eng. Dept., Director, Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-9941-6596
3PhD Candidate, Civil and Envir. Eng. Dept. and Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-3298-3622
4President, Lean Construction Institute Indonesia (LCII), Jakarta, Indonesia, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0001-0913-2494
5Consultant, PQI Consultant, Jakarta, Indonesia, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0004-8848-2151

Abstract

Lean Construction research has shown that project teams can achieve meaningful improvements in planning reliability, coordination, and performance. However, these gains often weaken once projects end, as teams disperse, priorities shift, and improvement routines are not consistently carried forward. This recurring reset highlights a key gap: while Lean Construction has been extensively studied at the project level, limited attention has been given to the enterprise-level governance systems required to sustain implementation over time in project-based firms. This paper addresses that gap by examining Hoshin Kanri (HK) as a strategic management system that may support long-term Lean sustainment. Using an exploratory, interpretive literature synthesis of Lean Construction, Hoshin Kanri, and organizational learning literature, the study identifies recurring implementation barriers and analyzes how HK governance mechanisms may respond. The analysis highlights three sustainment challenges: initiative overload, uneven adoption across projects, and weak cross-project learning. It then shows how HK mechanisms—priority focus, cross-level alignment, and structured review cycles—may help connect enterprise strategy with project execution and ongoing learning. The paper reframes Lean sustainability as an enterprise governance problem rather than a tool deployment issue and proposes propositions to guide future empirical research.

Keywords

Lean Construction (LC), Hoshin Kanri (HK), enterprise-level implementation, policy deployment, organizational learning.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Kasih, R. N., Tommelein, I. D., Coelho, R. V., Utomo, R. B. & Kasih, G. B.. (2026). From Lean projects to Lean enterprise: using Hoshin Kanri to make Lean Construction stick. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 957–967). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0124

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Kasih, R. N., Tommelein, I. D., Coelho, R. V., Utomo, R. B. & Kasih, G. B.. (2026). From Lean projects to Lean enterprise: using Hoshin Kanri to make Lean Construction stick. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0124

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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