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

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0147

A cross-country analysis of Lean Construction Maturity in Japan and Germany using the LCMM

Claus Nesensohn1, Jeferson Shigaki2 & Hiroaki Yamasaki3

1Professor, University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany / Founder and CEO, Refine Projects AG, Stuttgart, Germany, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0002-9002-3224
2Senior Research, Research & Development Institute, Takenaka Corporation, Inzai, Chiba, Japan, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-4513-6334
3Group Leader, Construction Division, Takenaka Corporation, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0006-6309-9345

Abstract

Lean Construction Maturity Models (LCMM) have been proposed to provide organisations with a systemic and holistic overview of where they are on their Lean journey and how they can progress towards greater maturity. While previous work has focused mainly on European and American contexts, empirical evidence from Japan is scarce, despite Japan often being perceived as the “natural home” of Lean thinking. This paper reports on an exploratory, qualitative, international comparative study that applies the LCMM, structured around 11 key attributes, in Japan and Germany. It has employed a structured interview approach, hearing 21 experts in both countries. The findings suggest that Japanese projects, especially those delivered by large general contractors, exhibit relatively high maturity in terms of on‑time delivery, right‑first‑time quality, routines, and kaizen, supported by culturally embedded concepts and long‑term subcontractor relationships. German projects, in contrast, report lower plan stability and more frequent rework, but suggest emerging strengths in transparency, visual management, and novel commercial arrangements, such as IPD‑like risk‑sharing models. The paper concludes that the LCMM can serve as a useful structuring lens for cross-country Lean Construction maturity assessment, while maturity profiles remain strongly shaped by national culture, institutional context, and learning mechanisms.

Keywords

Lean Construction, maturity model, benchmark, culture, continuous improvement.

Files


Full Text
 

Reference

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format

Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Nesensohn, C., Shigaki, J. & Yamasaki, H.. (2026). A cross-country analysis of Lean Construction Maturity in Japan and Germany using the LCMM. 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. 1004–1015). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0147

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Nesensohn, C., Shigaki, J. & Yamasaki, H.. (2026). A cross-country analysis of Lean Construction Maturity in Japan and Germany using the LCMM. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0147

 

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.

2015 © All Rights Reserved.