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

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0235

Lean-based dynamic capability: case studies of pluripotential team in field thinking

Ryusuke Kojio1 & Ming Shan Ng2

1Doctoral Researcher, Architecture System and Management, Dept. of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0005-6118-4354 / Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, [email protected] / Senior Chief Architect, Strategic Partnership Lead – Architecture & Engineering, International Division, Takenaka Corporation, Japan, [email protected]
2Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-2610-3561

Abstract

The construction industry is rapidly adopting digital tools such as BIM to boost productivity and sustainability. Yet, the organisational and human-centric team structures required to harness these tools effectively remain a critical gap in Lean Construction scholarship. While technological advancement is heavily researched, the behavioural and organisational adaptations necessary to manage lean project delivery remain under-explored. To address this, this research investigates the concept of 'lean-based dynamic capability' through a comparative case study methodology. The paper examines the team configuration of a Japanese automobile factory construction alongside a contemporary digital Design-Build project: the Grand Ring mega timber structure at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The analysis reveals that the successful delivery of complex digital projects relies on dynamic capability driven by two key mechanisms: field thinking (genba) and the deployment of pluripotential teams. Unlike standard cross-functional groups, a pluripotential team exhibits cross-over functions, allowing them to dissolve rigid disciplinary boundaries and adapt roles fluidly in response to emergent physical and digital challenges. This study contributes to Lean Construction theory by defining the pluripotential team with Japanese project delivery context as a case study, demonstrating that successful implementation of lean project management demands an equally adaptable, human-centric organisational structure.

Keywords

Dynamic capability, pluripotential team, design responsibility, Toyota production system, field thinking.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Kojio, R. & Ng, M. S.. (2026). Lean-based dynamic capability: case studies of pluripotential team in field thinking. 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. 1204–1216). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0235

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Kojio, R. & Ng, M. S.. (2026). Lean-based dynamic capability: case studies of pluripotential team in field thinking. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0235

 

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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