21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Fortaleza, Brazil - 2013

Enabling Lean Supply with a Cloud Computing Platform - An Exploratory Case Study

Marcelo Azambuja1, Thomas Schnitzer2, Meral Sahin3 & Felix Lee4

1Assistant Professor, Department of Construction, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, 62026, USA, [email protected]
2Estimator, Rock Hill Mechanical Corporation, Saint Louis, MO, 63122 USA, [email protected]
3Masters Student, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, 62026, USA, [email protected]
4Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, 62026, USA, [email protected]

Abstract

Traditional supply practices usually generate waste such as lack of materials and/or accumulation of large inventories on construction job sites. Lean supply systems require the integration of suppliers in the production process as a means to minimize waste. Such integration allows better synchronization of supply and demand and pulling of materials to the job site. Supply chain visibility and real time information are a must in this environment. Manufacturing and retailing have widely used information technology (IT) solutions, such as enterprise resource planning systems, for managing their supply chains. In the construction industry, only a few large construction firms can afford to deploy sophisticated IT tools. The majority of firms are small to medium-sized companies that do not have the resources and/or the manpower to use and maintain proprietary supply chain management solutions. This research explored freely available Google cloud computing tools, focusing on the Google Fusion Table (GFT) as a cloud-based platform to enable real time information on the supply process and site demand. This paper describes the development and testing of the platform that was used by a mechanical contractor to implement a pull fabrication, delivery, and installation system for pipe spools. The results suggest that the proposed platform provides the basic functionalities for developing a costeffective tool for small and medium-sized construction firms to manage supply chain data and implement lean supply systems.

Keywords

Lean Supply, Cloud Computing, Pull, Pipe Spools.

Files


Full Text
 

Reference

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format

Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Azambuja, M., Schnitzer, T., Sahin, M. & Lee, F.. (2013). Enabling Lean Supply with a Cloud Computing Platform - An Exploratory Case Study. In Formoso, C. T., & Tzortzopoulos, P. (Eds.), 21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (pp. 205–214).

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Azambuja, M., Schnitzer, T., Sahin, M. & Lee, F.. (2013). Enabling Lean Supply with a Cloud Computing Platform - An Exploratory Case Study. IGLC21.

 

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.