Applications of Product Process Analysis For Improving the Construction Process of Structural Steel

A construction process consists of value adding activities and non-value adding activities, necessary or unnecessary. If construction personnel can eliminate inefficient and/or unnecessary activities within the process, they may have a great opportunity to improve their construction process. The Product Process Analysis (PPA) technique, which was developed in the manufacturing industry, can be applied for identifying wastes in the construction process and ultimately improving the process itself. It provides useful tools, such as a process chart worksheet and flow diagram, for mapping the flow of construction activities with predetermined standardized symbols. These tools make people understand the flow of activities more easily, identify value adding/non-value adding activities within the process, and areas where the process can be improved. The example applications of PPA are demonstrated in the paper through the case studies implemented on the construction process of structural steel. The results of case studies indicate that PPA technique was effective at identifying and removing wastes in the steel construction process. It is also found that PPA technique is more effective for improving highly repetitive construction processes.