Abstract:
The potential benefits of implementing the Last Planner System (LPS) on mining infrastructure
projects were explored through two case studies in the South African mining industry.
The first part of the study involved measurement of the impact of LPS through earned value
techniques on secondary project data. The second part sought to establish the lean construction
success factors leading to improvements in construction performance. This was done by means of
a research questionnaire distributed to the project owner’s teams, contracted parties, and the LPS
facilitators.
The results revealed a positive correlation between LPS application and planned percentage
complete. However, the performance achieved during the LPS pilot was not sustained. The success
factors and benefits considered most evident in the case study pilot differed among the three
stakeholder groups.
The findings are expected to guide construction stakeholders to better define performance
measures and focus on factors required to make LPS implementation more effective in the South
African mining sector.
