The choice of proper procurement methods has an impact on the overall productivity and sustainability of construction projects. The current procurement methods have alerted the construction industry (CI) due to the exacerbating fragmentation among parties and the resulting low level of productivity. Therefore, introducing a new procurement system to eliminate the above challenges is imperative to the CI. Therefore, this research investigated the applicability of lean integrated project delivery (LIPD) as a construction procurement system and developed a framework for its successful implementation. A qualitative exploratory approach was adopted, informing an interpretivism stance. Accordingly, semi-structured interviews with 15 Sri Lankan (SL) CI experts were conducted to determine the applicability of the LIPD concept in a real-life CI context. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the collected data. This research identified the significance of LIPD compared to existing procurement methods, which may contribute to the long-term planning and management practices in the CI. However, the findings elicited several barriers that could hinder successful LIPD implementation. As a result, some of the strategies discovered include providing LIPD training and awareness, obtaining expert support, and encouraging professionals. This is the first study of its kind to reveal a LIPD framework in a developing country like SL without restricting itself to a specific construction type. Therefore, this study is expected to impact the global CI by paving the way for LIPD as a new procurement system to improve the performances of similar CIs in developing countries across the world.

Purpose: This paper investigates the lean enabling human capacities and develops a framework integrating individual, organisational and environmental level strategies to build human capacities for successful lean implementation of small and medium contractors (SMCs) in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approach: An interpretivism stance is adopted, and a qualitative research approach is used. The data collection technique adopted is semi-structured interviews. In total, 24 experts with experience in lean implementation of SMCs were interviewed, and data were analysed through code based content analysis using NVivo10.Findings: Team working skills, critical thinking, leadership, communication skills, work ethics, knowledge and positive attitudes were identified as lean enabling human capacities for SMCs. The framework developed in this study provides individual, organisational and environmental level strategies that can be used to build human capacities necessary for enabling lean in construction SMCs.Practical implications: The study will be beneficial to construction SMCs, academics, researchers and government institutions in developing countries, which share socio-economic, demographic or cultural traits similar to Sri Lanka.Originality/value: A novel lean enabling human capacity building framework is developed with the strategies required for building those capacities in order to accelerate the lean implementation in construction SMCs. This contributes to the body of knowledge as it uncovers individual, organisational and environmental level strategies for enabling lean through human capacity building in Sri Lankan SMCs.

COVID-19 pandemic has been an alarming issue from the beginning of 2020 and is a significant disaster that affects each industry. In dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, the construction industry confronts several interruptions for the sustainable delivery of the projects. Many researchers stated that lean construction can minimise this impact. Lean thinking is about engaging everyone, every day in handling interruptions and learning to react better. However, few discussions are there pertaining to how to implement and why to implement lean. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry and evaluate the ability of lean construction to resilient COVID-19. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review has been carried out. The findings revealed 67 negative factors categorised under resources-related issues, project management issues, quality issues, financial issues, contractual issues, safety issues, technology-related issues, and other issues for the construction industry due to the pandemic. Continuous improvement for the work under any risks, improvement in project performance, more satisfaction, and better value for the employer were highlighted as the main benefits of lean construction during the new normalcy. The developed conceptual framework unlocked several research arenas on lean in post-COVID implementation for the construction industry.

Lack of sufficient attention to the possible benefits of adopting lean concept has hindered the performance of small and medium enterprise (SME) contractors in Sri Lanka. Insufficient knowledge on minimising non-value adding activities (NVAA) is considered as the major barrier to implementing lean. Moreover, there is a lack of empirical research identifying NVAA, in order to trigger lean adoption in Sri Lankan SME contractors. Hence, the paper investigates NVAA, their significance and the causes, which hinder lean implementation in Sri Lankan SME contractors. A literature review, followed by five case studies were carried out, and the data were analysed using 5-why analysis. According to findings, lean construction is still a relatively unfamiliar approach among SME contractors in Sri Lanka. Some organisations follow lean techniques in an ad-hoc manner without an adequate understanding of the concept. The studyfurther identified defects, inventory and waiting as major NVAA categories relevant to SME contractors. Lack of finance, insufficient training, cultural inertia, lack of individual capacities, lack of networking and collaboration, and lack of action learning were identified as the root causes for NVAA of SME contractors. Although respondents expressed their willingness to implement lean to enhance value, they identified lack of capacities as a major constraint against enabling lean adoption among SME contractors in Sri Lanka.

Digital twin technology holds immense potential for the construction industry in developing countries, while providing numerous benefits. Yet, financial, cultural, infrastructural and technological barriers hinder the implementation of digital twin. Researchers have emphasised the importance of considering both visible and invisible barriers of digital twin implementation. ‘Lean Iceberg Model’ (LIM) emphasises that most of the underlying barriers and problems in a project are invisible and unaddressed, and it is critical to solve these underlying issues to achieve effective implementation. The study aims to develop a LIM to minimise barriers for successful digital twin implementation in the Sri Lankan construction industry. This study adopts an interpretivism stance and employs a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts chosen through purposive sampling. VBA script was employed to analyse the data. LIM highlights the unseen aspects such as leadership, commitment, employee engagement, and organisational strategy as crucial to the successful digital twin implementation. Thus, a comprehensive approach is required to contemplates the technical aspects with the organisation's overall strategy, employee engagement, and leadership commitment. Moreover, cultural values, norms, leadership, and social networks are also examined to determine their impact on digital twin implementation. A framework for minimising the barriers to the implementation of digital twins in the Sri Lankan construction industry using the LIM has been developed incorporating the findings, which will offer valuable insights for construction industry professionals and policymakers interested in implementing digital twin to improve construction project management.