On the back of a cocktail napkin: An exploration of graphic definitions of lean construction
Date
2013-07-31Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Quick descriptive sketches made on the backs of cocktail napkins are a tradition in
the architectural profession and are representative of the visionary conversations that
take place between business associates in relaxed venues where fresh ideas are
sometimes first hatched. In this paper, we propose the use of this technique to better
convey and capture the principles of the growing and evolving discipline of Lean
Construction. Whether they occur in academic classrooms or professional worksites,
exploratory conversations about Lean Construction also suggest there may be a need
for an easy-to-understand, easy-to-represent graphic definition (“cocktail napkin
sketch”) that can quickly communicate key components of lean thinking to those
wishing to understand and potentially implement lean. This paper shares an
exploratory analysis of the results that emerged from cocktail napkin exercises
administered three times from Feb 2011 to April 2012: at an IGLC mid-year meeting
in New York, NY; at an LCI workshop in Houston, TX; and at an LCI-Academic
Forum in Boulder, CO. Finally, the authors propose a graphic definition of Lean
Construction, distilled from submissions made during these events that might serve as
a potential starting point for future discussion and refinement.
Subject
Lean Constructioncocktail napkin exercise
simulation
lean definition
graphic representation