Operations Strategy Development in Project-based Production – a building contractor implements Lean

Purpose: To study how operations strategy innovation occurs in project-based production and organisation.
Design/methodology/approach: A longitudinal case study encompassing the processes at the company headquarters and in two projects using Lean.
Findings: The operations strategy development commences at a middle level in the organisation, is underpinned and embedded in production projects, and only after several years becomes embedded in the corporate operations strategy. The projects use Lean principles in a differentiated manner.
Research limitations/implications: A qualitative case study provides insight into only a single occasion of change in operations strategy. More case studies would probably reveal several paths of operations strategy development.
Practical implications: A conscious and systematic vertical integration and interaction is crucial in project-based companies doing operations strategy development.
Originality/value: The present study contributes to the small body of studies of operations strategy development processes by providing insight into how project-based companies renew their operations strategy.
Key words: Lean, Construction, Operations Strategy, Political Process
Article Classification: Research paper