The variability in production and the lack of synchronization between processes are two important factors that cause interruptions in workflows, increasing the share of unproductive time and the amount of work in progress. The application of the principle of continuous flow in manufacturing aims to eliminate work in progress through the implementation the one peace flow, without interruption between production processes. This research work investigates the use of the continuous flow principle in the context of the construction industry. It aims to propose guidelines for the implementation of continuous flow in the construction industry, based on the Lean Thinking concepts and tools. Action research was the research strategy adopted in this study, which involved the development of two empirical studies in building projects. The main contributions of this study is a set of guidelines for implementing continuous flow which are concerned with the stages of diagnosis, establishment of the initial conditions, and production planning and control. Those guidelines, suggest the combined use of traditional Lean Thinking tools and planning and control tools that are suitable for the construction context.
Lean Thinking; continuous flow; small batch; increasing stability
