Top Down vs.

Bottom Up Approaches Regarding the

Implementation of Lean Construction Through a
French Case Study
Fabrice Berroir, R&D Engineer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Lahcne harbouche, R&D Project Manager, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Conrad Boton, Postdoctoral Researcher, Ecole de Technologie Suprieure, Montral

I. Background
The cases studies were conducted in a French major company wanting to implement lean. Authors
in the literature claimed that lean construction is in the state of fragmented tools applications. To
sustainably implement lean, and not only lean tools, a cultural change and a global implementation
strategy is needed. Therefore two approaches are opposed: the bottom up and the top down.
II. Current conditions
In the case study company, the foundation part of the lean house was poorly managed. It led some
sites into a vicious circle of storage overloads and productivity losses.

III. Working hypotheses

The implementation approach will strongly influence results and sustainability.
The implementation approach will enable to go from fragmented tools to integrated lean.
IV. Research Method
Comparison of the results achieved in two distinct phases of the project:
Year 1: (10 building sites)
Year 2: (5 building sites)

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V. Research Findings
The implementation protocol got incrementally reviewed based on the results achieved in the case
studies. This empirical method aimed to facilitate learning from each use of lean tools.

VI. Conclusions
Companies who want to implement lean may be tempted to follow a Top down approach. In
these case studies, it ended in a fragmented and dogmatic application of lean tools with limited
results and poor sustainability
The bottom up incremental approach enabled to show the value added of each lean tool and to
reinforce the links between the tools. People were actually involved in the process through
weekly work meetings. Lean actions were thus integrated in their practices.
Variability, wastes and overall delay were thus reduced in the case study.

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