Operational excellence through lean manufacturing: Considerations for productivity management in Malaysia’s construction industry

Abstract The construction industry’s work process can lead to the generation of waste which does not add value to the operational performance. The purpose of this research is to study the operational performance of the Malaysian construction industry. Based on the analysis of 296 responses from Grade 7 construction organizations, the data revealed that these construction organizations have applied some lean manufacturing principles in their day-to-day operations. This study revealed that there is a correlation between lean manufacturing concepts and operational performance (OP), thus making a useful contribution to the industry, academia, and society. The future agenda is to improve construction industry performance, which requires joint initiatives between governments, educators, university administration, and industry leaders.