Mapeamento de Fluxo de Valor (MFV) em obras de pequeno porte: estudo de caso em uma pequena empresa de construção

Abstract

Despite of the construction industry is one of the most important sectors of the national economy, a range of inefficiencies can be observed as non-compliance with technical norms, non-standardization and high rates of waste. This scenario is present in medium and large works, performed by medium and large companies, as well documented in the literature. However, there is a lack of studies on construction management in Small Sized Constructions (SSC) and in small companies. Considering the main characteristics of these companies’ size, such as low professionalization, inefficient management and low availability of capital, it is expected that the situation is even more serious, making the search for improvements in small works essential. This makes a room for the application of techniques that improve efficiency without increasing costs, as Lean Construction (LC). Again, there is a lack of application of LC in SSCs, demanding further studies. Considering these research gap, this study aims to analyze the application of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in small sized construction. In the literature, the VSM is pointed out by as the first step for the LC implementation. A case study was carried out in two SSCs of a small construction company at Crateús, city of Ceará state, northeast of Brazil. The construction process of the masonry was mapped, and some inefficiencies were identified, such as the absence of on-site projects, non-standardization of precast elements, heavy workload on the foreman, lack of construction supervision, among others. These inefficiencies were plotted in the map of the current state and improvements were proposed to solve or mitigate them. These improvements plotted in the map of future state. Both maps were discussed with the company's manager, who approved the most of improvements suggested. Finally, four guidelines were extracted that enable the application of VSM in SSCs. In this way, the research contributes to broaden the perception of waste of process for the participants of the study and introduce LC concepts in the studied company. Moreover, the research contributes expanding empirical evidences about small works, in general, and the application of LC in small works, in particular. Future research was also proposed.