Applying lean principles to project management provides a simple, flexible, and tailored approach to projects of any scale. This allows SMEs to maximise their competitive advantages, such as flexibility and innovation, while minimising bureaucracy and waste.

Introducing the Lean Project Delivery System (LPDS) Framework

The LPDS framework aligns the five conventional project phases with Womack and Jones’ five core Lean principles: Identify Value, Map the Value Stream, Create Flow, Establish Pull, and Pursue Perfection.

In this five-part series, we will look at each of these principles in turn and how they can be applied to project delivery.

Part 2: Planning | Identify the Value Stream and Enable Pull

Focus on Value-Added Activities

Effective project planning requires focusing exclusively on value-added activities and building a realistic plan based on actual capacity. This approach helps address common delivery challenges such as inadequate resources and unrealistic schedules.

Use a Value-Focused Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A key tool in this planning phase is the WBS. The WBS should include only the value-added tasks required to achieve the project’s deliverables, prompting teams to rethink the entire process and eliminate unnecessary steps.

Apply Backward Planning to Enable Pull

Using backward planning—starting with the final deliverable(s) and working backwards to sequence tasks—helps establish a pull system. This ensures resources are assigned work only when needed to meet downstream requirements or customer demand, which reduces work in progress (WIP) and minimises multitasking.

Break Work into Manageable Packages

Breaking work into small, manageable packages (ideally no longer than four weeks in duration) makes progress easier to track and helps maintain team focus.

Use Visual Management for Resource Allocation

Once the plan is defined, a highly visual way to manage resource allocation and task status is through a Kanban chart. Tracking work across four stages (Planned, In Work, Ready for Review, and Completed) and using horizontal swimlanes for each resource is particularly valuable in matrix organisations, where resource loading can otherwise be difficult to manage.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we will explore how to keep work flowing smoothly during execution by removing bottlenecks, maintaining momentum, and ensuring uninterrupted value delivery…it’s where the system really comes to life.