Making lean construction stick with dynamic capabilities

The construction industry’s juggling act is becoming harder to manage. We’re expected to deliver projects faster, cheaper, greener and with happier clients at the end of it all. Lean Construction (LC) is a smart approach that promises to cut waste and boost values. This is not a new idea and it’s also been proven to work. Yet, let’s be honest: real Lean success still feels out of reach for many in the industry.

So, what’s going wrong?

One of the main problems is that lean is often treated like a quick-fix toolkit: introduce a few processes, run a training workshop or two, and expect magic to happen. But Lean isn't just about tools, it's about changing the way teams think, act and work together. And that kind of shift doesn't happen by accident. It takes strategy, structure, and most importantly, adaptability.

That’s where Dynamic Capabilities (DC) come in. It sounds like a buzzword, but it’s actually a down-to-earth idea. At its heart, it's about an organisation’s ability to sense what’s changing, act on it and make those changes stick. In construction, that could be the missing link between dabbling in Lean and actually living it.

Why Lean isn't taking hold (yet)

When we look closely, the roadblocks to Lean adoption fall into three broad buckets: people, the planet and the purse.

Culture clashes

Let’s start with people. Construction is a hands-on, time-pressured business. Teams are used to working in certain ways, often shaped by years or decades of doing things “how we’ve always done them.” That makes any new way of working, especially one like Lean that challenges the status quo, a tough sell. Add to that a misunderstanding that Lean is just about slashing costs, and you’ve got a recipe for resistance. If leaders aren’t fully behind it, or if communication is patchy, it becomes even harder to get teams on board.

Sustainability stuck in a silo

Lean and sustainability should go hand in hand, they’re both about doing more with less. But in practice, they’re often handled separately. Sustainability is still too often treated as a tick-box exercise to meet regulations, rather than being built into everyday operations. This siloed approach misses the bigger picture, and the opportunity to drive both environmental and operational improvements together.

Finances pulling in the other direction

Then there’s money. Construction runs on tight margins and tight deadlines. Investing in Lean whether it’s for training, tech or rethinking processes can be hard to justify when project budgets are already stretched. Procurement methods that favour the lowest bid over long-term collaboration don’t help either. And when success is measured only in pounds and deadlines, the deeper value of Lean can get lost.

Lean maturity: More than just using the tools

Anyone can pick up a Lean tool, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing Lean. True Lean maturity happens when the whole organisation adopts a mindset of continuous improvement, from the boardroom to the construction site. It’s not just about doing different things; it’s about doing things differently. At this stage, Lean thinking becomes second nature and improvements start to compound over time.

Getting to that point isn’t easy, but it’s where DC can help.

Building the right capabilities for real change

Think of DC as a way to strengthen our organisation’s ‘change muscles’. They break down into three simple ideas:

Sensing – spotting problems and opportunities early
Seizing – acting quickly and smartly on what we’ve seen
Transforming – making those actions part of the everyday routine

Let’s look at how that works on the ground.

Sensing might mean setting up better feedback loops, so issues on-site are flagged up quickly, or using data to spot where bottlenecks keep happening. It could even mean watching what other sectors are doing and learning from them.

Seizing is about acting on that insight. That could be investing in new tools, offering targeted training, or rethinking team structures to improve collaboration.

Transforming means making sure those changes last. That might involve tweaking the way success is measured, adjusting leadership roles, or changing procurement models to support longer-term thinking.

What this looks like in practice

Let’s say a contractor decides to try Lean practices on a single project. They put in place daily stand-ups, map the value stream, maybe even introduce some digital tools. The project goes well, but what happens next?

With DC in play, the company wouldn’t stop there. They’d review what worked, what didn’t and why. They’d identify what’s needed to roll these practices out more broadly. That might mean creating internal champions, revising performance measures, or restructuring contracts to encourage collaboration across teams. Instead of a one-off trial, it becomes the start of a broader transformation.

A new chapter for construction

There’s no doubt about it: construction is under pressure to evolve. Clients want more for less, and society expects the industry to build responsibly and sustainably. Traditional methods just won’t cut it anymore. LC gives us the roadmap but without the engine of DC, many firms struggle to move beyond good intentions.

So what’s the next step?

First, recognise that Lean is a mindset shift, not just a management fad. Second, invest in building the skills and systems that allow your organisation to adapt, act and improve continuously. And third, start measuring success differently, not just by whether a project came in on time or under budget, but by whether the organisation is better equipped to take on the next one.

The firms that get this right won’t just survive the pressures of today, they’ll lead the industry into tomorrow.