162 www. bus- ex. com JANUARY 10 vision From reality

The Linbeck Group JANUARY 10 www. bus- ex. com 163 T he Linbeck Group believes that buildings of all types can be and do more. In fact, the company's philosophy is based on the idea that if conceived, designed and built the right way, buildings can become a competitive advantage for their owners. Since 1938, Linbeck has been building on that philosophical foundation, embracing the idea of lean thinking and even establishing a proprietary process for delivering unique and innovative projects. Based in Houston, Linbeck works nationwide and employs some 400 people in regional offices in Texas, California, Massachusetts and South Carolina, offering a host of program management, project management, and construction and real estate management services. In the 70- plus years since it was founded, Linbeck has developed a broad and loyal customer base, with projects in the academic, healthcare, cultural and commercial sectors. Its approach is based on the belief that there are better ways of approaching projects that include an emphasis on collaboration and examination of processes. The firm claims to be one of the first construction managers to embrace lean thinking in its day- to- day work, seeking to eliminate as much as possible of the estimated 40 percent waste factor in the average construction project. Linbeck uses lean to define value, map the value stream, achieve more efficient flow, doing work only when needed as dictated by the value stream, and through the continuous application of those approaches, it seeks to achieve perfection in terms of work quality. vision to reality The Linbeck Group prides itself on its ability to innovate as it helps clients across the United States realize their goals of creating memorable, functional and important buildings. Greg Andrews details how the company's team- oriented approach to delivering projects is based on a foundation of lean principles