The Construction Industry lags far behind the manufacturing and service industries with regard to the application of performance improvement and optimization techniques. Several research studies have pointed to high levels of waste in the construction industry in the order of 30% because of entrenched attitudes in the management of projects. As the US has an annual dollar volume of over $1 Trillion, the potential for savings is indeed great. While there is an emerging awareness of Lean methods in the construction community, the deployment of these methods is inhibited by a lack of professionals that have the required specialized training. This paper presents the position that traditional construction education programs can be enhanced to induce change on the level needed to redirect the industry. It proposes the inclusion of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management courses in construction management curricula, and the inclusion of construction management courses in industrial engineering curricula for IEs who may serve as Lean Methods Experts (LMEs). It also proposes collaboration between construction professionals and Industrial Engineers to apply a number of techniques in construction that have been used successfully in the manufacturing and service sectors.
