Global role for AUT construction expert
AUT’s leading role in Lean Construction has seen associate professor Mani Poshdar from the School of Future Environments become the co-lead of a prestigious international group.
Dr Poshdar is running the Lean Construction task group within the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB). CIB is a global network that connects leading universities and industry partners working on the future of the built environment, cities, buildings, and infrastructure.
Dr Poshar’s appointment positions AUT at the centre of an international collaboration shaping how construction systems evolve globally. As well as research opportunities and industry engagement, it connects AUT staff and postgraduate students to a high-calibre international network.
His work focuses on how decisions made in planning are translated into coordinated action on site.
“We see this as part of a broader direction, with AUT playing a more visible role internationally while strengthening our position locally,” he says.
AUT is effectively the hub of Lean Construction activity in the Southern Hemisphere. Dr Poshdar is also the New Zealand chair of LCANZ (Lean Construction Australia and New Zealand), an industry-facing organisation, and is active in the International Group of Lean Construction (IGLC) which is a global, research-focused community. In 2024, AUT hosted the IGLC conference for the first time, and the university also has a Lean Construction student chapter to foster the next generation of advocates.
“Now, we have been further recognised within the CIB, sharing the co-lead of the Lean Construction task group with two UK universities.”
The CIB started in France in 1953, with United Nations assistance, to address rebuilding pressures which arose after World War II. The construction community saw the need for collaborative research, with the CIB quickly expanding into an international organisation.
Its structure includes task groups, which focus on short-term projects, and work groups which take a longer perspective.
Dr Poshar’s task group will run for three years to drive knowledge and policy about Lean Construction, a concept which was developed about 25 years ago, following on from the idea of Lean Manufacturing which was led by Toyota in Japan. This “just in time” concept saw manufacturing aligned with demand, rather than bulk production which companies like Ford were doing in the USA.
The four key principles of “lean” production, whether in manufacturing or construction, are:
+ Deliver value to the end user
+ Eliminate waste (anything that does not add value)
+ Continuous improvement
+ Respect for people
As the idea spread, Target Value Delivery became one of the key methods used within Lean Construction, reducing waste while increasing value to the stakeholders. The TVD strategy combines design and construction with a predefined budget and client goals, rather than designing first and costing later.
Importantly, Lean Construction does not necessarily rely on new technologies or costly system changes. Much of its impact comes from improving how teams coordinate and align their work within existing project environments.
Dr Poshdar, who works closely with major building companies in New Zealand, says approaches such as Target Value Delivery can promote innovation, increase value and eliminate waste, whether that is time, money and/or human effort.