Owners Should Embrace the LCI – CPC for Teams and Their Partners

By Luciana Burdi, Director of Capital Programs & Environmental Affairs, Massport

At Massport, we have developed and reviewed with LCI, an internal list of minimum standards for Lean. These minimum standards include things such as understanding how to implement the Last Planner System® and for all our managers to take several courses in Lean to make sure we are all working from the same set of standards and expectations, which we apply this list to our partner’s selection too. As we move forward, we will be including the LCI-CPC as one of those standards for our partners and ourselves so that we all ensure that our projects have a common understanding of Lean.

In addition, our organization is using the LCI-CPC as part of our internal career progression. To date, project managers have been seeking registrations in engineering, architecture, and/or PMP. Now they will also be able to seek the LCI-CPC as part of their career advancement within our organization. Over the years, I have been able to mentor several people in our organization who embraced Lean in the same capacity as I do. Even when they have decided to change careers, I know they are taking their Lean principles with them and practicing Lean in their new companies. This is how we change an industry and to me, this is “success.”

As a Director and mentor, I also know that I have to “lead by example.”  As an owner who has solid experience practicing Lean, I decided to pursue the LCI-CPC certification because I wanted to understand the rigor of the program. I’m not finished yet, but I can assure my colleagues that it is definitely a rigorous process. I applaud my fellow owners who are also seeking their LCI-CPC.

Another reason why I am supportive of the Lean certification is that when I see the LCI-CPC, I can have a strong level of confidence that the partners or colleagues who work with us have a deep understanding of how to implement Lean philosophies and tools in our projects.

I hope other owners will take the initiative to really understand and practice Lean and set up their own internal standards using the LCI-CPC as part of these standards for themselves and partners. Some owners rely heavily on contractors and consultants to lead their Lean implementation. At Massport, we expect our managers to lead planning sessions, or retrospective sessions, so we are not dependent on our trade partners to do so. As more people in our companies and in our partner organizations earn the LCI-CPC, we can all be confident that we are united in our practice of Lean in all our projects. This is how we move Lean forward and how we change our industry for the better.

Get more information on the LCI-CPC here.