�۽�ֱ��

Relentless Ally

Daniel Shirkey: A People-First Champion of Lean Construction 

Daniel Shirkey recalls the moment that changed the trajectory of his career like it was yesterday.

While en route to a concrete conference, Daniel’s professor of construction engineering at San Diego State University casually recommended he check out the . At the time, the professor could not have possibly foreseen the extent to which Daniel would take this advice to heart—or how it would ultimately inspire and shape his philosophy on building.

Sixteen years later, Daniel has not only become a respected practitioner of lean, but he has also risen through the LCI volunteer ranks to become Chair of this year’s . The annual event, widely esteemed within the AEC community, draws together hundreds of industry professionals and owners to gain new ideas and perspectives that advance their lean journeys. As Chair, Daniel leads multiple volunteer committees and collaborates with LCI staff on event planning, programming and logistics.

This high-profile leadership role is the latest in Daniel’s near decade of involvement with LCI, which includes positions as chair of the LCI San Diego Chapter Community of Practice (CoP) and membership in the Congress Content and Outreach Committee, where he has played an instrumental role in the abstract review process among other contributions.

Daniel has been a member of LCI since 2009 and attended a total of six Congresses over the years.

A People-First Lens on Lean Construction

Behind Daniel’s impressive legacy of service to LCI is a deep-seated belief that lean tools and methodologies have the power to transform the built industry as we know it. Although benefits of lean construction such as improved efficiency, better cost control and reduced risk are broadly known, Daniel believes it is lean’s most fundamental principle - respect for people - that has the greatest alignment with the tenets of �۽�ֱ��’s people-first culture.

And in his role as Sr. Director of Technology & Operations Improvement in California, that’s precisely where Daniel sets his focus: people.

“When it comes to construction technology, yes, we have our client, but we also have our internal customer - our operations teammates, design team members and trade partners putting work in place,” says Daniel.

He makes it a priority to “go and see,” regularly visiting jobsites to discuss workflows, challenges and the value project teams derive from company tools and technology platforms and adapting workflows as necessary based on feedback.

Lean: It’s for Everyone

Daniel believes that his work with LCI and adoption of lean has made him a better technology advocate for the business and hopes to inspire others to explore the ways in which lean principles and tools can benefit them.

He is quick to dispel myths surrounding lean, including that it is difficult to learn and primarily only applicable on large-scale projects with Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) delivery models. On the contrary, Daniel believes that lean journeys can and should begin anywhere, at any time, on any project, for anyone.

“I’m passionate about the message that lean can be valuable to everyone,” says Daniel.

He encourages industry professionals to begin by familiarizing themselves with  and the . The latter, developed by LCI founders Glenn Ballard and Greg Howell, is a comprehensive approach to project management that encourages greater collaboration between team members to produce more accurate plans and reliable schedules.

With the rise in collaborating contracting models such as design-build, which create greater runway for the deployment of lean tools such as �۽�ֱ��’s propriety process, Daniel sees the appetite for lean only growing into the future as more owners experience its value. Just as importantly, the interest is rising among top industry talent who know first-hand the difference between working on a collaborative project or one plagued by inefficiencies. 

The spark that Daniel’s professor ignited many years ago has grown to become an inspired and ever-evolving journey in his pursuit of the spirit of lean: continuous improvement. It is through the progressive vision, encouragement and commitment of lean leaders at �۽�ֱ�� like Daniel that our own lean journey is continuing to take root, drive innovative practices and deliver ever-greater value for our teams, partners and projects.

Interested in learning more about lean construction or ways you can get involved with the Lean Construction Institute (LCI)? Reach out to Daniel to learn more.