Gemba Day

The Baker Triangle Prefab team will provide an in-depth walkthrough of the fabrication process for prefabricated exterior wall panels. Prefabrication is approached with a manufacturing mindset, ensuring efficiency and quality as each panel moves through various stations in a one-piece flow system. The tour will feature the fabrication of large-scale exterior wall panels for a hospital project in Houston, Texas, incorporating a metal panel rainscreen facade. Guests will have the opportunity to observe the step-by-step process, including framing, sheathing, waterproofing, insulating, and cladding of panels exceeding 400 square feet in size. This exclusive experience offers valuable insight into modern prefabrication techniques and their impact on construction efficiency.

Hilti Tool Service Center – Lean Excellence in Action

At Hilti’s Tool Service Center in Irving, Texas, we don’t just repair tools—we demonstrate Lean principles in motion. With roots in Lean dating back to the 1980s, Hilti has built a reputation for operational excellence, waste elimination, and relentless improvement. Our Irving facility is a prime example of how disciplined processes and customer focus create measurable impact.

We’ve engineered our service workflow for maximum efficiency—offering:

• 24-hour turnaround on qualifying tool repairs
• Over 95% first-time fix rate
• 90%+ of repairs completed in-house, reducing delays and maintaining full quality control
• Proactive tool fleet diagnostics that help identify and prevent failures before they happen

“Hilti’s Irving Service Center has completely changed how we manage our tools on site. Their turnaround speed and consistency allow us to keep our crews productive and avoid unnecessary downtime.” — Superintendent, ENR Top 400 Contractor

“The Irving center isn’t just fast—they’ve built a process that’s clearly aligned with Lean thinking. Their communication, flow of service, and attention to detail are best-in-class.” — Project Executive, Lean Construction Institute Member

From express tool maintenance to digital repair tracking, every step is designed to support Lean construction teams by delivering tools when and where they’re needed—minimizing waste, maximizing uptime, and continuously improving to support your success.

Visit us in Irving and experience firsthand how Hilti applies Lean principles to help your team build better, faster, and smarter.

The project consists of three expansions to an existing hospital, 12 renovations and one new parking garage. The coordination has been significant for the team. An interesting portion of the project included an overbuild over an existing and operating ICU department that had to remain operational at all times. The project team has developed has developed a process of using A3s to communicate the complex phasing and activation schedule, and they have aa dedicated space for incorporating Last Planner System®. The project team has two giant single trailers put together with half the trailer dedicated for weekly work plans and the other with other project specific items. The set up includes sectioned portions to talk about different aspects of the projects, including a weekly work plan that can be adjusted to show different plans. The team also has some visual plans posted right sized for the team. In the conference room there is a big board that showcase milestone phase and pull planning broken down into sub projects that run like their own jobs. The project is attached to an active hospital that has created an interesting approach. There have been prefabricated components on the project, specifically on the prefabricated panelized exterior façade changed from traditional build to maximize efficiency in the construction process.

Texas A&M Fort Worth Law and Education Building is a Tri-Venture between Turner, Carcon Industries, and Source Building Group. The design consists of 225,000 gross square foot nine (9) story building including the mechanical penthouse. The site for this project is bound by Calhoun, Jones, 15th and 16th Streets. The Law & Education Building will be facilitating research and instruction across several Texas A&M University System programs including the School of Law, the College of Engineering, Health Science Center and Tarleton State University. These programs represent various professional sectors including Law, Nursing, Engineering, Biotech and Medical Lab Science. Space types in this building are to include general and collaborative classrooms, instructional laboratories, law library, offices, conference rooms, collaboration spaces and a café. Level 1 will have a café, Moot Courtroom, Engineering instructional laboratories that require first floor access, and collaboration spaces as well as back of house functions such as security, MEP rooms and Loading Dock. Levels 2 and 3 will house a two-story Law Library, School of Law offices, Writing/Tutoring Center, and classrooms. Level 4 will include the School of Law faculty offices, IT Help Center, and classrooms, Engineering instructional laboratories, Fitness Center and Student Lounge/Vending. Level 5 has the balance of the Engineering instructional laboratories and faculty offices, Shared Classrooms and collaboration spaces. Level 6 includes the Medical Lab Science instructional laboratories and faculty offices and Shared Classrooms. Level 7 has the Nursing program which includes a Simulation Center, faculty offices and student collaboration areas. Level 8 is the top floor and will house the Biotech instructional laboratories and offices, the Health program, administrative offices and a large 100-person flexible classroom with an adjacent pre-function space which can also be used to host multi-purpose events.

• 5S: Participants in the Gemba tour will witness the 5S program in action and receive an overview of how training, visual tools, and dedicated 5S Champions achieve “Sustain” each and every day.
• Turner Production Control System: Through the implementation of the Turner Production Control System alongside the Last Planner System, the project team is able to drive constraint free production and develop a culture of problem solving and capability development in our people. Participants will receive an overview of the standard weekly cycle and its impact of the project culture and production.

The New University of Texas Science and Technology Building is a 4-story project, which features open research laboratories, a basement vivarium, a public facing clinic, meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, and work areas for the researchers housed in the building. The building will support research in biology, chemistry, kinesiology, psychology, physics, biomedical engineering, and material science. Gemba attendees will observe the following Lean practices: Last Planner System ®, 5 Milestones, 5 Why’s, Daily Huddles and Weekly Work Plans.