Janssen de Jong bouw Hengelo: We like to ride at the front of the Lean pack

A project-based approach was chosen first. “It involved 108 homes in Driebergen. In this project, with the help of Lucas Keijzer of Symbol Bouw, we applied the principles of Lean. This includes Lean planning, day start meetings and a bit of construction site Lean.” Continue reading below.

Build faster with more commitment

The results did not lie. “We accomplished the project in a very short time. Without Lean, this would not have been possible.” Jurgen calls Lucas his “lean coach. “He guided the first Lean sessions and we have regular coaching meetings together. The click with Lucas is very good. He has a lot of knowledge of Lean and in addition he is also very good organizationally and in terms of managing people. I enjoy sparring with him on a regular basis.”

Thanks in part to Symbol Bouw, Janssen de Jong bouw Hengelo has made considerable strides. What was initiated on a project-by-project basis has now been implemented company-wide. “We started building faster. We also communicate with our partners in a different way, with more commitment. And we make agreements with all parties together in advance. During execution we can then also call each other to account on certain matters. Especially for the implementers, we have written a handbook containing the basic principles of Lean.”

What lies ahead

Now it is a matter of further deepening. “We want to sharpen Lean even further on the construction site. And the necessary steps also need to be taken in the office. In the Work Preparation Department, we work with weekly kick-offs in which we discuss all current matters together. You notice that the department is calmer as a result. We have more control over the output and the results are better. We therefore want to propagate this working method more widely in the office.”

Symbol is straightforward

What Jurgen appreciates most about Symbol Construction’s approach: “Lucas doesn’t beat around the bush. If something is not going well, he says so. He himself says: ‘I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make you better’. That is an attitude that suits me”.