Boulder Associates Architects has won a Creative Adoption of Newforma “CAN Do” award for the firm’s use of the Newforma Project Center’s Action Items activity center in practicing lean design.

Lean design relies on close management of each individual’s commitments to every other team member.  Following the principles of lean construction, Boulder Associates completed a $4 million medical imaging center in 85 percent of the time originally scheduled!

Boulder Associates uses the Action Items activity center database to sort, assign, track and report on the activities of the individual project members, whether they’re internal to Boulder Associates or on the external team.

Internal team members, all of whom use Newforma Project Center, can find what they have to do and mark as complete those tasks they finish. The Action Items activity center permits team members to create action items while reading and answering email; while reviewing a drawing, BIM model or PDF in the Newforma Viewer; or from any other activity center in Newforma Project Center.

When assigning tasks to someone not in the room or on the external project team, Newforma software makes it easy to assign the action item—or, in lean terms, the commitment—to that person. The software notifies team members by email, and can be set to send email reminders at time periods the manager designates.

Boulder Associates’ lean construction process was developed by Principal Romano N.A. Nickerson, AIA, and Senior Associate Todd Henderson, AIA, LEED AP. They describe the process in detail in a July 20, 2010, article at AECbytes, “Lean Design using Microsoft Office Excel and Newforma Project Center.“

For another instance of the use of the Action Items activity center inspired by the principles of lean construction, see “CAN Do award, Action Items activity center for lean construction, part two: BNIM.”

P.S. Use of Newforma Project Center and the Action Items activity center is not limited to lean and corporate projects. Director of Technology Eric Miller has set up Newforma Project Center so that each of Boulder Associates’ 100+ employees can use it to file personal emails and organize their personal lives. For example, Romano Nickerson used the Action Items and Project Timeline activity centers to organize a family relocation. “The last time we moved, we were packing as the movers were loading the truck,” Romano said. “When we managed the move this way, my wife and I were relaxing in front of the television the night before the move.”