May 27, 2026 · 24 min · 9 segments
In our latest Constructing Tomorrow episode, Aecon's very own Eric Lusis, Vice President, Continuous Improvement joins hosts Adam Borgatti and Prabh K. Banga to talk about how Aecon is embedding…
Adam BorgattiHostPrabh K. BangaHostContinuous improvement in construction is about more than just doing things faster and cheaper.
At Akon, it's about building a culture where every team, every project and every process is constantly evolving to be safer.
It's important to remember that CI is a small piece of our Building Smarter program, which is all about operational excellence and lean thinking.
These terms are really closely related, but each play a distinct role in how we operate at ACON.
And so a lot of the times, People see continuous improvement as this one thing, but it's really part of a bigger equation where continuous improvement is really like the mindset, and it's about looking for ways to get better every day at every level of the organization and lean thinking.
It focuses on eliminating waste, improving flow, driving value for our clients, and really doing that with the necessary resources.
And CI falls under that umbrella and really OpEx is the outcome we're aiming for.
It's what happens when continuous improvement and lean are embedded into our culture and our organizational systems.
And it means we're not just improving, we're doing it constantly, strategically and sustainably.
And together, they're helping us build smarter, safer, faster, cheaper, and more sustainably.
So to be more specific, it really means CI and OpEx really means using data to identify inefficiencies, empowering frontline teams to solve problems, and I guess like standardizing best practices across the organization, whether it's reducing rework, optimizing equipment usage, or streamlining material handling, these improvements directly support our sustainability goals by minimizing waste, lowering emissions, and conserving resources.
Our Building Smarter program is really what we've been creating over the last handful of years, is our operational strategy that differentiates us from the competition, And continuous improvement is a key pillar of Akon's broader business strategy because it enables us to deliver long-term value, not just for our clients and shareholders, but for our communities and the environment.
And it's how we stay competitive, resilient as an organization, and honestly, responsible in a rapidly changing world.
You mentioned and touched on a lot of the points that already are tracking through to shareholders, to our communications efforts, to our sustainability initiatives.
And we've also got some new abbreviations to add into our alphabet soup now with this episode.
So can you walk us through some of the key programs and initiatives under the CI umbrella now, especially those that drive energy efficiency, waste reduction, or carbon savings in line with the sustainability initiatives we have?
Continuous improvement in construction is about more than just doing things faster and cheaper.
At Akon, it's about building a culture where every team, every project and every process is constantly evolving to be safer.
It's important to remember that CI is a small piece of our Building Smarter program, which is all about operational excellence and lean thinking.
These terms are really closely related, but each play a distinct role in how we operate at ACON.
And so a lot of the times, People see continuous improvement as this one thing, but it's really part of a bigger equation where continuous improvement is really like the mindset, and it's about looking for ways to get better every day at every level of the organization and lean thinking.
It focuses on eliminating waste, improving flow, driving value for our clients, and really doing that with the necessary resources.
And CI falls under that umbrella and really OpEx is the outcome we're aiming for.
It's what happens when continuous improvement and lean are embedded into our culture and our organizational systems.
And it means we're not just improving, we're doing it constantly, strategically and sustainably.
And together, they're helping us build smarter, safer, faster, cheaper, and more sustainably.
So to be more specific, it really means CI and OpEx really means using data to identify inefficiencies, empowering frontline teams to solve problems, and I guess like standardizing best practices across the organization, whether it's reducing rework, optimizing equipment usage, or streamlining material handling, these improvements directly support our sustainability goals by minimizing waste, lowering emissions, and conserving resources.
Our Building Smarter program is really what we've been creating over the last handful of years, is our operational strategy that differentiates us from the competition, And continuous improvement is a key pillar of Akon's broader business strategy because it enables us to deliver long-term value, not just for our clients and shareholders, but for our communities and the environment.
And it's how we stay competitive, resilient as an organization, and honestly, responsible in a rapidly changing world.
You mentioned and touched on a lot of the points that already are tracking through to shareholders, to our communications efforts, to our sustainability initiatives.
And we've also got some new abbreviations to add into our alphabet soup now with this episode.
So can you walk us through some of the key programs and initiatives under the CI umbrella now, especially those that drive energy efficiency, waste reduction, or carbon savings in line with the sustainability initiatives we have?
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