A systematic review of emerging trends in Green, Lean, Agile and Six Sigma Management Frameworks for Operational Excellence in Construction

Construction industry has been trying to improve productivity. Despite utilising various management techniques, such as Lean Construction (LC) over the years, it is insufficient to fulfill the requirements of contemporary construction projects, due to their isolated applications. This study, therefore, undertakes a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify emerging trends in the integration of Green, Lean, Agile, and Six Sigma (GLASS) management frameworks and their potential contribution to operational excellence in construction. Scopus was selected as the database due to its expansive coverage of peer-reviewed journals. The review focuses on publications post 2000, reflecting the period in which GLASS approaches became increasingly prominent within construction and supply chain research. The search using, Title, Abstract and Keywords of ((“Construction Supply Chain”) AND (“Green” OR “Lean” OR “Agile” OR “Six Sigma”) OR (“Integration”)) was adopted. Journal articles that were peer reviewed, published in English, were included. Publications that were non peer reviewed, without sufficient relevance to the review objectives were excluded. The SLR indicates a gradual shift from the siloed application of individual management paradigms toward integrated GLASS frameworks. GLASS provides complementary capabilities for reducing environmental impacts, enabling continuous improvement, increasing responsiveness, improving efficiency and quality. Emerging research also indicates growing interest in applying GLASS principles to Construction Supply Chain Management (CSCM) to strengthen stakeholder collaboration, productivity and quality. Key enablers identified, include, committed leadership, a culture of continuous improvement, and integration among project stakeholders. Conversely, cultural resistance, fragmented supply chains, implementation costs, and difficulties in aligning diverse organisational cultures within temporary and multi-stakeholder construction environments remain significant barriers. The review concludes that, the future of operational excellence in construction is likely to depend increasingly on the holistic integration of GLASS principles rather than their independent implementation. Future research should, therefore, focus on developing and validating integrated GLASS frameworks, suitable for CSC.