What happens when hundreds of Lean practitioners unite with a common goal of making the industry better?

New ideas emerge, lessons are challenged and knowledge is shared. At the 2026 Lean Construction Institute Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, Balfour Beatty played an active role in that exchange with our peers, partners and owners through our participation in panel presentations, advisory roles, local jobsite tours, vital research and industry service.

The Big Picture of Lean

Vice President Bevan Mace continuing a longstanding history of LCI leadership and advancement of the practice of Lean shared recent LCI industry research. His presentation, “LCI Research: Current State of Practice in Our Industry,” helped attendees understand current state of industry and the impact of Lean and team cohesion on achieving better project outcomes.

Bevan was also a featured panelist on “What the Data Tells Us: Proven Practices Behind the Industry’s Most Successful Projects.” The panel provided more in-depth findings from the research and identified specific practices that improved project outcomes. Two best practices identified were (1) make work ready/ constraint removal as part of lookahead planning and (2) reviewing percent plan complete and variance analysis as part of weekly work planning. Bevan served on LCI's Board of Directors from 2018 to 2024 and received LCI’s Chairman Award in 2017.

My Contribution AI Hackathon

A highlight of Balfour Beatty's participation was the presentation, “Small Bets, Big Wins: Hack Puts AI Innovation on the Fast Track,” delivered by Balfour Beatty Director of Digital Adoption Daniel Shirkey; Balfour Beatty Communications Director Erin Branham; and AnswerRocket Vice President Andy Sweet.

The session, which was attended by nearly 50 advanced Lean practitioners, told the story of Balfour Beatty’s 2025 My Contribution AI Hackathon. Presenters shared how Balfour Beatty leveraged our employee engagement platform, My Contribution, and structured experimentation to channel employee curiosity about AI into purposeful innovation, business adoption and measurable impact.

“We highlighted the incredible value of My Contribution, not only as the central hub for our hackathon journey, but also as a catalyst for employee-driven innovation and operational improvement across our business,” says Erin.

Attendees left with best practices and actionable means to kickstart and scale organizational AI learning, improve decision making around technology investments and embed innovation more deeply into their businesses.

“The presentation resonated with attendees, because it centered on a critical challenge facing virtually every organization today – how to evaluate and deploy emerging technology without creating waste,” says Daniel.

Balfour Beatty's voice extended beyond the presentation itself. Following the session, Daniel, Erin and Andy participated in an Advanced Practitioner AI discussion.

“Anyone can run a hackathon. What Balfour Beatty built is a repeatable way to put emerging technology against real project problems, learn fast and make honest calls about what earns a place in the business. This approach takes innovation from an event into a scalable habit. The presentation at LCI showcased this innovative approach and Balfour's thought leadership in scaling AI at a time when many organizations are stuck in AI pilot purgatory. The AnswerRocket team was honored to be part of the hackathon and the presentation at LCI,” says Andy.

Learning From the Gemba

Balfour Beatty also brought Lean learning into the field, hosting approximately 15 Congress attendees for a Gemba walk at the Georgia Department of Agriculture Building project and its historic lobby. The team shared how Lean production planning systems, empowered by tools such as Touchplan, have helped keep the work aligned and moving forward on schedule amidst evolving project requirements, including the re-design of deep foundations and the addition of a floor during construction.

“The walk was a great opportunity to share the scale and complexity of the project, as well as some of the challenges our team has successfully worked through along the way,” says Operations Director Damien Crandall. “We’re proud of what the team has accomplished and appreciated the opportunity to share those lessons with others.”

Industry Service

Director of Preconstruction Amanda Patton and Director of Digital Adoption Daniel Shirkey also served as champions for multiple Congress sessions. This is an esteemed industry service role that encompassed many months of planning and mentorship.

Amanda:

• “From Checking the Box to Changing the Work - A Field-First Approach”
• “Lean Leadership in Public Progressive Design-Build”
• “CBA for Digital Construction: Scaling Sound Decisions”

Daniel:

• “Failing Forward in Offsite Construction, a Lean Journey”
• “Advanced Practitioner Becoming Lean Discussion”

Collectively, Balfour Beatty's presence at LCI Congress demonstrated more than participation in industry events. It highlighted a company that is helping lead conversations around Lean culture, AI adoption and continuous improvement while sharing real-world lessons that can help shape the future of the construction industry.