BZI® Presented Metrics That Demonstrate Its Pre-assembly, Panelization Methods and Tools Mitigate Hazards, Increase Efficiency, and Provide Additional Opportunities for Cost Savings at the 2025 Lean Construction Institute Congress

BZI leaders and third-party construction project engineer shared the benefits of BZI’s application of lean construction tenets, and the company’s unique tools and methods, including insights from a large electric vehicle customer project

BZI announced today that collected construction project data, and the company’s application of lean construction principles demonstrates the effectiveness of the company’s top-down approach to construction and steel erection. Metrics on the company’s pre-assembly and panelization processes and tools show that BZI’s revolutionary methods mitigate hazards, increase efficiency, and provide additional opportunities for cost savings.

Leaders from BZI presented these metrics and insights, in addition to facts from an earlier electric vehicle customer abstract, at the recent 2025 Lean Construction Institute Congress: “Building Champions: Constructing the Game Plan for Lean Success.”

“BZI is changing the game in a way that will have a big influence on others in the industry and across multiple construction sectors; possibly across many industries,” said Corie Nalder, senior project engineer at Clayco and lean construction advocate who has seen BZI’s revolutionary applications while working on job sites. “BZI is proving that by first focusing on the safety of their team members, the company and its customers can also experience the business priorities of enhanced time and quality management. We can now prove with math and data that BZI’s innovative approach to construction and steel erection using prefab, panelization, and lean construction principles is having a profound impact on increased safety and heightened performance.”

Traditional construction methods require columns, girders, and joist, and decking to be installed one piece at a time at elevated heights, creating safety risks and slowing installation. In contrast, BZI’s unique methods allow panelized joist and decking to be lifted as a single module after being constructed on the ground. This approach limits time at dangerous heights, enhances safety, improves construction quality, and accelerates installation.

As part of the LCI Congress discussion around the benefits of BZI’s construction and steel erection tools and methods, Nalder and the company incorporated insights from her earlier abstract delivered with BZI at the June International Group for Lean Construction conference in Japan, which describes the positive outcomes and comparisons of using BZI’s innovative new approaches versus traditional industry methods. The paper also includes the effectiveness of the tool, which was developed specifically for the unique needs of the construction of the large electric vehicle manufacturing facility and can now be used to improve other future projects. UniLink refers to the proprietary equipment developed by BZI that is used to apply lean principles, specifically by optimizing processes to reduce waste like waiting, unnecessary movement, and underproduction.

Alex Henry, Project Manager at Industrial Project Innovation (IPI), has seen firsthand how BZI’s revolutionary approach to steel erection and construction exemplifies lean construction principles and drives enhanced safety and performance. “BZI has demonstrated strong performance in safety, quality, and productivity through the application of innovative methods, technology, and leadership,” said Henry. “Our collaboration with BZI has also shown a high level of respect and investment in their craft workforce, which, combined with their approach to prefabrication, panelization, and project execution, supports efficient and well-coordinated construction outcomes.”

“Our mission is to revolutionize the steel industry through innovation, teamwork, and accelerated project delivery, while setting new standards in safety and efficiency,” said James Barlow, CEO of BZI. “Our approach demonstrates that our mission is more than words. Our team’s commitment and real-world application of lean principles deliver outstanding results for team members, partners, and customers. By combining trust, integrity, and collaboration, we challenge conventional thinking to achieve better outcomes. We’re excited to share these findings with the industry.”

Nalder added that BZI’s respect for and openness to team member feedback from all levels of the organization, from the field to executive leadership, has helped to facilitate the acceleration of new and better construction technologies. “Because BZI takes input from every level of the organization, the company has been able to develop new advancements in technology within months, in order to address issues or capitalize on opportunities,” said Nalder.

Structural iron and steel workers have one of the highest fatality rates of all civilian occupations. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry has a fatal work injury rate of 19.8 (out of 100,000).

According to the Lean Construction Institute, the Six Tenets of Lean are:

1. Respect for People
2. Optimize the Whole
3. Eliminate Waste
4. Focus on Flow
5. Generate Value
6. Continuous Improvement

Supportive materials and documents are available upon request by emailing [email protected].