Alvaro Jose Quintero Rojas, Sandra Cano, Romel Jesús Gallardo Amaya
Context: The construction industry faces low efficiency characterized by missed deadlines, unfinished projects, and poor operational efficiency. This situation requires rethinking production methods and incorporating approaches aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Lean Construction, inspired by the Toyota system, has positioned itself as an alternative to generate value, reduce waste, and improve workflows; however, its adoption in Colombia is limited. Objective: Analyze how the application of Lean Construction has contributed to improving productivity in construction projects internationally and in Colombia, through a systematic review of the literature, identifying the most widely used tools, their benefits in terms of efficiency, time, costs, and waste reduction, as well as the barriers and opportunities for their adoption in the Colombian context. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted in the Scopus database under PRISMA guidelines, using the search equation “Lean construction AND construction AND productivity AND Project.” Criteria and exclusions were applied. The documents were analyzed using nonlinear regression to identify growth trends and were processed in a matrix with variables such as project type, tools applied, productivity metrics, and region, which allowed for a comparative analysis to identify benefits, barriers, and opportunities for implementation. Results: 102 documents were identified based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The evidence shows improvements in productivity, time, costs, planning reliability, and waste reduction, highlighting LPS, VSM, 5S, Kanban, and integration with BIM. There have been positive experiences in Colombia, although adoption continues to be conditioned by cultural and training factors. Conclusions: Lean Construction is consolidating itself as an effective strategy when implemented in an integrated and sustained manner; in Colombia, it requires standardized training, pilot projects, and institutional frameworks to strengthen its progressive adoption and sector competitiveness.