Lauri has a Master degree and a doctoral degree in industrial management. He worked in applied construction research at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland until 2004, when he was nominated Professor of Lean Theory based Project and Production Management in the School of the Built Environment at the University of Salford.
Lauri is a founding member of the International Group for Lean Construction.
In his academic work, he has contributed to the theoretical foundations especially of lean construction and more generally of design and production. One of his current focus areas is the issue of practical relevance of management research and education.