A key to achieving success is assembling a stable and strong management team. Quality is never by chance; it is the outcome of intelligent efforts that have to manage.
The essence of quality management is to apply the knowledge and make it productive to achieve the desired quality. A theory of Total Quality Management (TQM) is necessary for the modern construction era as quality has become a parameter we evaluate or evaluate by others.
Numerous questions like what is it, how it is measured, how it is controlled, how to improve it, etc. must be answered to get the required quality. Quality management is often the complete process that answers all such questions.
What is quality management in Construction?
Construction projects involve various functions across different segments and activities. Yet, the one thing they all offer is their longing to deliver quality work on schedule and within the financial plan.
Quality management is the foundation for construction projects and plays a significant role in defining whether the project is a success or a failure. Every construction company desires to deliver quality work, as it has become the company's judging criteria and plays a vital role in building its reputation.
Quality management in Construction involves putting the policies, processes, and procedures to improve the approach and methods to deliver the aimed quality and match the required standards, for any company, establishing the internal and external principles and the guidelines results in quality.
7 principles of quality management system in Construction
To suffice the two objectives of quality management, the process is bifurcated into two segments, with each element having the precise role of improving the overall quality. The two subsets of quality management are Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). A famous illustration of the umbrella of quality explains the components and their importance.
A few principles of a construction quality management system are essential for successful quality management on a construction project.
The following are the critical seven principles of a construction quality management system:
- Client focus
- Leadership
- Engagement of people
- The process approach
- Improvement
- Evidence-based decision making
- Relationship management
Several activities converge to make a quality management plan. These activities vary from monitoring to auditing. The following illustration shows the different activities involved in the process of quality management
All these activities can be found under one-stop digital solution with DigiQC.
Total Quality Management in Construction
The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) aims to improve the organization's ability to achieve quality and deliver the desired output to the client on a continuously improving basis.
There are a few differences between the traditional and total quality management systems.
- TQM is process-oriented rather than the result-oriented traditional approach.
- TQM prioritizes quality, flexibility, and services rather than the cost.
- TQM involves a more horizontal organizational structure than the traditional vertical management system.
- TQM presumes that profits follow the quality and not vice-versa.
A portion of the advantages derived from TQM include; a decrease in quality costs, more significant levels of representative and customer fulfillment, less remedial work, fewer deferrals, and closer associations with subcontractors and vendors.
One major drawback of establishing the TQM is that it takes time to put a proper environment and organizational culture with a strong work ethic.
Quality Management Plan for Construction Projects
The very famous quote, 'Prevention is better than cure,' is relevant for the quality management of a construction project. Preventing the defect is much more cost-effective than correcting the fault.
It is essential to establish a plan to act before the actual Construction. The quality management plan should be inclusive of the following :
- Quality policies
- Clear and measurable quality objectives
- Requirement standards
- Other statutory and legal standards
The quality management plan is both an internal and external tool, it should ensure adherence to the necessary quality standards that enable continuous improvement and, ultimately, good performance.
Once the quality management plan is in place, the next phase is to develop procedures that will enable you to achieve the objectives.
All the processes and methods should be recorded along with the defects and repairs, which might prove crucial for future endeavors. Documentation is an essential part of the construction quality management system.
Conclusion
Quality management is an essential part that must be defined well in advance and abides by throughout the project life cycle to achieve the aimed quality and match the required standards. Some adopt continuous improvement methodology as total quality management approaches to yield higher results.
Achieving the quality management objectives has many benefits but none more beneficial than building a solid reputation in the market in the construction sector. There are many solutions to help you optimize the construction quality processes, like the software solution at DigiQC for all your jobs to meet the highest possible quality standards.
People who are not used to quality always chase the quantity. But they often miss the fact that quality is the best business plan and the best way to reduce the cost and save time for repairs. Quality is a great investment option.
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Stuck with more queries on quality management? Read the exclusive blog series from digiQC: Quality management in construction—An Overview for a detailed look into the subject.
