Quality management in a construction project can be considered successful if it is achieved with reasonable costs, on time, and, most importantly, with quality standards. If the projects are not built considering the required quality standards and using quality plan construction, there is a risk of collapse, which can lead to accidents in which people get injured. A quality management system is a planned method. For your customers to get what they expect (and what your company promises).
Construction quality management focuses on ensuring that the design for a project meets its requirements by conducting tests and evaluations. For example, if you're building a house and want to ensure that your foundation will support the weight of your house, you'd run test after test until you were certain it could support that weight.
CQMP (Construction Quality Management Process) Elements
A quality management plan for a construction project comprises 9 fundamental elements as shown below.
1. Control
Control is the first element of the quality management plan for construction projects and it’s important to understand why. According to RERA, control is defined as “the process to ensure that all materials required for construction are procured in time, at the right place, with right quality plan construction, and at the right price by a registered builder and supplied to all contractors involved in a project.”
RERA requires builders to rectify any issues with construction quality within a certain time frame. According to RERA, if a developer fails to rectify a problem within the specified timeframe, he or she may be considered liable for breach of contract and face legal action.
2. Improve
Improvement is at the heart of construction quality management. It's about identifying
where you are, what needs to be improved, and how to go about implementing those improvements. Improvement can refer to any number of things: from improving customer satisfaction scores to reducing waste in a particular area of your project.
The Construction Quality Management Act (CQMA) is contributing most to the improvement
by providing a framework for the establishment and implementation of a quality system in construction.
The CQMA is also contributing to improving this element by requiring compliance with standards and regulations, as well as ensuring that participants are aware of their responsibilities under the law.
3. Monitor
Monitoring is an important element of the quality management system in construction as outlined in ISO 9001:2015. Monitoring means monitoring the production of a product or service, and checking whether or not it meets all requirements set by the organization.
This can be done through quality checks, audits, reviews, and inspections. For example, construction companies often monitor their projects by sending out engineers or inspectors to check up on them periodically.
These engineers make sure that workers are adhering to safety regulations and that waste is being disposed of properly. They also make sure that any problems have been fixed promptly so that they don't cause further delays down the line.
4. Testing
Testing, as defined by the RERA Act, is “an examination or investigation to determine if an item meets predetermined specifications and requirements.” As per the quality management system in construction, testing includes not only structural components but also mechanical and electrical systems. For example, with an elevator, testing ensures that the elevator can move from floor to floor without any problems.
It also ensures that passengers do not get stuck inside an elevator car, which could be dangerous or even fatal if they are unable to get out in time. Testing also ensures that all electrical systems work properly and do not pose any safety risks to those who use them.
5. Analyze
Analyze, which refers to identifying and understanding the root causes of defects, as well as finding ways to prevent them in future projects. This is an important step because it helps to ensure that construction projects are completed on time and on budget, which can help prevent costly delays down the line. For example, if your building has windows that aren't fitting properly, you can choose to let them go and hope for the best—but this could lead to more serious problems down the line.
Or you could decide to analyze the problem now and find solutions for it before it becomes too big an issue. This way, you'll avoid paying more money than necessary later on or risking damage to your reputation as a builder or developer.
6. Process
The process is an essential part of the construction quality management process because it describes how to perform each step. Processes are important for ensuring consistency and efficiency in the workplace, which is especially important for large projects that require many people to work together. To provide an example, let's consider ISO 9001. This standard requires that a company must have a documented process for managing its internal quality system.
The company must also have documented processes for their suppliers and subcontractors, so all parties involved can be sure that their materials and supplies are being handled properly. The standard also requires that these processes be reviewed at least once per year by an internal auditor or external inspector, who will then certify them as meeting the requirements of the standard.
7. Measure
There is a very famous quote by Lord Kelvin, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”. Time, cost, and quality are three parameters that are used in measuring the required standards. It is a vital component of the process because it allows you to track and analyze data, which helps you make better decisions moving forward. Measurement can be broken down into two parts: analysis and evaluation.
The analysis involves collecting data and looking at it differently for example, by examining metrics like defect rate or cost per square foot. Evaluation involves evaluating this data to see what's working well and how things can be improved.
For example, if you were building an office building, you might measure the number of defects found during construction and compare that with other projects using similar materials; then use this information to determine whether there are any issues with your materials supplier or whether there are any problems with your design process.
8. Guidelines
A construction quality management guideline is a document that specifies the methods and procedures used to ensure quality during the design and construction phases of a project. This document can be created by an individual contractor, or it can be created by an organization such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
The guidelines include instructions for workmanship, materials, and documentation, as well as instructions for how to resolve problems that arise during the process. They also include instructions for conducting internal audits of projects to ensure compliance with all aspects of the guidelines. However, these audits must be conducted by someone who has been trained in auditing practices.
It is important to have a written guideline because it ensures that everyone involved in the project understands what is expected from them and how they should perform their duties. When there is no written guideline for a task or process, different people may interpret it differently—which can lead to confusion and mistakes being made.
9. Audit
The audit is an essential part of any project, and it is required by law. The Indian Contract Act and the Indian Building Code legislation both require audits to be conducted on all projects at different stages of their development. An audit can be defined as a process in which an outside party goes through a project and checks for compliance with regulations and standards.
This outside party does not have to be affiliated with the project, but it must be competent in its area of expertise. The purpose of an audit is to ensure that contractors are meeting legal requirements, including those from building code legislation or other regulations governing construction quality management processes.
A good example of this is when an auditor checks whether or not there are adequate safety measures in place at a construction site; if they find that there aren't enough safety features or that they aren't properly maintained, then they will notify authorities so that corrective measures can be taken.
How to Improve Construction Quality Management
The quality management plan for a construction project starts with a design and then moves into the planning that is executed on the site. Everything was checked and double-checked, with the proper survey of the site.
The Get it Right initiative was launched by the UK Government in 2018 as a way to improve construction quality management. The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that all new buildings are built to high standards, with high-quality materials and workmanship.
Set Quality Standards
There is a team that has been set up which is involved in setting the quality management in construction projects. The change of team frequently and lack of proper training of employees leads to poor quality in construction.
The quality control tools have also been mentioned to the employees with quality management system software. It is important to give proper training to the people who are responsible for quality management. Educate them about the requirements, quality standards, and procedures that can follow while quality assurance and quality control in construction projects. Since they are responsible for quality management and define the roles and responsibilities that they want to achieve as a team.
Set Educational Training
A new report from Get It Right UK, the UK's leading construction training provider, has found that setting educational training can help improve construction quality management The report looked at a number of case studies from different sectors and found that setting up educational training program had led to improvements in performance across the board. In one example, a construction company was able to increase productivity by 10% and reduce rework by 30% after implementing an educational training program.
The report also outlined how this type of program can help you get the most out of your workforce. The study found that employees who have been through an educational training program are more likely to be engaged in their work and feel empowered by it.
Measuring Construction Quality Management Processes
After setting quality standards and providing proper educational training which is required, it's time to check the processes for ensuring the quality of construction. The person who is in charge of quality assurance must check that all materials, procedures, processes, practices, and finished products have to meet the quality standards.
If there is any mistake or issues have been seen, the charge would take the appropriate measures to correct them. They will coordinate with all efforts to meet the quality standards within the required time of the completion of the project.