Construction Quality ChallengesEvery industry has particular challenges and practices that pose challenges or supports to quality management. Construction is seen as;
- Neanderlithic, or ‘pieces of burnt clay glued together’
- Project phases tend to be isolated; project initiation and briefing → concept and feasibility → design development → tender documentation and procurement → construction documentation and management → project close out.
- Separation of design and construction
- Industry structure [fragmented] • Fragmented contributions
- Focus on cost and time
- Client driven goals
- Procurement encourages competitive tendering
- No barriers to entry for providers
- De-skilling
- Poor culture.
The Role of Religion in Quality Management
According to Sadeq and Ahmad, authors of Quality Management Islamic Perspectives, Islam seeks to unify the schism between ethics and economics through, among other, the avoidance of undue waste and accountability.
The concept of Tawhid implies accountability in the afterlife, and requires justice and equity, and requires accountability to the public.
In accordance with Islam, work is an Ibadab, a deed of spiritual value, therefore Allah must approve actions and behaviour.
Construction Quality StatisticsAccording to the CIDB 2014 statistics, about 10% of construction clients are not satisfied with product quality. However tender process quality draw about 20% of dissatisfaction.
Quality of work delivered: Overall, clients were satisfied with the quality of completed work at handover on 90% of the projects surveyed in 2013, and were neutral or dissatisfied on 10%.
Resolution of defects: Clients were satisfied with the resolution of defective work during the construction period on 86% of the projects surveyed in 2013, and were neutral or dissatisfied on 14%.
Level of defects: Around 92% of projects surveyed in 2013 were ‘apparently defect free’ or had ‘few defects’ at practical completion / handover and 8% of facilities had ‘some defects’ or ‘major defects’.
Quality of tender documents and specifications: Contractors rated the quality of tender documents and specifications of clients as satisfactory on 78% of the projects surveyed in 2013, and were neutral or dissatisfied on 22%.
Adjudication of tenders: The results of the 2013 survey show that quality (or functionality) was not taken into account in the adjudication of tenders on 15% of projects.
Typical Quality Management DefectsPoor site management
Low contractor quality management expertise
Corruption
Inadequate resourcing by contractors
Lack of understanding of quality
Low Level of subcontracting
Focus on cost by contractors
Inadequate information
Inadequate quality skills and training
Focus on time by contractors
Lack of insight relative to the role of quality
Lack of minimum requirement to contract
Poor detail
Lack of worker participation
Focus on cost by clients
Poor constructability
Inappropriate project durations
Focus on time by clients
Lack of design team management commitment
Lack of construction management commitment
Lack of quality improvement processes
Inadequate generic skills training
Lack of pre-qualification on quality
Inadequate production skills
Poor specification
Lack of QMSs in construction
Inadequate tertiary education in quality (Construction manager)
Inadequate related tertiary education in quality (Project manager)
Lack of designer quality expertise
Reliance on inspections
Ineffective contractor registration
Cyclical seasonal industry
Lack of QMSs in design
Inadequate quality related tertiary education (Engineer)
Poor design
Variations
Lack of focus on quality control
Inadequate quality related tertiary education (Architect)
Poor contract documentation
Competitive tendering
Archaic processes (design and construction)
Separation of design and construction
Inadequate tertiary education in quality (Quantity surveyor)
Lack of partnering.
- This post is an extract from a referenced paper with statistical evidence, titled MANAGING QUALITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, read to the KZN MBA Building Industry Forum in March 2014, by Prof John Smallwood, head of the DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT at Nelson Mandela Metro University.
- Visit http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_9000
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