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TQM in Construction Industry

Total quality management (TQM) is a management theory, the purpose of which is to

continuous improvement of organization’s ability to deliver quality to its customers as per
contract & lead to client satisfaction & delight.

Quality features in construction

 Completion of project in time & budget mentioned in contract

 Completion as per specifications mentioned in contract
 Meeting or exceeding demands & needs of client
 Using right material
 Using appropriate design in accordance with code & regulations
 Completion of work as per the standards mentioned in contract document

Differences between TQM and a traditional management system

 TQM is a process-oriented as opposed to a result-oriented approach, and

prioritises quality, flexibility and services rather than cost and technical efficiency.
 TQM involves a more horizontal organisational structure rather than
the traditional vertical management structure.
 TQM presumes that profits follow quality and not vice versa.
 As a philosophy, TQM is more associated with manufacturing and service industries,
although has also been applied to construction as clients increasingly demand a high
standard of delivery for large and complex buildings.
 Although in construction, delays and defects can arise that are unavoidable, far more
so than in a more controlled manufacturing environment, the application of TQM
requires that the employee’s mindset be shifted from one of just monitoring to
continually looking for opportunities to make improvements.
 TQM can be applied in construction as a way of approaching the conception,
visualisation and achievement of goals to ensure quality and productivity, with an
emphasis on innovation and new technology.

Typical elements of TQM:

 The customer is the ultimate user, and wants a quality product at a reasonable price
 Feedback from customers should be analysed and implemented where necessary
 Top management should lead well with vision and commitment
 Employees should be encouraged and rewarded for good performance
 Training should be provided regularly to upgrade the skills of employees.

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 Conflicts should be avoided, and teams should work in unison toward a common goal.
 Should lead to sustainable development

The basic steps in implementation of TQM are as follows:

 The client should give a commitment regarding quality.

 A project quality assurance plan should be prepared for all work levels.
 A process approach should be developed toward TQM.
 Employees should be made aware of, and educated about TQM.
 Employee involvement should be promoted and encouraged.
 Steps should be taken to ensure continuous improvement can be made.
 Quality plans and performance should be measured and reviewed.

Benefits of TQM in construction industries;

 Reduction in quality costs

 Higher levels of employee and client satisfaction
 Less remedial work
 Fewer delays
 Closer relationships with subcontractors and suppliers
 Make balance between cost, time & quality

A major limitation of TQM is the time and resources required to establish the
correct environment and organisational culture.

Quality Assurance in Construction Company

 Internal management system of the construction company

 To maintain particular quality standards in services
 Quality assurance chart to be maintained specifying various checks at different levels
 Arranging training to workers
 Safety programme in place
 Sound procurement policy to get best quality material & supplier
 Reward scheme for career growth & innovation promotion
 Use of statistical methods for repetitive processes
 Construction quality as per commitments made
 Proper design, good material use, proper execution of project & maintenance
 It is a management tool

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Quality Control in Construction Company

 Periodic inspection so that construction standards meets the specifications

 Check any deviation from the standards
 Taking actions to minimize any variation
 Statistical quality control tools may be helpful in quality control

Project quality plan (PQP)

The term 'quality assurance' describes a set of planned, systematic actions to ensure
that products and services comply with specified requirements. It not only involves
checking the final quality of products to avoid defects, as is the case in quality control, but
also checking product quality in a planned way through all the production stages. It is
the development of work and product design procedures to prevent errors from occurring
in the first place, based on planning, backed up by quality manuals and tools.

A project quality plan (PQP), sometimes referred to as a quality management plan, quality
assurance plan or project quality management plan, is a project-specific quality plan that
describes the activities, standards, tools and processes necessary to achieve quality in the
delivery of a project.

It is sometimes considered to be interchangeable with the project execution plan (PEP)

which sets out the overall strategy for managing the project, describing who does what and
how, and defining the policies, procedures and priorities that will be adopted.

PEP or PQP helps track and control projects which can progress erratically and
intermittently and should pass the ‘what happens if ‘Fred’ is knocked-down by a bus’ test,
describing the project and processes in such a way that competent people could take over
the project and maintain the program, service and performance.

However, on large projects, the project execution plan might be an

overarching document that includes (or references) a number of more detailed plans
focusing on specific issues such as; the project quality plan, health and safety plan, risk
management plan, value management plan, stakeholder management plan, and so on.

The project quality plan should:

 Provide explanatory text describing the nature of the project and

the quality expectations
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 Set out the organisations quality policies (for example, if they are ISO 9001 certified) and
how these policies will apply to the project.
 Identify other quality criteria or policies that may need to be followed, such as the
requirements of clients or funders.
 Describe the activities necessary to deliver the project and the order in which they will
be carried out.
 Describe the resources required.
 Set out quality roles and responsibilities.
 Identify the standards that will apply.
 Describe monitoring and reporting procedures and the process for delivering continuous
improvement.
 Describe procedures for dealing with defects.
 Describe document control procedures.
 Describe change control procedures.
 Set out any training requirements.
 List reference material.

Constraints in implementing TQM in construction industries

TQM focuses on meeting client requirements by providing quality services at cost that
provides value to the client. TQM performance is measured through top management
commitment, customer & employee involvement, customer satisfaction, employee
empowerment, customer supplier relationship & process improvement & management.
 Poor quality construction projects
 Scarcity of materials
 Poor workmanship
 Poor quality output
 Delay in project
 Cost overrun
 Collapse of work due to non commitments to standards
 Poorly trained workers
 No comprehensive quality plans
 Lack of proper budget
 Failure to plan for quality
 Inadequate training at all levels except top
 Little appreciation & recognition given to those who contribute to quality

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 Difficult to bring cultural change of workers
 Lack of standardization & involvement of many parties (occupation, profession,
organisation)
 Transient nature of building & construction & work force
 Not innovating
 Suppliers subcontractors etc not involved in training programme
 Focus on needs of customer is lesser
 Quality is difficult to quantify in construction industries
 Labour intensive projects & transient work force seldom in same location
 Complex system involving many parties
 Non standardization, no universal standard & specification of the products
 Bidding process , competitive bidding for profit generation compromise in quality,
Govt accepts lowest bidder

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ESE 2019
Which of the following are constraints to the use of TQM in construction process?
1. A transient labour force
2. The construction process is relatively short in duration
3. Hierarchical & vertical organisational structure
4. The construction process has not focused on the detailed needs of the customer
Select the correct answers using the codes given below:
a) 1 & 4 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 2 only
d) 3 & 4 only
Ans a)

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