Construction Quality Management

Lecture 1
Introduction to Quality Management
 Contents
• What is quality?
• Quality Programs?
• Quality Management
• Construction Quality management
• Total Quality Management
• Cost of quality
  Meaning of quality
• The term quality has acquired many meanings,
depending on the people concerned, and the criteria
felt to be important. Some typical definitions of
quality are:
• Webster’s Dictionary: degree of excellence of a thing
• American Society for Quality: totality of features and
characteristics that satisfy needs
• Quality is the total composite product and service
characteristics of marketing, engineering,
manufacture and through which the product in use
will meet the expectations of the customer-
[Feigenbaum].
Quality from consumer’s and Producer’s
Perspective:
Consumer’s Perspective: Fitness for use, how
well product or service does what it is supposed
to. 
• Quality is the extent to which the customer or
users believe the product or service surpasses
their needs and expectations.
Producer’s Perspective: Making sure a product
or service is produced according to design.
 Dimensions of Quality: Products/Projects
• Performance - basic operating characteristics of a
product/project
• Features - “extra” items added to basic features
• Reliability - probability that a product/project
will operate properly within an expected time
frame
• Conformance - degree to which a product meets
pre–established standards
• Durability - how long product lasts before
replacement
• Serviceability - ease of getting repairs, speed of
• esthetics - how a product looks, feels, sounds, smells, or
tastes
• Safety - assurance that customer will not suffer injury or
harm from a product; an especially important
consideration for automobiles/buildings/bridges/etc
• Perceptions - Subjective perceptions based on brand
name, advertising, and the like.
 Dimensions of Quality: Service
• Time and Timeliness - How long must a customer/client
wait for service, and is it completed on time?
• Completeness - Is everything customer asked for
provided?
• Courtesy - How are customers treated by employees?
• Consistency - Is the same level of service provided to
each customer at each time?
• Accessibility and convenience - How easy is it to obtain
service?
• Accuracy - Is the service performed right every time?
• Responsiveness - How well does the company react to
unusual situations?
 purpose of QM (Quality Programs)  
 used to reduce production cost and time:
follow up right from the design stage
create quality committed management
reduce rejection of materials
 improve efficiency by lowering rate of defects
speed up delivery
improve working conditions
improve employees' quality awareness
 Construction Quality Management
 is the performance of tasks, which ensure that
construction is performed according to plans and
specifications, on time, within a defined
budget, and a safe work environment.
• The Quality in construction includes the services
in construction such as Planning Performances,
Management Performances as well as
operational performances on company and
individual level in execution.
 The Benefits of CQM
Both the contractor and the Government
must be interested in effective CQM.
• The benefits to the Government are many:
work is performed according to plans and
specifications, on time, within a defined budget,
easily maintained, and a safe work environment.
• The benefits to the contractor are increased profit
and production, better communication, planning,
improved organizational skills, and outstanding
performance evaluations to obtain future contracts.
 Total Quality Management (TQM)  
• It was stimulated by the need to compete in the
global market where higher quality, lower cost, and
more rapid development are essential to market
leadership.
• Today TQM is considered a fundamental
requirement for any organization to compete, let
alone lead in its market.
• Different people consider TQM as a program, a
process, the Deming's approach, employee
empowerment and teamwork techniques,
etc. However, TQM refers to:
 Total- Made up of the whole
 Quality- Degree of Excellence a
product/Service Provides
 Management- act, art/manner of planning,
controlling, directing,…
Therefore, TQM is the art of managing the whole
to achieve excellence
 It is a management philosophy, a paradigm, a
continuous improvement approach to doing business
 focus on quality as the main dimension of business. 
• It is essentially a way of planning, organizing and
understanding each activity, and depends on each
individual at each level.
TQM Approach
• Total quality management is an approach to doing
business that attempts to maximize the
competitiveness of an organization through the
continual improvement of the quality of its
products, services, people, processes and
environments.
• Managing for the total quality
• Managing for the effectiveness and
competitiveness
•  Involving each and every activity and person at
all levels in the organization
TQM Culture
1. Commitment
2. Involvement
3. Scientific Knowledge
1. Commitment 
Motivation Requires
Proper working condition
Adequate training and education
 Good communication and cooperation
 Modern leadership rather than strict
supervision
 Good incoming materials & equipment
Appropriate quality tools 
Job satisfaction
2. Involvement
Top Management’s responsibility
To plant seeds of quality tree (quality policies
and demonstrations)
 To provide appropriate condition
To create a system appropriate
They should develop a willingness to regard
workforce as an asset and not as a commodity.
Show commitment to long-term survival and
growth, not just short-term profiles; a faith that
there will be a future.
Middle Management’s Responsibility
They are the link between top management and
the work force.
Responsible for ensuring that the quality tree is
continuously nourished and strengthened
TQM principles are being communicated and
spread adequately throughout the company so
that TQM culture is maintained and brings
results.
3. Scientific Knowledge
TQM philosophy: Prevention is better than
cure (remedial)
 Prevention needs predictability
Achieved from statistical techniques.
Determine capability of current practice
and assess what can be attained
 Set a target for a reasonable quality
Principles of TQM
Customer-oriented
Leadership
Strategic planning
Employee responsibility
Continuous improvement
Cooperation
Training and education
And it is Commitment to quality throughout
organization
 Cost of Quality
Cost of Achieving Good Quality
• Prevention costs - costs incurred during product
design
• Appraisal costs - costs of measuring, testing, and
analyzing
Cost of Poor Quality
• Internal failure costs - include scrap, rework,
process failure, downtime, and price reductions
• External failure costs - include complaints,
returns, warranty claims, liability, and lost sales
Thank
you!!