How quality is quantified and maintained for snag-free structures
The importance of controlling quality in construction is high on every respectable developer’s and contractor’s list as it means gaining the trust of clients by creating a positive brand experience and giving them their money’s worth. Achieving the best quality possible is not wishful thinking but the result of scientifically employing Quality Control tools.
However, what do we exactly mean by Quality Control?
In construction, Quality Control refers to the processes and procedures in place that ensure that the materials, methods and the completed building project meets that high standards that have been identified at the Pre-construction phase of the project.
How is Quality Control achieved?
The processes and procedures employed by professionals to achieve the desired quality are called Quality Control Tools. These are a scientific way of getting the results with minimum effort.
Making sense of data
The sheer scale of construction projects is mind boggling in present times. Taller than the tallest skyscrapers, sprawling new cities, gated communities, endless malls and many more are such massive projects that controlling quality has to be a systematic process.
Before the onset of the digital age, managers had checklists where boxes against each item were ticked off manually if they were up-to the required quality threshold. All this quality control data that was in physical form back then is now being created and stored using digital tools.
The situation is such that there is a great amount of data available but project managers do not know how to make sense of this information to achieve their quality goals, ensuring that there is a minimum rework and no extra cost is incurred.
Compiling and analyzing data – a task that was uphill using analog methods is now simplified as all systems and information is now digital. However, construction companies need to use modern techniques for identifying the core quality control issues in projects.
There are a number of Quality Control (QC) tools that are available for this purpose and it’s a way of scientifically achieving the results by minimum effort. The idea of the QC tools is to focus on few critical areas that cause majority of issues.
The Quality Control Toolbox
Ideally the Quality Control team should be involved right from the pre construction stage so that the decided parameters and specifications are adhered to as the building work starts and one does not have to introduce damage control measures.
QC teams would want this approach and it’s also a win-win situation for contractors and clients. There are Quality Control tools that have been developed and perfected over the years by experts in the field.
These tools like Pareto Charts, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), Histograms, Flowcharts and Control Chart help us identify and solve problems and achieve maximum impact in the given situations.
Stay tuned for our next blog – 6 Quality Control Toolbox Explained in detail….
