Essay Example on One of the definitions of Quality

Attention to detail to those key areas prior to a project going out to tender are crucial as it sets the tone for what is expected from the contractor s and it s supply chain during the construction phase Current industry standards set out in legislation or other documents such as the building regulations and ISO 9001 are minimum standards set for design construction and alterations to virtually every building Whilst ISO9001 allows companies to be accredited attention should be paid to the word minimum as perhaps those minimum standards are ought to be raised to improve quality in construction At present punishment is the preferred route when failing to comply with the building regulations perhaps a different approach is to be tested such as rewarding clients and companies with monetary benefits as a way to change attitude and behaviour towards quality Improving people s competence starting at educational establishments is likely to raise quality and reduce risks With so much data available from historic projects learning from mistakes previously made should be a key area to focus on as there is a real distinction between theoretical and actuals due to the pressure and challenges associated with construction Projects are pushed to be finished on time and on budget consequently there is little to no time to learn from mistakes 

A combination of high standards awareness continuous training and high quality constructible designs with a quality management plan from the inception stage will be a good start towards achieving project quality The significance of client interface has increased due to a review of processes and the introduction of new initiatives such as the Government Soft Landings GSL framework which focuses on collaborative working technology information and a smoother transition from pre construction to occupation GSL can be implemented with any procurement route however the importance for expectations to be set out by the client from the offset does not change as these in addition to decisions will determine the path of construction and have a significant impact over the lifecycle of the project The client must define roles and responsibilities at the design brief stage as key personnel should be identified and be tasked with developing the design as well supporting the procurement process Exchange of information between client personnel and contractor s project manager will reduce the possibility of potential errors that often occur due to poor communication The client should collate as much pre construction information as possible if risk is to be minimised Embracing technology such as the Building Information Modelling BIM or any other information model will strengthen quality assurance and quality control as these would be incorporated within a centralized database in which various stage gates will be flag any issues thus giving opportunity to rectify them Whilst assurance falls with the contractor quality control sits with the client therefore an allowance should be made to cover the cost of a quality control officer 

Undertaking a cost benefit analysis would enable the client to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of having an allowance in the contract sum for investing in the services of quality control versus the cost on total value of the project Having a quality control officer would enhance the process review as activities such as periodic inspections would ensure that works being carried out comply with standards and specification set out in the contract it could also mean less re work and lower costs as non compliance would be spotted and rectified as well as higher productivity Client's personal need to undertake a value engineering analysis that focuses on quality in the buildings performance and function rather than being purely a cost driven exercise as the latter is commonly assumed across the industry to be the only purpose such exercise is carried out in the first place Rather need to compare quality against time and cost if they are to influence the quality of works from the outset