Quality is very necessary in the construction industry. This is why different authorities including professional bodies in the US require all contractors to have Construction Quality Management control and assurance systems at all their construction sites. While quality is aimed at delivering a project that serves the purpose for which it is intended, quality control is the examination of construction processes (to ensure delivery of satisfactory project to a client and delivery of a project whose quality is proportionate to the price).
On the other hand, quality assurance is the mechanism through which quality construction processes take place. In this regard, quality assurance lays the ground for a constructor’s quality management by defining the structure, tasks and responsibilities that lead to quality work. Quality assurance eliminates such problems as misunderstanding a client’s brief, use of incorrect information relating to construction specifications including drawings and poor supervision.
As with other construction management plans, a Construction Quality Management plan must be properly planned. Such planning takes into account various critical elements. The first element sets the quality standard to be met while designing a construction project. The second element that a constructor needs to address is how to achieve the desired quality through proper construction methods, equipments/materials to be used and the caliber of employees to be engaged. By addressing these elements, a constructor becomes in a good position to undertake construction in the right way from the start.
Under US construction legislations, it is upon construction project quality assurance managers to ensure that necessary quality assurance systems and mechanisms are in place. It is also upon the managers to evaluate the cost of the same, which includes the cost of production time/delays, inspection/testing costs and prevention costs. In order to achieve these, quality assurance managers are obligated to carry out internal audits to ensure that the necessary procedures and execution methods are adhered to.
The development of Construction Quality Management systems in the US is a continuous process. Various national and federal government agencies in partnership with both professionals in the construction industry and independent organizations continuously look into new ways that promote Construction Quality Management. The responsible authorities provide CQM plan templates that constructors can use as guidelines for preparing their own.
The varied nature of construction projects call for properly trained construction quality control and assurance managers. This is a need that various professional bodies in the US have adequately addressed by offering training opportunities to qualified managers. Such bodies are indeed licensed to offer such training and issue relevant certifications.