The Importance of a Quality Assurance Plan in Construction

What is a quality assurance plan in construction?

A quality assurance plan in construction is a document outlining the project-specific quality activities, standards, tools and processes that are necessary to ensure the successful delivery of a given project. 

It is often referred to as a project quality plan (PQP), quality management plan, or project quality management plan.

 

What’s the purpose of a quality plan?

A quality plan outlines the processes, resources and standards necessary to ensure that a product, service, project or contract meets specified requirements. 

The documents in this plan outline what needs to be done in order to achieve quality goals and help set measurable standards for evaluating progress.

 

What Makes a Quality Assurance Plan so Important?

Quality assurance planning in construction is an important part of any successful project. 

A quality plan helps ensure that all aspects of the project, from materials and processes to final results and customer satisfaction, are meeting specified requirements. 

Quality assurance plans can help reduce costs, improve scheduling, and maintain standards for quality. Additionally, these plans help identify problem areas in a timely manner so that adjustments or corrections can be made before they become costly issues.

 

Understanding Quality: What Does it Really Mean?

Quality can be broadly defined as an outcome that meets the expectations of its intended audience. 

Quality results from a process that involves dedication, hard work and communication. It requires continuous monitoring to ensure the desired outcome is met throughout the project. 

Good quality is not guaranteed and must be actively pursued to achieve success.

 

Why Good Quality Is Essential: A Look at the Impact.

Why is it important to strive for good quality in a project? Quality control throughout a job can make every step of the process better, from the work being done by operators to the final product itself. 

An attention to quality can increase safety, make the workers take extra pride in their work, and help the finished product stand out above similar projects.

 

Can Quality Really Affect the Bottom Line?

Does quality affect the bottom line? Absolutely! When quality is sacrificed, projects become less profitable in a variety of ways. 

Poor working practices require extra management input and can lead to more health and safety issues. Low quality construction can also fail to meet its designated purpose. 

Ultimately, poor practices result in wasted time and materials, driving up costs significantly.

Kate Hewitt - Project Manager

 

How we can help…

If you'd like help creating, compiling and organizing a quality management plan and / or a quality handover manual for your project we’d love to help. 

To get in touch just give us a call on 01538 711777 or Email hello@hc-services.uk

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Post Project Reviews And Why You Need To have Them

What is a post project review?

Project managers can use a post-project review as a tool to assess a project's success at its conclusion. 

Over the course of the review, the team members compare the project's anticipated and actual results. Following are some ways that project managers can gain from a post-project review:

 

1 Identify individual accomplishments and strengths.

A post-project evaluation could be used by teams to document their achievements. This could improve future teams' motivation and effectiveness. 

 

2 Identify what needs to be improved.

By looking at difficult processes and steps, a project manager may discover areas for improvement. With this knowledge, they can make recommendations for streamlining or improving procedures in upcoming projects. 

 

3 Determine the most efficient methods.

Project managers can take advantage of the review procedure to think about the best strategies going forward. By examining what worked well in the past, they can develop effective strategies for future initiatives.

 

The main areas of discussion during a post project review are:

 

The above is not an exhaustive list, just a general snapshot.

If mistakes are to be avoided and best practises are to be replicated, a post-project review is essential.

Post-project reviews are a priceless tool for providing feedback so that teams can advance their abilities and performance. 

These reviews provide a chance to ensure ongoing development and have the potential to raise team morale.  

It is crucial to involve as many project team members as possible in the review. By doing so, the project can be evaluated more thoroughly and any ambiguities can be found. 

Making these reviews successful depends on objective feedback and honest opinions free from ego interference.

 

Lisa Carr - Project Manager

If you'd like to see how we can help your project to be successful, get in touch here HCS Project Management

Call 01538 711777

Email hello@hc-services.uk

Meet our team?  https://hc-services.uk/about-hcs/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Site Audits Can Help Your Construction Project

Site audits friend or foe?

Construction audits review various project activities to make sure they are functioning properly and in accordance with the contract's requirements. 

Site audits are a vital tool for keeping everything on track and within budget because construction projects typically involve multiple activities, all performed concurrently.

So how exactly are site audits beneficial to construction projects.

 

Aids Cost Recovery:

Costs on a construction site can change over the course of the project and, without adequate controls, can easily get out of hand.

Site audits can help pinpoint areas where costs are going over budget and who, specifically suppliers and/or contractors, are responsible. Site audits can also assist with creating backup plans.

 

Improves Internal Controls:

A great deal of conflict on construction sites stems from an inability to stay within the original scope of the project. 

Without adequate controls, things such as client variations can add a considerable amount of additional work and potential delay to the overall contract programme, not to mention run away with unrecorded costs. 

Site audits make sure that all relevant controls are in place and working and help with quality management.

 

Determines Project Progress:

Because they can help ensure that deadlines are met, site audits are crucial. They will be able to assess whether the project is on time, behind schedule, or ahead of schedule. 

To accurately assess how the project is progressing, a site auditor will visit the site, review the progress, and speak with personnel before forming a final opinion.

 

2 Determine Your Approach:

You need to start at the beginning, which means you should analyze and evaluate all your current quality procedures.

As with most business processes, there are many approaches you can take, depending on the goals you have defined.

For example, if you want to eliminate return visits, involve construction managers in quality-management processes such as regular site inspections, snag list management, and reporting metrics. 

Based on the results you want, you need to define the roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the quality-management processes and clearly communicate them to all members of the team.  

 

Ensures Safety:

To ensure that all workers are working in a safe environment, site auditors can also review safety protocols pertaining to things like equipment, hazardous materials, and traffic management. Records of audits can also help if and when you get a visit from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

 

Some people see site audits through a victims eyes as in someone coming to site to find fault. Others see site audits as beneficial because they reveal things that, if left unchecked, would not only get worse but could be very detrimental to the project as a whole.

 

Kate Hewitt - Project Manager

If you'd like to see how we can help you create meaningful site audits please click here to get in touch HCS Project Management

Call 01538 711777

Email hello@hc-services.uk

Meet our team?  https://hc-services.uk/about-hcs/

 

 

 

7 Steps To Quality Management In Construction

What is quality management in construction?

The success or failure of a construction project is heavily influenced by quality management, which is the project's cornerstone. 

Delivering high-quality work is something that every construction company strives to do because it has evolved into a criterion for evaluating the company and is essential to its reputation.

 

The main benefits provided by quality management.

Construction quality control systems have the ability to expand and open up new markets, leading to expanding business opportunities.

There are additional benefits as well, including lower costs and less waste, as well as increased productivity of workers and collaborators.

 

7 principles of a quality management system in construction.

Consider a new quality-management programme the same way you would any other important part of your company, such as safety protocols, HR policies, financial planning, IT management, etc.

By using this strategy, quality management is ingrained in the culture. However, if you approach your programme as a low priority project, you will receive results commensurate with your efforts. 

Following these seven tips for implementing a quality-management programme will set your projects up for success.

 

1 Define Your Outcomes:

Every construction company has different reasons for implementing a quality-management programme. 

These might include risk reduction, observing client agreements, developing a competitive edge, cutting waste and return visits, and improving profits.

When defining your outcomes, be on the high side of realistic, Don’t buy into the industry misconception that deficiencies are unavoidable. 

This leads to a certain amount of leniency when it comes to inspections and snagging. This approach will never promote a culture that won’t accept second best. 

Your quality targets are reachable if you make a commitment to delivering the highest quality the first time and put in place the systems that will make this possible.

 

2 Determine Your Approach:

You need to start at the beginning, which means you should analyze and evaluate all your current quality procedures.

As with most business processes, there are many approaches you can take, depending on the goals you have defined.

For example, if you want to eliminate return visits, involve construction managers in quality-management processes such as regular site inspections, snag list management, and reporting metrics. 

Based on the results you want, you need to define the roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the quality-management processes and clearly communicate them to all members of the team.  

 

3 Allocate Resources:

When allocating resources, you need to identify priorities such as staff training to ensure all parties have the skills to perform the tasks required to produce the end result you desire. 

Regardless of the model you choose, the teams doing the work must have the necessary resources to do it effectively. 

If you decide that site staff are performing all inspections, you may need to bulk up your staff count, making sure there are always enough quality inspectors available to deliver the desired quality.

If construction managers are to adopt a larger role, they might need ongoing training, and/or software. One thing to avoid is simply viewing quality management as purely an outgoing cost.

 

4 Hire Quality People To Lead:

When a quality-management programme is being implemented, one of the top-performing managers with knowledge of construction projects is frequently chosen to serve as the program's leader.

Although these people may have the abilities to spot flaws, they may not always have the expertise needed to create and manage business processes and procedures. 

Someone who has management skills, with good technical skills thrown in, would be ideal to run a quality programme.

 

5 Establish Accountability:

When there’s accountability, there’s progress. When no one is accountable, it’s everyone else’s fault.

It’s important to recognize that a successful program should not rely solely on the quality manager. 

Every employee needs to contribute to quality management, whether it's finding ways to avoid frequent errors, conducting inspections, or making sure the quality team has the necessary tools. 

Everyone involved feels responsible for making sure the work is done correctly the first time when you create a culture of quality. 

It’s that ‘quality culture’ that creates the difference between employees speaking up when they see a potential problem or keeping their heads down and deciding, “That’s not my job.” 

Quality is everyone’s responsibility, and it starts at the top.

 

6 Define And Report Metrics:

Defining reporting metrics will help you track progress toward reaching your programme's goals. Your metrics and your goals must be in line for this to happen.  

Using the construction of houses as an example Say your objective is to produce the highest quality the first time, thereby preventing the need for additional visits to fix imperfect work.  

A good metric would be to measure the amount of return visits per trade, or per house  and what that does to the eventual build cost per dwelling. 

If you want to improve productivity, you might track the amount of time required for remedial work, which can also be reported in terms of cost savings. 

Observing how the results of your metrics change over time can be instructive and inspiring. 

When the team sees that their efforts to reduce defects are resulting in measurable progress, they will continue to implement the processes outlined in the quality programme. Skepticism will be a thing of the past.

7 Maintain And Review:

Plan and ensure continuous maintenance and reviews of the entire system

Introducing any type of new initiative takes determination and persistence. Don’t expect to get immediate results.  

The truth is that it takes time to put new systems in place, train people on new procedures, and shift people's attitudes toward quality. 

Consider quality management as a necessary business process, not as an expensive add-on, and always adopt that mindset.

Lisa Carr- Project Manager

If you'd like to see how we can help you create and implement a quality control system please click here to get in touch HCS Project Management

Call 01538 711777

Email hello@hc-services.uk

Meet our team?  https://hc-services.uk/about-hcs/