In any industry, quality assurance requires correctly performing all planned activities so that the end product meets the specified requirements. However, in construction there are also ongoing costs, strict building codes that must be satisfied, and often changing requirements. Here are five tips to help your projects maintain quality assurance.
1. Planning
Construction planning depends on the scope of the job and the role of your company in the various stages of the project. Every phase of the process must be done to exacting standards before the next phase can begin. The development of plans and adherence to specifications must be monitored throughout the process. It’s important for any plan that has been designed by engineers or architects and approved by the client to be followed precisely.
2. Change Management
In the course of construction, detailed descriptions of dimensions, fixtures, and locations can change. Unforeseen events such as cost, availability of resources, and contradictory decisions by clients or leaders can lead to delays, changes, and miscommunications. Minimizing the negative impacts of change requires flexible scheduling and prompt and consistent communication with the team at the job site.
3. Quality Procedure
Procedures and methods must be developed, implemented, and followed to ensure that requirements are met. It requires continued tracking and evaluation of designs, plans, quality metrics, compliance with code, material ordering and delivery, and staff safety and productivity. Any combination of these could lower the quality of the final outcome. All quality processes should be measurable, consistent, and repeatable to remain valid.
4. Testing
In construction, quality assurance requires step-by-step testing to ensure that imposed standards are being met. This can begin with soil testing and proceed through concrete mixtures, plumbing pressure, and alignment of roof shingles. Every element that’s added needs to conform to regulatory guidelines and fully documented requirements before acceptance can take place.
5. Customer Satisfaction
Quality assurance requires not just alignment with specifications and codes, but a positive experience for the customer. Professionalism is part of the quality of the experience. One vital requirement of this is cleaning up any debris at the end of the workday. Companies completing one job and anxious to start the next should consider hiring a construction cleanup company like Esicon to ensure that each site is left in excellent condition.
Quality assurance for construction companies means that every action is performed to specifications. It also means that procedures are in place and work is monitored to provide the most satisfactory outcome possible.
