Quality Imporvement Programs For Construction

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ASC Proceedings of the 27th Annual Conference
Brigham Young University-Provo, Utah
April 18-20, 1991 pp 87-92

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS FOR CONSTRUCTION

Jeff Lew

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

This paper explains and examines an ongoing technique commonly called "Quality Improvement" (QI) that is currently being used in industry. A review of the literature available on this subject was made to obtain a summary of the development of QI to its present state. Interviews were conducted with several companies to determine the current state of Q1. An outline of the theory of a "Quality Improvement Program" is presented next. Following then is an overview of the principles, practices, and behavior which characterizes a QIP, and a step-by-step charting of how the program could be applied to the construction industry.

INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

A method to improve quality in the construction industry is now available in the form of a technique entitled either "Quality Improvement Program" (QIP), "Total Quality Management" (TQM), or a similarly-named program. The program's basic philosophy is based upon a company mission statement complete with objectives, mechanics, and an organization for the Quality Improvement Program. It is a voluntary program that stresses a quality process that is dynamic, and is able to respond to the needs of a world that is changing around us. All of these programs have evolved from an initial concept known as 'quality circles," but in their present forms are more refined and applicable to smaller businesses such as construction companies.

The construction industry must be tuned to provide products and services that satisfy the valid requirements and expectations of its customers. Construction is a competitive business that is hurt by absenteeism, low morale and high turnover. Quality Improvement is a method that can be used by contractors to improve their competitive edge.

ORGANIZATION OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

A typical QIP/TQM organization is shown in Fig. 1, and consists of teams, team leaders, facilitators, and management participation. The actual organization of a program must be tailored to fit the needs of a particular company. However, the organization and guidelines of ten different companies were examined and found to be virtually identical to the program outlined in this paper. The following paragraphs provide a brief description of the terms describing the organization of QIP/TQM.

Figure 1 Organization Model of a Quality Improvement Program

Quality Improvement Tam

The basic foundation for the entire quality program is the team. The team is a small group of employees consisting of 3 to 13 people with the usual numbers being 7 to 9. Small groups are used to allow members to informally, comfortably and effectively communicate their knowledge and ideas with all other members.

The team members come from the same craft area or task oriented composite crew. This is a prerequisite so that the members can discuss work related problems that they have in common. The objects of the discussion are mutual improvement, and the motivation to encourage self-development. Membership in the team is on a strictly voluntary basis. Maintaining voluntary participation is important so that the activities of the program will not interrupt the established work schedule or procedures of the company, Normally, a team meets for an hour or so each week at some mutually convenient time.

The motivation to belong to the group is provided by the personal satisfaction obtained from recognition given by management for achievements. Members become selfmotivated when learning that management really cares. Employee recognition was reported to be a major benefit of Quality Improvement Programs.

In summary, the groups first sessions are devoted to learning the problem-solving process, and the Quality Improvement Program, and refining communication skis. The members are then encouraged and are free to mutually identify problem areas and proposed solutions. The agreed upon solutions are recommended to management for implementation.

Team Leaders

The leaders of a team may be foremen or other supervisors appointed by management or they can be elected by the group members. There are distinct advantages for using supervisors as group leaders. First, the risk of creating authority conflict is avoided. Second, the leadership of the team leader can be used during the early training of group members. Third, when the team

leader supports the team activities, the activities of the team will support the leader. The team leader provides the liaison role between the team members and the facilitator.

The training of a team leader must focus upon the knowledge and skills which are needed to conduct small group discussions and assist members to develop creative thinking procedures. The five accepted qualifications for an effective group leader are:

1. A youp leader must be capable of assessing and using the resources possessed by the group members;
2. A group leader is responsible for establishing a creative climate within the group;
3. A group leader should be able to manage roles played by group members;
4. A group leader should be able to exert control over the creative problem solving process itself; and,
5. A group leader should be able to manage the creative products by the group.

Facilitators

Key to the success of the Quality Improvement Program is the backing of management, which is the primary task of the facilitator. The facilitator must ensure that the group efforts are recognized by upper management. For that reason, the facilitator needs to be a person from middle management such as a project or contract manager.

Facilitators must understand the philosophy and dynamics of the program. They must be experienced and trained in motivation theory, problem solving, group dynamics and communication skills. A facilitator should be responsible for the start-up of a new QIP/TQM program, and must direct the activities of several teams to a common goal. When a common solution is reached by team members, the facilitator assists the team leaders (or representatives) and supports the presentation of the solution by the team to upper management. See Fig. 2 for a representation of the facilitator's role.

Note: Double boxes are problem-solving process steps

Single boxes are monitoring process steps

Figure 2: Step-by-Step Process for a Quality Improvement Program

Management Participation

The highest level group for the program is provided by management participation, with the key being the involvement of the Chief Executive Officer. The major functions of the committee are to set up policies and procedures of the team activities, and to direct the implementation of a team program. Team management should determine what areas are off limits to team activities. These areas usually include wages and salaries company benefits, interpersonal conflicts, and anything directly concerning union contracts.

Since commitment and recognition from top management are essential to the success of a Quality Improvement Program, communication between top management and the team is critical to team activities. In many cases the committee regularly publicizes to employees, both members and non-members of the Quality Improvement Program, the activities, progress, and success of individual teams. The objectives are to provide the recognition from management, and to encourage more employee participation.

PROGRAM STEPS

The Quality Improvement Program process is shown in the flow chart contained in Fig. 2. The first four steps are part of the problem solving process. The last three steps make up the monitoring phase. The paragraphs that follow explain the steps in the process.

Improvement Required

The objective of this step is to identify a subject or the problem area and the reason for working on it. The key activities include defining & valid customer requirements, brainstorming, establishing a subject selection matrix, producing graphs and flow charts. When finished the team will be able to graphically, or with a flow chart, visualize the need for the improvement.

Selection of a Problem.

The team selects the most significant problem from the list in Step 1. A target is then set for the needed improvement. The key activity is to collect data from all aspects of the problem, to write a clear problem statement, and to utilize the data to establish the target.

Problem Analysis.

This step identifies and verifies the root causes of the problem area. The team performs cause and effect analysis on the problem and verifies the selected root causes with the collected data. Recommended Solution/Implementation. Once the solution is pinpointed, the team presents the problem and solution directly to management. The presentation will include graphs and flow charts to show the solution that will correct the root causes of the problem.

Feedback and Verification.

This step is art of a monitoring process the team uses to verify that the root causes of the problem have been adequately reduced, and the target goal for improvement has been satisfied. This step uses a key element of comparing the problem simultaneously before and after implementation, using the same indicator.

Systemizing.

This step involves seeing that the solution has become part of routine work activities and that the workers have been properly trained in the correct techniques. The key element is to ensure that the root cause does not re-occur.

Re-Evaluation.

After solving a problem the group reviews the process used and examines the lessons learned in the process. The key activity for this step is to evaluate the team effectiveness and then plan future activities for solving remaining problems.

DISCUSSION OF PROGRAM RESULTS

The users of QIP/TQM reported benefits that are summarized in Table 1. While all respondents reported benefits from the program, not all of the benefits could be quantified in monetary terms, and showed minimal results at best. For this reason, and after a number of years, the program was dropped by two companies. Their reasons are summarized as follows:

1. Company operations are more emotional and action-oriented, rather than analytical or theoryoriented.
2. Most company supervisors are directive and dictatorial, rather than participative-managementoriented.
3. Company supervisors are naturally aggressive, and while acting as group leaders, tended to inhibit group discussion.
4. Using non-supervisors as group leaders often required the facilitator to take a very aggressive role in order to obtain action, and when that aggressive role was taken, it had much the same effect as when a supervisor was involved.

QI TACTICS FOR CONSTRUCTION FIRMS

Historic experience indicates that quality improvements can usually be made in most operations. But the question that arises is: are these improvements short-lived, or can they become permanent? This is a real concern for construction operations. The following are some tactics for QIP/TQM that would help construction firms, and which vary somewhat from the typical program outlined in this paper.

1. Close involvement and follow-through by one key individual, who is neutral and who is not in the chain of command. This person acts much like facilitator, but takes on a much more aggressive role, and must do so without being intimidating.

2. The facilitator must listen and then ask questions to permit probing into details. The two essential items focused upon here are to force specifics, and to encourage candor.

3. The program must use an analytical approach for three major reasons:

It helps defuse the emotional aspects of a problem situation because specific facts, not feelings, are discussed.

It helps prioritize which direction to go because the relative significance of each part and piece of the problem set are known..

It provides the basis for tracking the results of the changes that were made, and for deciding whether more changes are needed.

4. The facilitator should be able to make a systematic bottom-to-top review and an evaluation of the entire QIP/TQM that is being used. By studying the lowest level of the work activity in place, then following this up the work chain to the source, the problem, can be defined and eliminated.

5. The facilitator is the only person involved at all levels of management. The facilitator is the key to making the program work as a team effort.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The five points listed under Team Leaders (page four) are the basic qualities of a good supervisor and manager. Those people within a company who exhibit these qualities are usually promoted quickly, and tend to continue to be successful. They then practice their own form of QIP/TQM that is informal and customized to their own management style. The point here is that once people learn to communicate, listen, and manage well, a company may not need a special program to make improvements. These improvements would happen naturally. However, to be properly managed from a QIP/TQM aspect, a company may need to employ a program to ensure that its people are trained to the best of their abilities. Training is essential to start a successful program and have it grow.

Table 1.

Summary of QIP/TQM applications and benefits.

Good management techniques require looking at people, in addition to applying sound management principles to a construction project. QIP/TQM could provide the construction industry a methodology to involve workers, supervisors and management in a team approach to solving problems. QIP/TQM allows employees to become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. This program is an interesting and dynamic method to improve productivity, quality, and management of construction work.

QIP/TQM can be adapted for use in the construction industry. Construction firms thinking of such a program should consider the following recommendations:

	Train managers first, since they must fully understand and support the program, and actively participate in its implementation.
	Emphasize both the humanistic and technical aspects of the program in the training efforts.
	Tailor training to the job functions of the employees.
	Seek professional help to develop a company program by thoroughly investigating the different approaches offered by consultants and current publications. Select the best aspects of each that apply to the specific needs of the company.

REFERENCES

Burati, J. L., and M. F. Matthews. Quality Management Organizations and Techniques. A Report to the Construction Institute.. CI Source Document No. 51.

Burati, J. L. Total Quality Management: The Competitive Edge. A Report to the Construction Industry Institute. CII Publication No. 10-4. April 1990.

Deming, W. E. Out of the Crisis. MIT CAES. Cambridge: 1986.

Ingle, S., and N. Ingle. Quality Circles in Service Industries. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983.


Juran, J. M. International Significance of the QC Circle Movement. Quality Progress. Nov. 1980. 18-20.

Juran, J. M. Juran on Planning for Quality. New York: The Free Press, 1988.

Lee, S. M., and G. Schwendiman, eds. ASQC The Quality Circle Process. The ASQC Model for Success. Management by Japanese System New York: Prager, 1982. 478-490.

Moore, D. J. Strategies to Improve Worker Performance. Builder and Contractor. Nov. 1990. 29-31.

Robson, M. Quality Circles. A Practical Guide. Aldershot, Hants, England: Gower, 1982.

Scherkenbach, W. W. The Deming Route to Quality and Productivity. Washington, D.C.: CEEPress Books, 1988.