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CERTIFICATION IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Background

The management of construction companies is now seriously focusing on issues such as how management can facilitate productivity and achieve quality. Focusing on the issue of productivity with quality was a perspectives that, for years, had not been seriously considered. Back when "men were men" and "construction was real work," all management had to do was to ensure that the tools and materials were brought to the jobsite, and hire some brute-force-type "tradesmen" to put together a finished product. The dominant attitude was that the construction worker was the ideal example of the independent, self-willed American provider who lived hard and played hard. Today's shift to the idea that management must facilitate productivity with quality is driven by a philosophy that "workers want to produce good work" A few years ago, this was an attitude that was shared by few managers, let alone those in the construction industry. In the past, a stereotypical contractor viewed workers the same as "hands" or "tools," necessary only to accomplish an end, to achieve final billing, and to count profit. Over the last ten years, these stereotypical ideas have begun to fall away as construction managers have been exposed to the philosophy of people like W. Edwards Deming and others. Management and labor alike are learning that their independent, sometimes adversarial roles of the past are counterproductive. Success is dependent on learning to work together to accomplish mutual goals.

There comes a time in contractors' lives when they reach a point where they must make a transition in their management style. Will they move from a career founded in knowing how to apply technical knowledge to one of facilitating others who are applying their technical knowledge?

Need

The application of the Continuous Improvement Process is commonly known as Total Quality Management (TQM). The elements that are fundamental to quality management and pertain to the construction industry describe the definitions, systems, standards, and measurements that are used W help companies achieve significant quality improvements. A construction company's operations are made up of systems that are used to produce desired results based on defined requirements. Successful companies, organizations, and individuals establish performance standards that drive them to continuous improvement. Measurement criteria are next used to establish baselines or benchmarks; then established procedures are used to track the progress of the improvements.

Many books, articles, seminars, and other sources of information on TQM theory and application have been written and presented in ever-growing numbers in recent years.  The quality improvement process has been successfully used in the construction industry. The proven techniques and tools of quality improvement have universal application. It is now time to establish a process for disseminating this information to construction practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for certification in "Construction Quality Management." Implementation of TQM in the construction industry will depend on the availability of trained and qualified construction quality management professionals.

Justification

TQM is an organizational development effort that must contain a minimum of two organizational changes. The first change is to implement an educational effort to transform the organization's culture. This effort includes, at the very least, modification of how the organization selects and deals with its suppliers; the way it relates to its customer and, probably most importantly, the way it recruits, trains and manages its employees. The second change is to establish a process of long-term education to increase or maximize the organization's effectiveness. Long-term education involves learning the basics of TQM, new methods for planning, problem solving, consensus building, better communications, efficient engineering, and using teamwork and team‑building techniques.

In short, the implementation or transformation to a quality based organization is based on education. Changing the corporate culture will not occur without the knowledge provided by education. This will require a substantial investment in training. Successful TQM organizations provide up to 80 hours annual training in quality concepts. The proposal certificate in Design and Construction Quality Management (CQM) will help the construction industry develop the "Body of Knowledge" and training necessary to make the transformation to a quality‑based corporate culture.

Certificate in Design and Construction Quality Management (CQM)

The following paragraphs briefly describe a series of seminars designed for the individual construction professional to obtain a certificate in Design and Construction Quality Management. The recipient of this certificate will be able to help transform his or her organization to a quality-based corporate culture.

CQM - 101 Introduction to Total Quality Management

A seminar designed as a primer and prerequisite to the Certificate Program. This seminar will touch on all aspects of the disciplines involved with TQM. Also, it is an excellent presentation for those who want to learn the basics of TQM. It will stress that an organization must understand the dynamics of TQM. The philosophy and writing of W. Edwards Deming (2, 3, 9) and others will be presented in this seminar.

CQM - 102 The Seven Statistical Tools of Tom

An in-depth study of the seven statistical tools used in TQM and their application. A hands-on seminar that not only acquaints but demonstrates the effectiveness of learning and using these statistical techniques. Participants will learn that if management is to achieve improvement in an organization, they need better data.

CQM - 103 Partnering for Success

A study of the principle and techniques of utilizing a partnering program to help facilitate success on a design or construction project. This seminar presents a look at partnering as a management tool and how and where it can be applied.

CQM-104 The Seven Management Tools for Tom

An in-depth study of the seven management tools used in TQM and their application. A hands-on seminar that not only acquaints but demonstrates the effectiveness of learning and using these management techniques within an organization or on a project. The responsibility of management will be demonstrated in this seminar.

CQM - 105 Benchmarking

A study of case histories on benchmarking, learning to benchmark with the use of "lessons learned" techniques, and establishing a viable, documented program to use benchmarking as a tool to view how others have solved the problems facing an organization or project. The Baldrige Award criteria (2), as managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and administered by ASQC, will be presented in this seminar.

CQM - 106 Metrics, Measuring Your Success

This seminar will help the participant to establish effective, simple measurements to aid in the success of a TQM program. The participant will develop a standard for success and will measure against that model. The seminar will cover the development of meaningful reports and charts that shows and measures program or project effectiveness.

CQM - 107 Continuous Process Improvement

An effective Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) program ties together many of the techniques of TQM. This seminar will teach participants how to design and facilitate the TQM process in an organization or company. Understanding the corporate mission and developing a performance system will be shown as major components of CPI.

CQM - 108 ISO 9000

An essential seminar to understand how ISO standards (1,5) guide quality on a worldwide basis. This seminar will provide the knowledge of ISO 9000 standards and certification procedures needed to remain competitive in a global-market-driven economy.

CQM - 109 The Human Side of Quality

This seminar will look at the softer side of quality issues. The participants will learn how to build motivation, recognition, leadership, and other human factors into a quality program and group hierarchy. This seminar will help the participants to learn about employee phobias and how to change them. In addition, in this seminar the participants will leans about the relationship of the culture factor to quality.

CQM - 110 Quality in Design

A seminar designed to answer the tough questions concerning quality related issues on and during a project's design phase. This seminar will explore different techniques of assuring and measuring quality on the design project.

CQM - 111 Developing a Quality Program for Your Project

This seminar will explore a step-by-step approach to developing a quality program. This seminar will cover selection of standards, customer expectations, organizational hierarchy, training, strategic management planning, and implementation.

CQM - 112 Assuring Supplier Quality

A necessary step to the success of any organization is to assure the quality of procured products and services. This seminar will examine techniques to assign commitment-to quality to suppliers. It will also evaluate vendor-rating systems and access systems to assure a quality product or service on time every time. Quality suppliers are critical to successful TQM processes.

CQM - 113 TQM Within the Small Organization

Small organizations are often overwhelmed with the prospect of developing a quality system, but to stay competitive in today's market, it is a reality to be faced. This seminar will ease fears and show how in even a one- or two-person organization a viable, affordable, and comprehensive quality program can be established.

CQM -114 Developing Quality Action Teams

In many organizations, success means "empowerment." This is often a frightening thought to middle and upper management. This seminar will explore the successes and pitfalls of empowerment of employees, and those of creating quality action teams. Team activity, or how to use process improvement teams, will be stressed as what makes the difference in a quality process.

CQM - 115 Knowing Your Customer

This seminar will explore techniques to strengthen the client/contractor relationship. It will help participants to understand what a customer really is saying and how it will affect the contractor. It will also discuss methodology in establishing better client/contractor relationships from the beginning of that relationship. Customer satisfaction means developing customer-driven programs.

Table 1. Proposal for Certificate in Design and Construction Quality Management

SEMINAR TITLE

CQM Certification Procedures

Table 1 contains the seminar numbers and titles along with the total hours of seminars available, and the hours required for certification. The required hours for certification would form the basis for the certification itself. The remaining total hours available would become elective seminars, and would allow someone to develop expertise in an area of particular interest. For example, a person in a design-build firm could take the Quality in Design seminar to add to the body of knowledge. On the other hand, a person responsible for implementing TQM in a construction company could take the Developing Quality Action Teams seminar.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The construction industry needs to start catching the quality initiative for the right reasons. Too many times, the only reason quality is on anyone's agenda is because it is mandated by owners, operators, funding agencies, etc. A successful quality process comes from a "fire in the belly" attitude. This attitude can only be realized when someone completely understands the quality process, its function, its form, and potential effectiveness. This can only be facilitated by educating professionals in the basic elements that constitute a comprehensive quality process. The way to assure a complete education, and to foster a "fire in the belly" attitude, is to establish a syllabus which when completed assures exposure to Total Quality Management. Completion of the syllabus should be recognized by certification.

It is time to start the process of certification. The tools necessary for quality construction management have been developed. Many of the critical problem areas of the construction industry have been identified. Many of the problem areas have been known for years. The implementation of the quality improvement process within the construction industry is long overdue. Implementation can only be accomplished through education. The construction industry needs to establish the basis of quality training programs, and to take a fresh look at the effects of training. The use of certification will enable the industry to define the requirements of the quality professional. CQM certification will also establish procedures for the identification of nonconformances and will apply the quality improvement process to them in the construction industry. Successful implementation of the certification process requires a partnership between the construction industry and construction education. An excellent avenue for accomplishment would be through the combined efforts of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) and the Design Construction Quality Institute (DCQI). There is no time to waste in today's competitive construction environment.

The authors of the paper are now and will be soliciting assistance and input in developing the syllabus for the list of proposed seminars. Anyone interested in helping with this development can contact either author.

References

1.         American National Standard, ANSUASQC Q90 to Q94.

2.         Baldrige Award Criteria, Washington, D. C.

3.         Deming, W. E. (1993). The new economics. Cam­bridge, MA: MTT/CAES.

4.         Deming, W. E. (198. Out of the crisis. Cambridge, MA: MTT/CAES.

5.         International Standard, ISO 9000 to 9004

6.         Lew, J. J., and Hayden, Jr., W. M. (1992). Installing TQM education into the design and construction       profession. Proceedings of the Associated Schools of Construction, 35-42.

7.         Lew, J. J. (1993). ISO 9000. Proceedings of the Associated Schools of Construction, 121-126.

8.         Ryan, J. ( I 993). Employees speak on quality in ASQC/Gallup survey. Quality Progress, 51-53.

9.         Walton, M. (198. The Deming management method.  Putnam Publishing Group.