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Operational Excellence

Understanding Quality Control in

Construction
Written By: Joe Demski
January 5, 2022
9 min read

When it comes to construction, maintaining quality standards is high on the

priority list. Since construction companies rely on the quality of their work in
terms of working capital, quality control is one of the most critical aspects of
any project.

A great final product can mean repeat business and ideal cost control.
However, a low-quality job can cause a construction company to damage their
good reputation, incur extra construction costs, and have other negative
impacts on the organization as a whole.
Poor quality work has repercussions that extend to safety and communication
in addition to wasted time, resources, and materials. Adequate quality control
procedures improve construction project efficiency and can even cause a
ripple effect of high expectations throughout an organization.
Jump To:
 Defining Quality Control in Construction
 Quality Control Approaches
 How to Ensure Construction Quality Control
 Construction Quality Control Plan Tips
 FAQs
Defining Quality Control in Construction
Construction quality control is a system of management that ensures that
deliverables meet the standards and guidelines set by the client at the
beginning of the construction process. This can include a number of criteria
such as completing the project within the scope of work. In the end, quality is
decided by the client, regulatory bodies, and EPA guidelines.

Quality control and quality assurance are two equally important arms of
construction quality. While assurance refers to setting quality management
expectations, quality control refers to the plans and procedures that achieve
high-quality outcomes.
Issues arise in construction quality control when the factors affecting the
quality are not properly identified and addressed. Quality control in
construction seeks to solve problems, provide high-quality results, and
prevent issues from coming up again in the future.
Learn more about our Construction Management
solutions.

Learn More

Construction Quality Control Approaches

There are a number of ways to approach quality control management in
construction, with each having its own pros and cons depending on the needs
and scope of a company’s projects. The International Organization for
Standardization established a set of quality standards called ISO 9001.
These seven standards are based on the engagement of people, customer
focus, leadership, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision
making, and relationship management. Additionally, there are four other main
approaches to quality control management in construction:
 Continuous improvement. Focuses on continuous incremental
improvements to processes over time. Improvements are discovered
through customer feedback and internal analytics processes.
 Kaizen. A Japanese word that means “change for the better,” Kaizen
refers to a philosophy of continuously looking for ways to improve that is
applied to quality control management. When all members of an
organization implement Kaizen to their daily practices, gradual
improvements can be seen over time.
 Six sigma. This problem solving framework focuses on proactively
identifying and solving issues that arise. The main steps to this quality
control management approach are Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve,
and Control.
 Lean management. Waste elimination and reduction are key factors to
this approach. Waste is determined by extraneous processes and
materials that don’t provide value to customers or construction
companies.
How to Ensure Construction Quality
Control
Constructional quality control definitions vary slightly between organizations,
but there are some things that all construction industry professionals must
take into consideration when implementing quality control management
protocols:

Define the expectations and acceptance criteria

Before implementing quality control procedures, it's important that the quality
standards are clearly defined so that all parties involved in the project can
have a clear understanding of what the client expects to see in the finished
work. These expectations should include key acceptance criteria such as
completing a project with zero defects that satisfy regulatory codes and client
specifications.

Have an inspection plan in place

Inspections should take place regularly as a part of a thorough quality
assurance plan at different points in the construction process. However,
before conducting any inspections it's crucial that organizations create a plan
that details what needs to be inspected and what an acceptable result looks
like. All completed work should meet client criteria, company expectations,
and any other indications brought forth by invested parties.

Create a quality control checklist

Quality control criteria and expectations can be difficult to communicate and
manage across teams without a standardized quality control checklist. A
checklist simplifies the inspection process, making sure that critical aspects of
quality control are not looked over as well as clearly communicating areas of
concern and what tasks each construction team member is responsible for.

Correct inaccuracies and deficiencies

The whole point of implementing quality control management procedures is to
ensure that construction work meets company and client standards. So
perhaps the most important aspect of any quality control management plan is
to make time and tools available to make corrections and address deficiencies
as they arise. Continuous monitoring of teams and construction sites as well
as regular inspections allow for opportunities to discover work that does not
meet expectations before it is completed and presented to the client.

Review and analyze problems and their solutions

During the process of monitoring progress and inspecting deliverables, issues
and problems will be identified along the way. In addition to mitigating these
issues as they arise, it’s a good idea to include a step for construction project
managers to review how each job went and analyze how these problems can
be avoided in their next construction project. When conclusions are made
regarding these issues, quality control managers need to communicate to the
entire crew what the new expectations and quality requirements may be for
projects to come.

Tips for Creating a Construction Quality

Control Plan
Here are some final tips before you begin collaborating to either create
a quality control plan or make adjustments to your existing construction
industry quality program.

Communicate clearly and effectively

Communication and quality control go hand in hand, and this can’t be
stressed enough. Without a plan to effectively communicate policy,
compliance, safety standards, and building expectations, quality control will be
an endless process. Quality control should be a part of all communications
and discussions about project specifications, and all contractors and involved
parties should clearly understand what is expected of them.
Project managers need to identify what kind of communications, how frequent
these communications occur, and the manner in which messages are
transmitted across the organization. Any monitoring and surveillance activities
must be clearly indicated within your quality control plan, as well as
expectations placed on subcontractors and suppliers.
Communications with builders and clients must also be exceptional because
clients are the deciding factor of whether or not a project was executed
according to their standards. When construction project managers collect
client specifications there should be a plan in place to communicate these
expectations with crews and individuals that are affected.

Have a backup plan

Having a backup plan (or multiple backup plans) is often overlooked,
especially when processes, suppliers, and workflows have become well
established over a long period of time. But as we well know, no construction
project ever goes according to plan. Having a back up plan or a series of
backup plans in place and communicated to applicable teams can help avoid
costly mistakes and tough client conversations.

Record any backup plans within a management system and keep a record of
when and how any of these back up plans were implemented. Making sure all
parties are on the same page with defined backup plans ensures quality
construction.

Use technology to streamline processes

In light of the current supply chain environment that is plagued by disruption
and slow communications, construction industry professionals would be wise
to invest in tech solutions that can help make construction quality control
management more streamlined and efficient.
Many of the practices involved with quality control management involve
careful planning and execution as well as unmatched communication
protocols. Technology can help construction companies enhance quality
control management with features like automation, accessibility and visibility.

Analyzing data is an important part of reviewing quality control processes and

making improvements along the way. Platforms that provide a holistic view of
data in a single interface provides insights into new areas so that information
gathered from multiple projects, vendors, and suppliers can be turned into
actionable information.
According to McKinsey, inefficiencies and wasted resources are common
among organizations that rely on manual processes instead of automatic data
processing. Bringing technology into the construction quality control
management process can reduce efforts, lower costs, and build trust between
construction companies and their clients.
See how Quickbase makes construction management
easier and more connected.

Watch a Custom Demo

FAQS
What is the role of quality control in construction?
In construction, quality control refers to the processes and procedures that are
involved to ensure that all materials and completed projects meet high
standards and criteria that are put in place during the planning stages of the
process. Quality control processes ensure that customer, builder, stakeholder,
and other involved parties’ expectations are met and company standards are
upheld.

What is the quality control process in

construction?
The quality control process in construction includes 5 key steps:
1. Define and communicate acceptable criteria.
2. Create an inspection plan.
3. Use checklists and notes to conduct inspections.
4. Correct deficiencies and verify acceptance criteria.
5. Analyze to prevent future deficiencies.
How do you manage quality control in
construction?
Managing construction quality control requires that several teams of people
are organized towards successfully achieving quality construction projects. A
quality control manager will be heavily involved in every step of managing
quality and inspections and will need to be communicative with teams, clients,
and contractors. When acceptable criteria are established, so should the role
of the quality control manager and other contacts on the project so that proper
communication can be established.

Written By: Joe Demski

Joe Demski is an Associate Content Marketing Manager at Quickbase.
Tags:
Process Improvement

Construction
quality management

project management

More Resources
Blog

The 6 Construction Project Management Best Practices

Blog

9 Benefits of Construction Management Software

Blog
The Importance of Quality Management Software

Blog

How to Speed Up a Construction Project

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