Quality is Achieved Not Only with the Inspection. It is the Result of Good Planning, Implementation and Improvement of Processes

The Inspector Attitude

By Alberto Munguia, P.E., PMP

The following is a statement taken from a Bridge Division Manual of Construction Inspection of Welded Steel Bridges that was published in 1956 and certainly holds true today:

“The importance of an inspector’s attitude cannot be over-emphasized. He is very much dependent on the cooperation of his associates in all departments, and he must command their respect in order to obtain it. Since many of his decisions are made on marginal material, his judgment must be careful, impartial and consistent. A definite policy of inspection procedure and standards should be adopted and adhere to faithfully. And inspector should not be stubborn, nor yet easily swayed by persuasive argument. Under no circumstance should he seek favor or incur obligation through his decisions. The most difficult period for an inspector is his first weeks on any new location, since those with whom he deals will be testing him for weakness in policy. If, however, he is fair, consistent and knows the intent of the contract requirements, he will earn respect and cooperation”

An inspector shall to be aware that the chance that risk will have a negative effect on a project is greatest at its beginning because less is known about the project’s environment. Early in a project, the cost impact of risk is also smaller than later in the project. The inspector must help to the project manager to identify and minimize the potential for risk during the early stages of the project. The cost of a risk event occurring after a project passes the halfway mark increases rapidly. The following figure shows an example of risk over a project life

Inspectors must remain attentive to the emergence of new risk throughout all phases of the project. They must also maintain adequate monitoring sources that provide alerts regarding emerging risk.

Failing to identify risks will not allow us to meet project objectives. Some of the consequences of failure to meet project objective include; significant cost overruns, schedule delays, failure to deliver the committed project scope, project cancellation, fines and penalties, injuries and damages, personal and/or organization liabilities, loss of credibility and loss of market share

Every company has the main objective to provide products and services that meet customer needs. Quality is achieved not only with the inspection. It is the result of good planning, implementation and improvement of processes

Risk management may be affected by the culture in an organization. To ensure that the process of managing risk is rooted in the organization’s culture policy, the process must begin before the project begins. Without well-established expectations an without models of effective behavior by senior management or project manager, an inspector’s attempt to manage risk are likely to be misunderstood, resisted and ultimately prove fruitless.

An organization must also subscribe to the principle that well-designed process, when properly followed, is the best guarantee against the potential of risk arising due to errors or omissions. If an organization’s culture involve resisting the application of process discipline, even the basic project management processes cannot be effectively and diligently executed. This situation leads to a continues and growing stream of errors and omissions, creating risk that cannot be managed by simply applying more processes

About the Author

Alberto Munguia Mireles is a civil engineer by trade and project management professional by specialization. He has more than 24 years’ experience providing engineering services during the construction and inspection of infrastructure projects. Since 2010 he has been dedicated to aggregate civil engineering, construction management, quality control and quality assurance methods used by experts during the construction and inspection of highways in Texas. He is well-known for his expertise in monitoring and controlling construction processes and his ability to mitigate negative risk. Visit www.cs4higway.com