7 Steps for Developing Effective Quality Control Procedures
No matter how highly skilled your quality personnel are, or how hard-working your field workers are, your quality program is only as good as your quality control (QC) procedures. Whether you call them SOPs, checklists, or some other name, QC procedures ensure that your project always satisfies both customer expectations and regulatory requirements.??
According to ISO 9000, the “gold standard” for quality management, effective quality control requires three fundamental steps:?
Without the right QC procedures, it’s only a matter of time before something slips through the cracks and someone gets hurt. Unfortunately, developing effective QC procedures is not straightforward. Everybody has a different perspective on what must be included, and many industry professionals are stuck using outdated, paper-based systems "because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”?
Moving from paper to digital is just a start. But you also must put in the work to ensure your QC procedures are accurate, detailed, and relevant to current work processes before you digitize them. It can make your field workers more efficient, enable your quality personnel to focus their time where it matters most, and prevent rework from causing issues down the road. Plus, workers will spend less time on non-productive tasks such as looking for the right data, specifications, drawing and documents, which wastes over 14 hours per week. ?
In this article, we outline seven critical components to incorporate as you develop your QC procedures.?
Step 1: Define Quality Standards?
Before initiating any construction project, it's essential to define what quality means for that specific project. This involves setting clear, achievable, and measurable quality standards based on the project's requirements, client expectations, and regulatory guidelines.??
These standards should cover material quality, workmanship, and the final output. For example, you might specify the strength of concrete, the finish of installed fixtures, or the alignment of structural components.?
Step 2: Integrate Quality Control Into Work Execution?
Once standards are set, the next step is to plan how to achieve them. This involves developing detailed QC procedures that outline how quality will be monitored and measured at every stage of the construction process. These procedures should include:?
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It’s important that QC is not something that only happens once work is completed. QC should be integrated into the work execution itself. It’s helpful to use a Quality Management System (QMS) that can guide workers through your work processes, ensure field workers always are viewing up-to-date information, and collect quality data from the field as the work is completed.??
Step 3: Assign Responsibilities?
Effective quality control requires clear assignment of responsibilities. Determine who will be responsible for monitoring quality at each stage of construction. This might include on-site managers, QC inspectors, and subcontractors. Everyone should understand their role in maintaining quality standards and the procedures they need to follow every step along the way.?
Step 4: Implement Quality Control Training?
Training is critical to ensure that all team members understand the QC procedures and their specific responsibilities. Implement training programs that cover the QC plans, focus on the importance of quality, and teach specific skills needed to meet quality standards. This training should be an ongoing process to accommodate new hires and update the team on any changes in QC procedures or standards.?
Especially amid a massive worker shortage, training is even more critical than ever as companies recruit and onboard a new generation of quality professionals. QC procedures can help new people get up to speed even faster.?
Step 5: Utilize the Right Tools and Technology?
There are various tools and technologies that were created for the specific purpose of helping you track quality control metrics, schedule inspections, and manage documentation.??
For example, using Bluetooth-enabled tools , such as a torque wrench or pressure gauge, can automatically capture quality data when the work is being completed—instead of hours later when the worker is back at the office. This makes the data more detailed and accurate, and actually increases the likelihood of the worker completing the work correctly the first time.?
Step 6: Conduct Regular Inspections and Audits?
Regular inspections are crucial to ensure that work adheres to the set quality standards. You should leverage a combination of both scheduled and surprise inspections to get an accurate understanding of the daily operations.??
After all, developing an effective QC procedure is only half the battle. You must also make sure that workers are following the procedure. Capturing granular field data on the work quality is critical for this and can come in handy in the event of an audit down the road.?
Step 7: Continuously Improve Your Quality Control Processes?
The final step is to establish a continuous improvement process. This involves regularly reviewing and analyzing the effectiveness of QC procedures. Feedback from inspections, audits, and team members should be used to identify areas for improvement. Implementing a feedback loop where insights gained are used to refine QC processes ensures that quality control measures evolve with the project needs and industry advancements.? ? No QC procedure is going to be perfect on the first try. Make sure you take your wins and failures to strengthen them for each project.?
Conclusion?
Developing effective quality control procedures in construction requires a great deal of attention to detail. From defining standards to continuous improvement, every element outlined in this article is important when developing a QC procedure.??
By following these seven steps, construction leaders can ensure that projects not only meet but exceed the required quality standards, leading to higher client satisfaction and less costly (and dangerous) rework.?