6.5 Quality Management
Quality management in construction aims to achieve required functional and physical characteristics of a constructed facility through management actions including planning, direction and control. Quality is the key determinant of requirements which is expressed through drawings and specifications. Main function of quality management is to achieve quality objective of satisfying requirements through performance evaluation of construction processes and ensure that IS 15883 (Part 1): 2009 they arc: directed towards overall quality . Quality management during construction stag~ assumes that the design and specifications comprehensively incorporate requirements of users and other stakeholders . Prior to selling OUI for the construction. The client should completely understand the implications of changes to the design and specifications during the construction stage, which may affect quality.
Although quality is an all-encompassing concept which also has hearing on time and cost aspects , the specific scope of quality management may be limited 10 irs key functions of quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. Quality planning refer, to the identification of relevant quality standards and determining how to satisfy them. Quality assurance activities include consistent evaluation of project performance to provide confidence that the project satisfies the relevant quality standards. Quality control monitors project results related til the compliance to quality standards and identifying means to eliminate non-conformity.
On-site operations constitute most of the construction processes. Scope of quality management for on-site operations may he categorized broadly in three dirstinct stages. In the 'receiving stage', materials and supplies are inspected and tested for conformance to the specified standards. During , in-process stage. materials and supplies arc processed 10 form project product components wherein process control ensures conformance to the specified standards. In the 'final stage', inspections and tests monitor the functional and physical performance of the product/service to ensure that they satisfy the requirements.
Planning being an integral part of the quality management, may also consider efficient sire layout and its management for on-site operations.
In addition to time and cost implications of the site management, the quality performance improves by efficient organization of activities by way of providing adequate and appropriate conditions for the work processes. Site management needs to consider construction technology constraints with reference to aspects related to space availability such as permanent services, access to site, temporary services, location of material stores, stacking and storage areas and plants, fencing and other temporary structures.
The various organizations connected with the project should have their own quality management systems,
