Quality Assurance In Construction

Quality assurance in construction can be defined simply as making sure the quality of construction is what it should
be. Process Technical Resources has qualified and experienced personnel that can plan and perform the systematic
steps necessary for a program of quality assurance in construction.

Quality assurance in construction involves all those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide
confidence that the facility will perform satisfactorily in service. Quality assurance in construction addresses the
overall problem of obtaining the quality of the facility to be built in the most efficient, economical, and satisfactory
manner possible. Within this broad context, quality assurance involves continued evaluation of the activities of
planning, design, development of plans and specifications, advertising and awarding of contracts, construction, and
maintenance, and the interactions of these activities.

In its broadest form quality assurance includes quality control as one of its elements. Quality control is the
responsibility of the contractor, while quality assurance also includes acceptance. Acceptance involves sampling,
testing, and the assessment of test results to determine whether or not the quality of construction is acceptable in
terms of the specifications.

Construction planning is a complex process that must be kept current with the actual construction taking place in the
field. The construction plans, just in terms of day-to-day changes, must be kept up-to-date. However, in the ebb and
flow of events during construction there are usually a number of schedule changes that arise as a result of
unforeseen events. Failure to keep the construction planning dynamic and up-to-date can create confusion and
delays.

Not only must the plans keep pace with the daily events communication of the changes in the construction plans must
be disseminated quickly to the affected personnel.

Quality assurance in construction requires that the procedures for incorporating design changes into the construction
plans be well developed and fully utilized. The earlier that design changes are recognized and implemented the lower
the cost. Quality assurance efforts in construction must closely monitor how well management of the design, and
change of design processes are functioning. These represent the quality issues that need to be monitored during the
quality assurance effort and acceptance testing.
Another area of activity for quality assurance in construction that must be continuously monitored is the development
of plans and specifications. Architectural and engineering plans and specifications often change during the
construction phase of a complex project. It is important that the procedures for incorporating these changes into the
construction plans be well developed and consistently followed.

In order to minimize construction cost while meeting all of the specifications in the plans and design requires that the
advertising for bids and awarding of contracts be closely monitored. The qualifications of the contractors and
subcontractors to perform the services advertised and meet the quality requirements should be examined carefully all
during the construction phase of the project. This is an element in the program for quality assurance in construction.

Finally, the actual construction activities should be closely monitored to ensure that the engineering plans and
specifications are being met or exceeded throughout the construction process.

Process Technical Resources has experienced quality assurance personnel that can develop a quality assurance in
construction program that meets the needs and requirements of the project owner.
What Is the Difference Between QA & QC on Construction Projects?

Construction project quality assurance, or QA, and quality control, or QC, are two fundamentally different processes
with different goals and purposes. Whether you are the owner or the contractor, you have to use the correct methods
to fulfill your role in ensuring high-quality results. When each of the project participants knows what aspects of QA
and QC fall within their areas of responsibility, they can execute the project to the required standards.

QC Verifies Design Standards Specified by QA

In the design phase of a construction project, the quality assurance program focuses on the procedures that the
construction company has implemented to ensure that the design meets quality standards. It specifies qualifications
for designers, engineers and architects; signatures rules for drawing preparation, revision and approval; and quality
standards for the materials proposed in the drawings and specifications. Quality control checks that the people
carrying out the work have the specified qualifications, that the drawings are signed properly and that the materials to
be purchased meet the specified standards.

QC Selects Suppliers Qualified to QA Standards

A QA system sets up a process for determining which suppliers are qualified to deliver the required quality. It
specifies whether visits of supplier facilities are required, whether the supplier has to have a QA program in place and
whether testing of supplied materials is required. QC applies the process, makes sure the selected suppliers meet the
qualification criteria and carries out any testing that is required. QC is responsible for corrective action if quality
control personnel find that material is not as specified or does not meet the required quality standards.

QC Ensures the Construction Meets Standards Specified by QA

QA specifies how to determine the applicable construction standards. Typically, a QA program sets up a process that
allows you to evaluate a construction specification or project description to identify standards that will result in the
quality the owner wants, in addition to satisfying legal and building code requirements. Quality control means verifying
that the work and materials used satisfy the applicable standards as specified within the QA system. The QA program
may include specific tests for the wood or steel used and for processes such as welding. It is the responsibility of QC
to carry out such testing.

QC Verifies Project Requirements With QA Procedures

The application of QA procedures let you identify the characteristics that the completed construction project must
have and the quality levels it must satisfy. For example, a building specification may require a thermal insulation level
for outside walls. The QA program identifies the applicable standard and any testing that the standard requires. Once
the project is finished, QC verifies that the outside walls have the required insulation levels and carries out any testing
that is needed. QC is responsible for documenting the results and presenting them to the owner if required.
Pengertian Tugas & Tanggung Jawab Quality Assurance (QA)
POSTED BY : INFORMASI DUNIA KERJA ADMIN POSTED ON - 15.41 WITH 11 COMMENTS

Pengertian Quality Assurance (QA)

Sering kita merasa bingung dengan pengertian Quality Control (QC) dengan Quality Assurance
(QA), karena keduanya berada didepartemen yang sama dalam suatu perusahaan. Perbedaanya
terdapat pada tugasnya yang berbeda walaupun keduanya biasanya terdapat dalam satu
departemen. Kita mengetahui jika pengertian tugas Quality Control (QC) merupakan pengendalian
kualitas, sedang Quality Assurance adalah jaminan kualitas.

Jadi secara umum pengertian Quality Assurance (QA) adalah scara umum mencakup monitoring,
uji-tes dan memeriksa semua proses produksi yang terlibat dalam produksi suatu produk.
Memastikan semua standar kualitas dipenuhi oleh setiap komponen dari produk atau layanan yang
disediakan oleh perusahaan untuk memberikan jaminan kualitas sesuai standar yang diberikan oleh
perusahaan.

Jadi Quality Assurance mempunyai tugas dan tanggung jawab pokok terkait dengan peran jaminan
kualitas. Meskipun sifat yang tepat dari pekerjaan jaminan kualitas akan berbeda berdasarkan pada
industri tertentu, tugas utama dan kompetensi terkait dengan memastikan bahwa produk tersebut
memenuhi standar kualitas yang diperlukan atau diberikan sesuai standar perusahaan.

Tanggung Jawab Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Assurance (QA) secara umum bertanggung jawab untuk memastikan produk atau jasa
memenuhi standar yang ditetapkan termasuk keandalan, kegunaan, kinerja dan standar kualitas
umum yang ditetapkan oleh perusahaan.

Tugas Pokok & Tanggung Jawab Terperinci QA

 Memiliki tugas poko dalam perencanaan prosedur jaminan kualitas suatu produk atau jasa
 Menafsirkan dan menerapkan standar jaminan kualitas
 Mengevaluasi kecukupan standar jaminan kualitas
  Merancang sampel prosedur dan petunjuk untuk mencatat dan melaporkan data berkualitas
 Meninjau pelaksanaan dan efisiensi kualitas dan inspeksi sistem agar berjalan sesuai
rencana, melaksanakan dan memantau pengujian dan inspeksi bahan dan produk untuk
memastikan kualitas produk jadi
 Mendokumentasikan audit internal dan kegiatan jaminan kualitas lainnya
 Menyelidiki keluhan pelanggan dan masalah ketidaksesuaian
 Mengumpulkan dan menyusun data kualitas statistik
 Menganalisis data untuk mengidentifikasi area untuk perbaikan dalam sistem mutu
 Mengembangkan, merekomendasikan dan memantau tindakan perbaikan dan pencegahan
 Menyiapkan laporan untuk berkomunikasi hasil dari kegiatan kualitas
 Mengidentifikasi kebutuhan pelatihan dan mengatur intervensi pelatihan untuk memenuhi
standar kualitas
 Mengkoordinasikan dan dukungan di tempat audit yang dilakukan oleh penyedia eksternal
 Mengevaluasi temuan audit dan menerapkan tindakan koreksi yang tepat
 Mengelola dan memeriksa kegiatan manajemen risiko
 Bertanggung jawab untuk sistem manajemen dokumen
 Memastikan kepatuhan berkelanjutan dengan persyaratan peraturan kualitas dan industri
yang ditetapkan perusahaan

Persyaratan Pendidikan & Pengalaman Quality

Assurance (QA)
 Gelar sarjana, Diploma yang sesuai dengan bidang tugas
 Akan lebih baik jika memiliki sertifikasi Kualitas Auditor, Quality Engineer, Peningkatan
Kualitas Asosiasi, Six Sigma
 Berpengalaman dalam pemeriksaan mutu, audit dan pengalaman pengujian
 Berpengalaman dengan pelaksanaan program tindakan korektif
 Berpengalaman khusus dalam produk industri
 Memiliki keterampilan komputer yang baik termasuk Microsoft Office dan database
 Memiliki keterampilan & pengetahuan tentang alat, konsep dan metodologi QA
 Memiliki pengetahuan tentang persyaratan peraturan yang relevan

Keahlian Quality Assurance (QA)

 Teliti
 Detail
 Pandai untuk komunikasi secara lisan dan tertulis
 Mampu dalam pengumpulan data
 Manajemen dan analisis
 Menganalisis masalah dan pemecahan masalah perencanaan dan pengorganisasian
keputusan Pengambilan keputusan
 Orientasi layanan pelanggan
 Mampu bekerja sama
Pengertian QA

Uji testing dalam membuat suatu produk sangatlah penting, khususnya di bidang teknologi. Karena
pada proses testing lah hal yang tidak diduga mungkin terjadi dan bahkan mungkin berakibat produk
yang dihasilkan tidak maksimal.

Sering kita merasa bingung dengan pengertian Quality Control (QC) dengan Quality Assurance (QA),
karena keduanya berada di departemen yang sama dalam suatu perusahaan. Perbedaannya terdapat
pada tugasnya yang berbeda walaupun keduanya biasanya terdapat dalam satu departemen. Seperti
yang telah kita ketahui bersama bahwa tugas Quality Control (QC) merupakan pengendalian kualitas,
sedang Quality Assurance adalah jaminan kualitas.

Jadi secara umum pengertian Quality Assurance (QA) adalah mencakup monitoring, uji-tes dan
memeriksa semua proses produksi yang terlibat dalam produksi suatu produk. Memastikan semua
standar kualitas dipenuhi oleh setiap komponen dari produk atau layanan yang disediakan oleh
perusahaan untuk memberikan jaminan kualitas sesuai standar yang diberikan oleh perusahaan.

Quality Assurance (QA) mempunyai tugas dan tanggung jawab pokok terkait dengan peran jaminan
kualitas. Meskipun sifat yang tepat dari pekerjaan jaminan kualitas akan berbeda berdasarkan pada
industri tertentu, tugas utama dan kompetensi terkait dengan memastika n bahwa produk tersebut
memenuhi standar kualitas yang diperlukan atau diberikan sesuai standar perusahaan.

Tanggung Jawab Quality Assurance (QA)

Secara umum Quality Assurance (QA) bertanggung jawab untuk memastikan produk atau jasa
memenuhi standar yang ditetapkan termasuk keandalan, kegunaan, kinerja dan standar kualitas umum
yang ditetapkan oleh perusahaan.

Tugas Pokok dan Tanggung Jawab Terperinci QA

 Memiliki tugas pokok dalam perencanaan prosedur jaminan kualitas suatu

produk atau jasa
 Menafsirkan dan menerapkan standar jaminan kualitas
 Mengevaluasi kecukupan standar jaminan kualitas
 Merancang sampel prosedur dan petunjuk untuk mencatat dan melaporkan
data berkualitas
 Meninjau pelaksanaan dan efisiensi kualitas dan inspeksi sistem agar
berjalan sesuai rencana, melaksanakan dan memantau pengujian dan
inspeksi bahan dan produk untuk memastikan kualitas produk jadi.
 Mendokumentasikan audit internal dan kegiatan jaminan kualitas lainnya
 Mengumpulkan dan menyusun data kualitas statistik
 Menganalisis data untuk mengidentifikasi area untuk perbaikan dalam sistem
mutu
 Mengembangkan, merekomendasikan dan memantau tindakan perbaikan dan
pencegahan
 Menyiapkan laporan untuk berkomunikasi hasil dari kegiatan kualitas
 Mengidentifikasi kebutuhan pelatihan dan mengatur intervensi pelatihan
untuk memenuhi standar kualitas
 Mengkoordinasikan dan dukungan di tempat audit yang dilakukan oleh
penyedia eksternal
 Mengevaluasi temuan audit dan menerapkan tindakan koreksi yang tepat
 Mengelola dan memeriksa kegiatan manajemen risiko
 Bertanggung jawab untuk sistem manajemen dokumen
 Memastikan kepatuhan berkelanjutan dengan persyaratan peraturan kualitas
dan industri yang ditetapkan perusahaan.
Hal Yang Perlu Dimiliki Seorang Quality Assurance (QA)

 Orientasi layanan pelanggan

 Teliti
 Detail
 Pandai untuk komunikasi secara lisan dan tertulis
 Mampu dalam pengumpulan data
 Manajemen dan analisis
 Menganalisis masalah dan pemecahan masalah perencanaan dan
pengorganisasian keputusan Pengambilan keputusan
 Mampu bekerja sama

Nah sekarang sobat Developer sudah tau kan tugas dan tanggung jawab seorang QA? Selanjutnya kita
akan membahas lebih dalam lagi mengenai fungsi QA dalam suatu perusahaan IT yaitu seorang
Software Tester. Dan jika Anda ingin menjadi seorang Software tester, ada baiknya Anda mengetahui

tools apa saja sih yang digunakan untuk Bugs Tracking. Semoga bermanfaat
JakfarSegaf's Blog
Agustus 13, 2009

QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) vs QUALITY CONTROL (QC)

Filed under: Mechanical — jakfarsegaf @ 12:21 am

Beberapa tokoh mendefinisikan Quality, yaitu:

– Juran : fitness to use, kecocokan penggunaan produk

– Crosby : conformance to requirement, sesuai dengan yang dipersyaratkan

– Deming : kesesuaian dengan market demand

– Feigenbaum : total customer satisfaction

– Garvin & Davis : suatu kondisi dinamis yang berhubungan dengan produk, manusia, proses,
environment yang memenuhi atau melebihi harapan customer.

Banyak perusahaan yang memakai Quality Assurance (QA) dan Quality Control ( QC) dalam satu
Divisi, jadi QA itu ya QC. Quality Assurance dianggap Quality Control, walaupun mungkin kalau
dari pengertian mungkin berbeda,tapi dalam faktanya QA adalah QC, jadi jarang ada Divisi
Quality Assurance dipisah dengan Divisi Quality Control, karena sebenarnya acuan keduanya
pada kualitas mutu, termasuk reliabilitinya.

Meskipun sasaran sama tentang kualitas tetapi QA dan QC adalah dua pekerjaan bidang yang
berbeda, dimana QA itu adalah prosedur untuk pencapaian mutu. Misalnya Quality plan beserta
dokumen pendukungnya. Dan QC adalah aktifitasnya (pelaksanaa dari prosedur tsb) yang
dibuktikan dengan record-record.

Menurut definisi pada ISO 9000:2000 (QMS-Fundamentals and

Vocabulary), adalah sbb:
* Quality control (lihat section 3.2.10); part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality
requirements.

* Quality assurance (lihat section 3.2.11); part of quality management focused on providing
confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.

Jadi kalau coba diterjemahkan, secara singkat QC terfokus pada pemenuhan persyaratan mutu
(produk/service) sedangkan QA terfokus pada pemberian jaminan/keyakinan bahwa persyaratan
mutu akan dapat dipenuhi. Atau dengan kata lain, QA membuat sistem pemastian mutu
sedangkan QC memastikan output dari sistem itu memang benar-benar memenuhi persyaratan
mutu.

Kalau dari definisi ini, kegiatan-kegiatan inspeksi dan uji (in-coming, in-process, outgoing) akan
masuk kategori QC, sedangkan hal-hal seperti perencanaan mutu, sertifikasi ISO, audit sistem
manajemen, dsb tentu masuk kategori QA.

Beberapa perusahaan, saat ini tidak lagi membedakan antara QA dan QC di dalam operasional
quality management-nya. Cukup disebut departemen Quality, di dalamnya ada kegiatan
merancang jaminan bahwa persyaratan mutu akan dipenuhi dan sekaligus bagaimana memenuhi
persyaratan mutu tersebut.

QA = Quality Assurance , to lead and operated by assure of an organization successfully, it is

necessary to direct and control it in a systematic and transparent manner. Maksudnya adalah
meyakinkan/menjamin secara kualitas dengan suatu sistematis kerja dan keterbukaan untuk
keberhasilan suatu pekerjaan secara keseluruhan organisasi di setiap lini dengan melalui sistem
control.

QC = Quality Control, to take control of quality by procedural and applicable reference that
implemented direct to process system in good and full fill of minimum requirement as finally
results. Maksudnya adalah pengendalian mutu dengan prosedur kerja berdasarkan referensi
yang dapat diterapkan dan diimplementasikan langsung di proses pekerjaan tersebut untuk
memenuhi persyaratan minimum sebagai hasil akhir pekerjaan.

Hubungan pendeknya adalah bahwa QA yang meyakinkan / menjamin QC.

QC adalah sistem kendali yang terintregrasi didalam proses, dia berfungsi mencegah terjadinya
defect/ non corformity output, salah satu cara yang sudah kita kenal antara lain right from
begining atau benar sejak awal. metode ini terbukti mampu mengeliminir non corformity
(ketidaksesuaian) pada output dengan pencegahan.

Sedangkan QA lebih tinggi letaknya dalam struktur organisasi, dia memberi terhadap arahan
yang keputusan akhirnya adalah layak atau tidaknya produk dikeluarkan. Proses ini tentunya
melibatkan proses-proses lainnya seperti produksi, inventory, maintenance. QA lebih menjaga
corporate image dengan mencegah defect ke konsumen. parameternya hanyalah hitam-putih
dengan nilai yang telah dirumuskan dalam fungsi yang kita sebut kualitas.
QC sering membuat suatu organisasi menjadi menggelembung dan gemuk, jika kita tidak
memahami konsep produktifitas. karena man power planning-nya akan menggelembung atas
nama azas independent, sebenarnya orang-orang yang terlibat dalam proses tersebut itulah
fungsi QC. orang Jepang sangat paham akan hal ini dan melahirkan suatu model management
yang disebut TQC dengan produknya yang kita kenal sebagai GKM (Gugus Kendali Mutu).
kesadaran mereka untuk memperbaiki aktifitas yang tidak perlu dan mengefisienkan langkah
proses diluar jam dan lokasi kerja (walaupun sambil minum di kedai minuman atau makanan).
Sesungguhnya proses PDCA sedang berjalan lewat diskusi non formal.

ini bukan hal yang mudah sebab “Management is no Sains”

contohnya : Total Quality Management berasal dari Mike Robson, seorang inggris, berdasarkan
prinsip bahwa setiap pekerja secara individu mempunyai tanggung jawab terhadap kualitas
pekerjaannya dan pemikiran ini dikembangkan juga kepada para pemasok supaya perusahaan
dapat memproduksi barang dan atau jasa yang berkualitas.

Prinsip ini dikembangkan dari Total Quality Circle yang berasal dari Jepang, dimana para pekerja
berkumpul dalam gugus kendali mutu untuk mendiskusikan dan memecahkan masalah dan apa
yang dapat dilakukan untuk perbaikan dan peningkatan kualitas. Hingga “poke yoke” dari Shigeo
Shingo yang menjadi dasar pengembangan SIX SIGMA.

Secara fungsi QC merupakan orang operasional yang langsung melakukan aktivitas checking
atau inspeksi terhadap produk, kalau di lini produksi biasanya ada seoarang yang berfungsi
sebagai pengontrol kualitas produk seperti sampling dan aktifitas lainnya.

Sedangkan untuk QA, dia lebih berperan sebagai analyst untuk memperbaiki mutu produk, dan
datanya bisa diperoleh dari data sampling orang QC atau feedback dari internal perusahaan
ataupun adanya quality complain dari luar perusahaan yaitu customer. Dan QA biasanya juga
berperan sebagai sertifikasi dari produk tersebut…

Jadi intinya QC adalah seorang executor/operator dan QA adalah conceptor.

QA : Penjamin Mutu …

QC : Pengendali Mutu…

Kembali ke perbedaan QC dan QA. Quality control (pengendalian mutu) adalah kegiatan untuk
memantau, mengevaluasi dan menindaklanjuti agar persyaratan mutu yang ditetapkan tercapai
(Product, process, service, inspection, testing, sampling, measurement dan calibration).

Sedangkan Quality Assurance (penjaminan mutu) adalah semua tindakan terencana, sistematis
dan didemonstrasikan untuk meyakinkan pelanggan bahwa persyaratan yang ditetapkan “akan
dijamin” tercapai. Salah satu elemen dari QA adalah QC. Elemen yang lain yaitu: Planning,
organization for quality, Established Procedure, Supplier Selection, Corrective Action, Document

control, training, Audit dan Management review.

QA (Quality Assurance) : tugasnya memahami specification customer dan standard yang
berhubungan dengan produk, kemudian membuat / menentukan cara inspectionnya (berupa
prosedur) dan mendokumentasi hasil inspectionnya (manufacturing data report). QA lebih
banyak paper work, umumnya memiliki skill inspection yang baik dan skill menulis procedure
dan familiar dengan engineering & industrial standards.

QC (Quality Control) : tugasnya melakukan inspection berdasarkan prosedur yang dibuat dan
disahkan oleh QA. QC lebih banyak melakukan inspection pada process manufacturing dan
membuat laporannya

Dalam perusahaan besar, biasanya QA dan QC dipisah dan memiliki pimpinan masing-masing.
Sedang dalam perusahaan menengah / kecil kebanyakan digabung.

QA ada di dalam suatu perusahaan yg sudah establish/ memiliki sertifikasi ISO. Dan ruang
lingkupnya lebih besar dalam menjamin kualitas produk dan juga berhak mereview suatu
standart/metode analisa demi menjaminan mutu. Sedangkan QC ruang lingkupnya hanya
pengontrol tidak seperti QA.

Jika terdapat QA pd suatu perusahaan, maka bisa dipastikan terdapat QC di dalamnya.

Kesimpulan:
QC: reactive, problem solving in nature.

QA: proactive, preventive in nature.

QA and QC: Are They Different?

Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are often used interchangeably to mean the
same thing or together as if one could not occur without the other (QA/QC). The fact is that
these two terms represent separate processes that may or may not coincide. Either way, they
both have a direct impact on the final outcome of a work item, such as a manufactured product, a
software program, a business procedure, or, in the case presented in this article, the design and
construction of a structure.

Before delving into the details of quality assurance and quality control, it is best to start the
discussion on the idea of what constitutes “quality” and the system to achieve it, otherwise
known as quality management.

What is Quality?

Depending on whom you talk to or what you read, quality can be defined in many ways. Some
will attach quality to those things that are the best available, while others will consider a very
expensive item as being of high “quality.” Although these may be true to some extent, the
determination of quality is rather simplistic.

According to Joseph M. Juran, a well-known author and expert on the subject of quality since the
early 20th Century, the definition of quality can be distilled to “fitness for use,” where the
customer determines what fitness is. In a variation of that definition, Philip B. Crosby, another
expert in the field of quality, defined it as “conformance to requirements.” The latter definition
is seems to suit the construction industry since conforming to the requirements may not meet all
of the owner’s expectations. Achieving quality in the construction industry is a two-step process
that involves both the design of the project and then its eventual construction into a built
structure.

During the design process, the architect/engineer’s (A/E’s) ability to achieve a quality design is
based on the A/E’s solution to the owner’s program. However, achieving a quality design is not
quite that objective. If the A/E satisfactorily addresses every requirement in the owner’s
program, the design may still fall short of the owner’s expectations because the owner failed to
document those expectations in the form of specific design requirements. This is one reason why
A/Es are an important part of the design process—they have the ability to interpret an owner’s
expectations and convert them into requirements. Upon establishing the owner’s requirements,
the A/E converts those requirements into a set of construction documents1 from which a
contractor can build the structure.

Even if the A/E delivers a quality solution to the owner’s program, a quality project is still not
achieved until the project is built. For the contractor, achieving a quality project is complying
with the requirements indicated in the contract documents. Therefore, any deviation from the
contract documents would be considered “nonconformance with requirements,” and thus would
not meet the definition of a quality project.
Quality Management

Achieving quality is not serendipitous—there has to be some level of effort applied in order to
attain quality. This intentional effort comes in the form of quality management, and can be
anything from a simple program to a full quality management system such as Six Sigma or one
that implements ISO 9000 standards.

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) defines quality management as

[t]he application of a quality management system in managing a process to achieve maximum

customer satisfaction at the lowest overall cost to the organization while continuing to improve
the process.

This quality management system usually consists of four processes: quality planning, quality
assurance, quality control, and quality improvement.

1. Quality Planning

Quality planning involves establishing a culture of “doing it right the first time,” as quoted by
Philip Crosby. This means that the organization needs to understand what quality standards are
applicable and the processes that are needed to comply with those standards.

For A/Es, they have to take into consideration those quality processes that help them internally to
achieve a quality design and those quality processes that help them ensure that a quality project
is constructed. This requires the A/E to look at how they design projects and prepare
construction documents in order to establish quality in their work.

For contractors, quality planning may differ depending on the delivery method used for a
project. If a contractor is part of a delivery method that allows the contractor to participate in the
design process, such as construction manager as constructor (also called “construction
management at risk,” or CMAR) or design-negotiate-build, the contractor will have some
influence on how quality is achieved by reviewing construction documents prior to submitting a
proposal or guaranteed maximum price (GMP). For a common design-bid-build project, the
contractor’s approach to quality is essentially restricted to the contract documents; however, the
contractor should have internal processes to ensure compliance with the contract documents is
achieved.

2. Quality Assurance

Quality assurance (QA) is a relatively new concept in quality management rising in popularity in
the 1970s. Like other aspects of quality, quality assurance has a variety of definitions. ASQ
defines quality assurance as

all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system that can be
demonstrated to provide confidence that a product or service will fulfill requirements for quality.
Quality assurance, as its name implies, assures that the outcome of a process will be a quality
one. This involves taking measures that will reduce errors and omissions before and while
performing the work. Some quality assurance processes may be verified using a quality control
method.

3. Quality Control

In contrast, quality control (QC) has been the staple for determining quality since the earliest part
of the 20th Century. The concept of quality control is to look at work after the work is
completed. The definition by ASQ is “the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill
requirements for quality.” In essence, it is the process of testing and inspecting work to
determine if it complies with the adopted quality standard.

In a quality management system, quality control should never be the primary process. However,
it can be used to confirm that quality assurance processes are working properly. If a failure is
detected during a quality control inspection or test, then it is evident that quality assurance is
missing or, if not missing, the quality assurance process did not function properly and should be
evaluated.

It is important to understand that a quality control process for previously completed work can be
considered a quality assurance process for subsequent work. For example, Worker A has a
quality plan that involves quality assurance processes that will ensure a quality work output. At
the completion of the work output, Worker B inspects Worker A’s work to verify compliance
with the quality standard before accepting Worker A’s work. Thus, Worker B’s inspection (a
QC process) gives him confidence that his work output will be a quality one (a QA process),
provided other aspects of Worker B’s performance meets the quality standard.

4. Quality Improvement

Any type of quality management system must include quality improvement; otherwise, the same
mistakes will continue to be made and opportunities to reduce cost and waste will never see the
light of day. Regardless of how thorough a quality plan is the plan is almost never perfect—
there is always room for improvement. Every quality management system should have a process
that allows improvement of the system, either through feedback from lessons learned or
immediate actionable items from participants that improves the overall design and construction
process or a portion thereof.

In Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s “Fourteen Points,” Point No. 5 is: “Improve constantly and forever
the system of production and service.” Continuous improvement reduces waste in both materiel
and cost. In the world of “green” design and construction, reduction of materiel could be
considered a sustainable improvement. Likewise, reduction of costs will have a positive impact
on a project at all levels starting from material and equipment suppliers through the contractors,
subcontractors, and designers, up to the owner.

QA and QC during Design

A quality construction project does not begin with the contractor building a structure in
conformance with the contract documents—it begins with a quality design. The goal of every
A/E should be to prepare “clear, concise, correct, and complete” documents as recommended by
the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). In addition to these four C’s, a quality set of
construction documents also need to be coordinated. However, before a set of construction
documents can begin, the process of designing a quality project starts at the initial stages of
design.

CSI defines quality assurance during design as “the procedures for guarding against defects
before and during the execution of the work.” Additionally, CSI defines quality control during
design as “the procedures for evaluating completed activities and elements of the design for
conformance with requirements.”

In general, QA for the design firm starts with hiring qualified staff and continually training them
to be current with the latest design and construction technologies. For project-specific QA, the
first step is to review and understand the owner’s program and seek clarification on any
ambiguities. Other QA processes include reviewing codes, regulations, ordinances, and
standards that are applicable to the design of the project; establishing regular progress and
coordination meetings with the design team including consultants; and reviewing geotechnical
and site survey information provided by the owner.2

There are several quality processes that the A/E can implement that fall within the area of
QC. These may include cost estimates, peer reviews, internal reviews, constructability reviews,
and code plan reviews. Each of these may be conducted at each phase of the project and,
therefore, become a QA process for the following phase.

Cost estimates should be prepared at each phase of the design to ensure the project remains
within the owner’s stated budget. The design should not progress to the next phase until all
budget issues are resolved.

The various types of reviews may also be conducted at the various phases of the project. Peer
reviews involve the evaluation of the design documents by a third-party reviewer—typically by
another local architect or engineer in the same field. This type of review can be very beneficial
since it is conducted by someone completely unfamiliar with the project. There are firms that
specialize in peer reviews and the services could include a full review of all drawings and
specifications prepared by the architect and its consultants.

Internal reviews are similar to peer reviews, but are conducted within the design firm. However,
best results are achieved when the review is conducted by a firm staff member not associated
with the project. One option is to have the person who will be responsible for the project’s
construction contract administration conduct the review. This type of review can be conducted
using a checklist and, if done in conjunction with a peer review, may need only focus on
elements of the documents relating to standard firm practice.

Constructability reviews may overlap the previous two review types in scope, but are generally
focused on the mechanics of physically constructing the structure. Thus, this type of review is
best conducted by a contractor or construction manager. A constructability review looks at the
design and determines if the work can be constructed as shown, or if special procedures or
equipment may be necessary (thus adding cost) to achieve the indicated construction. The
results of this review may offer alternate ways of achieving the same design goal but at a lower
cost, which could be considered a form of value analysis (VA) (also called value engineering, or
VE).

Code plan reviews are specific to the building design elements regulated by adopted codes. Each
design discipline should ensure that their work complies with applicable codes, which should
begin as a QA process as mentioned earlier. The code plan review should just be verification
that compliance has been achieved with only correction of minor discrepancies.

QA and QC in the Contract Documents

QA and QC during design is not the only quality aspect of the project in which the A/E is
involved. QA and QC during construction comes in two forms: those processes that the
contractor implements to ensure they build a quality project and those processes that the A/E
requires in the contract documents. To monitor the quality of construction, A/Es need to
incorporate requirements in the contract documents that establish certain procedures that
contractors must follow.

For the A/E, monitoring quality during construction is limited to enforcing the contract
documents—primarily the requirements in the specifications. The contract drawings show what
is to be constructed, but the specifications establish the qualitative requirements of the
construction contract.

Basic quality requirements are specified in Division 01 of the specifications—typically in

Section 01 40 00 “Quality Requirements.” Individual sections in Divisions 02 through 49 will
include quality requirements specific to the work results covered in each section. Some quality
requirements that may be specified include submittals, mockups, tests and inspections, minimum
qualifications, and manufacturer involvement.

Submittals,3 although not specifically identified in the specifications as quality assurance or

quality control items, they definitely have a part in the quality process. Some submittals may be
considered part of the QA process by allowing the A/E to review the products, materials, and
equipment before the contractor is allowed to procure and install the items on the project. Quality
control submittals include reports for tests and inspections performed on completed work.

Mockups, which are considered a QA process, are typically full-scale constructed assemblies that
represent a portion of the work. Mockups, like submittals, are completed and reviewed prior to
the actual installation on the project. However, some mockups may be integrated into the work
and remain a part of the completed work if approved by the A/E. A mockup can also be an
integrated assembly that incorporates several different components to see how each interfaces
with the other and to establish the level of workmanship. A mockup can also be a completed
room, such as a hospital patient room or hotel sleeping unit, to see if all elements (finishes,
fixture and furniture locations, colors, etc.) are acceptable before proceeding with the work on all
the other rooms. Some mockups may be required for laboratory testing to evaluate the
performance of an assembly before installation in a building.

Tests and inspections are part of the quality control process since they are conducted on
completed work. Tests and inspections may be conducted at the fabrication shop (referred to as
“source quality control” in PART 2 of a specification section) to evaluate completed work before
delivery to the project site. Tests and inspections conducted at the project site (referred to as
“field quality control” in PART 3 of a specification section) evaluate work installed on the
project. Reports should be specified to summarize the findings of tests and inspections and
forwarded to the A/E as an informational submittal.

Establishing minimum qualification requirements in the specifications is a QA process that

ensures the work will be provided by experienced or trained installers. To verify that qualified
installers are used, qualification statements, certifications, or other forms of verification may be
required by the A/E as informational submittals.

For some work installations, the specifications may require the contractor to have representatives
of manufacturers observe the installation.

Other requirements may be specified to assure a quality installation is provided, such as

requiring installers to examine previously installed work for acceptability before beginning their
work, setting specific conditions in which the work may or may not be installed, and requiring
regular coordination meetings to resolve issues before portions of work commence.

QA and QC during Construction

The contractor, like the A/E, plays a key role in the quality success of a construction project. As
previously mentioned, a quality construction project is based on the contractor’s conformance to
the contract documents, which includes complying with the QA and QC requirements that the
A/E has specified. However, that does not preclude the contractor from establishing internal QA
and QC processes that help the contractor ensure compliance with the contract documents.

For the construction phase of a project, CSI defines quality assurance as “the procedures for
discovering defects and deficiencies to the contract documents before and during the execution
of the work.” For quality control, CSI defines it as “the procedures for evaluating completed
activities and elements of the work for conformance with contract requirements.”

At first glance, it may appear that the CSI definition for QA could be one for QC since it states
“discovering defects and deficiencies,” which is commonly associated with QC. But the fact that
this discovery is done “before and during the execution of the work” makes it a QA process. It
must be understood that the contractor cannot change the contract documents, except where
“defects and deficiencies” are found. Thus, if the contractor reviews the contract documents
prior to beginning portions of the work and “errors, omissions, or inconsistencies” are found,
then they must be reported to the A/E for correction prior to beginning the work.4
Complying with QA and QC requirements in the contract documents is essential for the
contractor, but the contractor may implement its own QA and QC processes that can supplement
the contract documents. These supplemental processes may include asking manufacturer
representatives to examine the work and provide installation oversight, or conducting inspections
and tests in addition to those in the specifications.

Similar to the A/E’s design process, some construction QC processes may be the QA processes
for following work. For example, checking flatness and levelness of a slab (a QC process) may
be conducted to ensure it is within specified tolerance for the subsequent installation of a floor
finish (a QA process).

QA and QC and Perfection

Owners would like perfection in the projects they construct and some even try to get perfection
by working such requirements into their agreements. For the most part, A/Es and contractors
would like to provide the best possible projects they can deliver for the owners, but perfection in
the business of constructing structures is virtually impossible. Unlike manufacturing,
constructing a building is basically the construction of a prototype—there is no research and
development process preceding the construction. Therefore, errors, omissions, inconsistencies,
defects, and deficiencies will always be present to some degree.

For architects and engineers, the professional “standard of care” is typically applied to the
services they provide. Black’s Law Dictionary (9th Edition, Abridged) defines standard of care
as

that degree of care which a reasonably prudent person should exercise in same or similar
circumstances. If a person's conduct falls below such standard, he or she may be liable in
damages for injuries or damages resulting from his or her conduct.

Thus, perfection for architects and engineers is not ordained, but providing the same level of
service that your peers provide is.

Instituting a quality management system should not be an indication that the A/E is raising the
bar on performance. How the A/E implements and promotes the system may give the perception
to prospective clients that the A/E has artificially elevated the standard of care. Any quality
management system proposed should be flexible and not a “one size fits all” type of program—
you do not want to apply the same level of effort on a strip mall tenant improvement project as
you would for a full hospital.

For contractors, the performance standard was set in 1918 with the creation of the Spearin
Doctrine. This doctrine is based on a court decision for the case of United States v. Spearin, 248
U.S. 132, which sets forth that there is an implied warranty by the owner to the contractor that, if
constructed in accordance with the contract documents, the project would perform as
intended. Therefore, the contractor is not liable to an owner for loss or damage resulting from
defects or deficiencies in the contract documents.
***

Quality assurance and quality control are processes that should go hand-in-hand, but, by
definition, they are different. Both the A/E and the contractor have responsibilities for providing
quality in a construction project, so a system to maintain that quality should be a part of any
company’s business plan.