QUALITY CONTROL

Quality control (QC) is the contractor’s definition of how the project quality will be managed during construction of the project. … QA Process: Quality assurance (QA) is defined as the process or procedure the contractor will engage in to ensure that the required quality of the project is achieved.

The construction project quality is managed by a program, which has two different elements. One is the quality control (QC) program and the other is the quality assurance (QA) process. These two elements have somewhat different functions. Whether you are the project owner, the designer, or the contractor, each has a stake in the effectiveness of the QA/QC management process. If the quality of the product comes into question, and rework is required, it can become a costly proposition and may become an issue for the contractor. Some unacceptable quality issues can lead to costly litigation and damage reputations and relationships. Therefore, managing quality is an important aspect of a successful project delivery process.

The quality control element defines how the contractor expects to manage the quality requirements of the project as defined by the specifications. And the quality assurance element define the steps the contactors will take to ensure it. The first thing contractors need to reassure themselves is that, there is a clear understanding of any vague specified quality standard and that workmanship is linked to specific and measurable standards. If there is no way to clarify them or there is complexity involved in the work, then a mockup or sample of the work should be made and approved so that it may be used as a standard to which subsequent work may be compared. This can also prove very useful in managing quality with sub-contractors.