Total Quality In The Construction Supply Chain

Organizations in the construction industry struggle with three key issues: quality management or better meeting customer expectations, supply chain management or more effectively working with suppliers to provide a seamless service to customers, and knowledge management, the challenge of learning between collaborating organisations and between people working on similar projects around the world. Excellence in these key aspects of business is the hallmark of great companies. This book tackles each of these themes, demonstrating their significance as strategic concepts for the construction sector and illustrating how development goals in each of the areas can be met. To be successful Total Quality has to impact on the organisation’s Performance, which should be measured on a “balanced scorecard”, including the results from the customer. This can be achieved through good Planning and improvements in Processes through involvement of the People. These 4Ps combine with the 4Cs – Customer, Culture, Communication and Commitment to provide a model for implementing total quality into construction. The book brings together, within this consistent theoretical framework, international case studies from all areas of the construction industry. These include examples as diverse as quarrying, construction, design, real estate, land development and regulatory agencies, drawn from the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore Australia and Japan. Through these the authors demonstrate how a total quality or business excellence strategy can be applied in all activities in the construction supply chain to achieve world-class performance. Written by two of the world's leading experts, in a logical and very practical style, Total Quality in the Construction Supply Chain offers students and others new to the subject a clearly structured introduction to the concept of quality in the industry, while offering help and guidance to the most experienced professionals. The book should also appeal to people from all areas of the building and construction sector in any country.

Total quality management is vital to long-term business success. it is much more applicable to construction than are the procedures which have been developed for and used with great success in manufacturing industry. BS 5750 (Quality Systems) part 1-3 and even part 8 are more relevant to repetitive processes than to one-off projects.This book shows that the philosophy and principles of quality management apply just as much to the construction industry as adapted to take account of the very different procedures involved.

A convergence of lean management and quality management thinking has taken place in organizations across many industries, including construction. Practices in procurement, design management and construction management are all evolving constantly and understanding these changes and how to react is essential to successful management. This book provides valuable insights for owners, designers and constructors in the construction sector. Starting by introducing the language of total quality, lean and operational excellence, this book takes the reader right up to the latest industry practice in this sector, and demonstrates the best way to manage change. Written by two of the world's leading experts, Total Construction Management: Lean quality in construction project delivery offers a clearly structured introduction to the most important management concepts and practices used in the global construction industry today. This authoritative book covers issues such as procurement, BIM, all forms of waste, construction safety, and design and construction management, all explained with international case studies. It is a perfect guide for managers in all parts of the industry, and ideal for those preparing to enter the industry.

This book examines the various quality management systems applied to the construction industry in Hong Kong and other parts of the world. Hong Kong's experience is particularly important because it plays a leading role in construction quality management globally. The text traces the change from quality control (QC) practice in the 1970s and 1980s, to the quality assurance (QA) concept in the 1990s, and finally to the emerging total quality management (TQM) philosophy. All the tools and techniques used in relation to construction quality management are discussed in detail in the 12 chapters.

A key problem facing the construction industry is that all work is done by transient project teams, and in the past there has been no structured approach to learning from projects once they are completed. Now, though, the industry is adapting concepts of knowledge management to improve the situation. This book brings together 13 contributors from research and industry to show how managing construction knowledge can bring real benefits to organisations and projects. It covers a wide range of issues, from basic definitions and fundamental concepts, to the role of information technology, and engendering a knowledge sharing culture. Practical examples from construction and other industry sectors are used throughout to illustrate the various dimensions of knowledge management. The challenges of implementing knowledge management are outlined and the ensuing benefits highlighted.

The author shows how the philosophy and principles of total quality management (TQM) apply to construction. Sections cover: application of TQM to the construction industry; application to construction projects; and the role of auditing in TQM.

In this new era, changes and innovations that happen in the construction industry force the industry players to increasingly seek knowledge to enhance their firm and project competitiveness. Small as well as large industry players has no exceptions from identifying their strategy for business survival and success. To accommodate those needs, this book presents the new management approaches that could be learned and applied in managing firms and projects. The book goes on to explore the strategic management and project management approaches of business and project entities in construction. Knowledge and ideas discussed in this book were contributed by scholars who are closely involved with research in the industry. Having read their ideas, improving performance would be a significant contribution of this book to the existing and future industry players in construction. Being simultaneously dependent upon each other, this book sees the need to incorporate the various approaches in managing projects and businesses in the construction industry. There will be no doubt, by understanding and practising the approaches, the competitiveness of the industry will be improved.

The construction industry continues to face substantial demands for improvement in quality and cost control, and a reduction in contract disputes. A number of management concepts have been promoted to help achieve this, but many in the industry find the concepts confusing and are sceptical about their usefulness. This book brings together, in a single volume, the main management concepts relevant to the construction industry, providing an objective account of the concepts and showing how they interrelate: * value management * buildability * benchmarking * total quality management * partnering and alliancing * supply chain management (new for this edition) * re-engineering In addition to a new chapter, a new section on strategic alliancing has been added. Text and references have been updated throughout.