IRJET-Total Quality Management in Construction

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)

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Total Quality Management in Construction
Shreyas Gowda C H1, Ramesh Nayaka2, Sachidananda Murthy S3, Shashi Kumar B N 4
1Post

graduate student, Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India
3Senior General Manager - Projects, Prestige Group, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
4Assistant General Manager - Quality Control, Prestige Group, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------2Assistant

Abstract
The primary purpose of TQM is to provide excellence in
customer satisfaction through continuous improvements
of products and processes by the total involvement and
dedication of each individual who is in any way a part of
that product/process. It is a structured approach to
improvement. If correctly applied, it will assist a
construction company in improving its performance.
Unfortunately the Construction industry has lagged
behind other industries in implementing TQM. The main
reason for that has been the perception that TQM is for
manufacturing only. One aspect of TQM that has frustrated
the construction industry the most has been
“measurement”. The main aim of this work was to
produce a measurement model - with tools and
methodologies for the recognition and measurement of
construction processes for continuous improvement and
client satisfaction. Analysis of questionnaire survey
indicates that the major obstacle to implement a TQM
program is changing the behaviour and attitude, lack of
expertise/resources in TQM, lack of employee
commitment/understanding, lack of education and
training to drive the improvement process.
The Client Satisfaction Index, the Cause and Effect Diagram
and the Improvement Index were developed to find out
the major sources of client satisfaction and dissatisfaction
in the construction industry. The outcomes of this survey
show that customer satisfaction can be greatly raised by
improving
construction
underestimation,
project
management, coordination, pattern changes by clients and
change orders from procurement department. For the
local construction industry, this project has the potential
to demonstrate tangible benefits of using TQM in their
organizations.
Key Words: Total Quality Management (TQM), Client
Satisfaction, Continuous Improvement.

feature of an organization. The implementation of TQM is
fundamentally a process of culture change.
ISO 8402:1994 ISO Definitions defines quality as the
degree of excellence in a competitive sense, such as
reliability, serviceability, maintainability or even
individual characteristics. Quality systems refer to the
organizational structure, procedures, processes and
resources needed to implement quality management.
Quality assurance is the planned and systematic activities
implemented within quality system and demonstrated, as
needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity will
fulfil requirements for quality. ISO 9000 - 2004 defines
quality control as the operative technique and activity; for
example, providing a means to control and measure the
characteristics of a material, structure, component, or
system that are used to fulfil requirements for quality.
Quality management refers to all activities of overall
management functions, especially top management,
leadership, that determine quality policy objectives and
responsibilities for all members of the organization. Total
quality management is the management approach of an
organization, which concentrates on quality based on the
participation of its members and aims at long-term
success through satisfaction and benefits to all members
of the organization and society (ISO 8402:1994 ISO
Definitions and Griffin 1990). Abu et al. (2011) in this
study TQM process is considered as a modern system in
the field of quality, after quality assurance, quality control
and ISO in the Construction sector.

1. INTRODUCTION
For the last few decades Total Quality Management (TQM)
techniques have been used extensively and beneficially in
the area of manufacturing and industrial engineering to
control the process and prevent defects before they
happen. TQM focuses on the quality of management
systems, not the management of quality, on continuous
improvement of processes in order to improve every

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Figure 1: Quality Control Evolution (Source: Feigenbaum
(1991))

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1.2 Quality Improvement Techniques
Total Quality Management mainly demands a process of
continued improvement aimed at reducing variability. An
organization wishing to support and develop such a
process needs to use quality management tools and
techniques. It is prudent to start with the more simple
tools and techniques: Check-sheet, Check list, Histogram,
Pareto Diagram, Cause-and- Effect Diagram (Fishbone
Diagram), Scatter Chart and Flowchart.

Check Sheet
Check-sheet is used to record events, or non-events (non–
conformances). They can also include information such as
the position where the event occurred and any known
causes. They are usually prepared in advance and are
completed by those who are carrying out the operations or
monitoring their progress.

Checklist
Checklist is used to tell the user if there is a certain thing,
which must be checked. As such, it can be used in the
auditing of quality assurance and to follow the steps in a
particular process.

Histogram
Histogram provides a graphical representation of the
individual measured values in a data set according to the
frequency of occurrence. It helps to visualize the
distribution of data and there are several forms, which
should be recognized, and in this way they reveal the
amount of variation within a process.

Pareto Analysis
It is a technique employed to prioritize the problems so
that attention is initially focused on those, having the
greatest effect. As a generalized rule for considering
solutions to problems, Pareto analysis aims to identify the
critical 20% of causes and to solve them as a priority.

Cause and Effect Diagram
Cause and Effect Diagram or Fishbone diagram is useful in
breaking down the major causes of a particular problem.
The shape of the diagram looks like the skeleton of a fish.
This is because a process often has a multitude of tasks
footing into it, any one of which may be a cause. If a
problem occurs, it will have an effect on the process, so it
will be necessary to consider the whole multitude of tasks
when searching for a solution.

Scatter Diagram
The relationship of two variables can be plotted in the
scatter diagrams. They are easy to complete and obviously
linear pattern reveals a strong correlation.

Flowcharts
Flow chart is used to provide a diagrammatic picture using
a set of symbols. They are used to show all the steps or
stages in a process project or sequence of events. A
flowchart assists in documenting and describing a process
so that it can be examined and improved. Analysing the
data collected on a flowchart can help to uncover
irregularities and potential problem points.
© 2015, IRJET

2. OBJECTIVE





To identify the level of effectiveness in
implementing managerial practices of TQM in the
construction industry.
Determine the processes (“what to measure”) that
are most suitable and appropriate for
measurement during the construction project lifecycle.
Develop a model (“how to measure”) for the
measurement and evaluation of the quality
performances of the construction processes
identified in (2) above as a tool for continuous
improvement.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The data for this research was collected through the use of
four questionnaires targeting contractors and clients in
the Bangalore (1) To identify the level of effectiveness in
implementing managerial practices of TQM in the
construction industry; (2) determine the areas or phases
of construction with which the clients are dissatisfied, (3)
use TQM tools to identify the major sub causes of client
dissatisfaction areas and (4) finally develop an
Improvement Index to determine the areas that need
improvement.
Since no accurate information regarding the extent of TQM
usage in the local construction industry was available, as a
first objective of this research project, the applicants
(contractors and subcontractors) were asked to identify
the level of effectiveness in implementing managerial
practices of TQM in their business. Questionnaires were
developed to elicit information about quality management
practices in their businesses. The questionnaire was
divided into six parts namely: their knowledge of TQM,
their perception of quality, the data acquisition methods
used by them, the degree of training provided to their
employees towards TQM, and the obstacles faced by them
in implementing TQM in their businesses.
To achieve the second objective, a questionnaire called
the Client Satisfaction Index was developed and was given
to several clients and owners to get their feedback on the
areas of dissatisfaction by conducting personal interviews
with them. The questionnaire was divided into four parts
namely: administrative, project management and
engineering, construction and logistical. Each area had
several activities, which were obtained from various
technical papers, journals and existing projects. The
clients were asked to identify the activities with which
they are most dissatisfied. After reviewing their feedbacks,
the major areas of client dissatisfaction were identified.
The third objective was achieved by developing a
questionnaire using a TQM tool called the Fishbone
Diagram or the Cause-and-Effect Diagram, was sent to
several contractors and subcontractors to identify the
important sub causes. A rating scheme of not important to
very important was used to achieve this purpose.

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Volume: 02 Issue: 05 | Aug-2015

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The fourth objective of this research project was to
identify the areas, which need a lot of improvement in
order to achieve total quality in all the areas of
construction life cycle. For this purpose a fourth
questionnaire called the Improvement Index was
developed and distributed to the same clients and owners
who were interviewed for the questionnaire 2 (Client
Satisfaction Index). The questionnaire was divided into
five parts or areas of client dissatisfaction, which were
identified from the second questionnaire. Under each area
the most important sub causes that were obtained from
the third questionnaire were highlighted. The clients were
asked to identify the areas that need a lot of improvement.
A rating scheme from a lot of improvement to no
improvement was used for this purpose. The areas that
need a lot of improvement are identified. The premise is
that when those areas or phases are improved then we can
attain continuous improvement in the construction
industry. This process is repeated until all the areas are
improved and our goal of total quality management is
achieved.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Phase 1: The following tables are the results gathered
from Questionnaire # 1 - To identify the level of
effectiveness in implementing managerial practices of
TQM in the Construction Industry, which is composed of
36 questions and divided in six sections as follows:

Knowledge of TQM

Your perception of Quality

Data acquisition method

Quality in your organization

Training

Others

4.1 Knowledge of TQM
The analysis of this section tells us that the majority of the
contractors perceive quality as a competitive advantage
next to elimination of defects. They feel that that product /
service quality is very important for them in gaining
customers satisfaction because it ultimately translates to
higher profits for them. They feel that customer
satisfaction is their main goal. Interestingly however,
when they were asked to rank in the order of importance
the following attributes: Quality, Safety, Time, Cost and
Scope; they ranked scope and cost as the important
considerations followed by Timeliness, Safety and Quality.

4.3 Data Acquisition methods
The results of this section show that the majority of the
companies do collect data to measure the performance of
operations and the way they solve problems is assigning
an individual to solve them. On the other hand, 52% of the
companies have a system for gathering customer
suggestions but just 28% measure customer satisfaction
through questionnaire surveys. 20% gather customer
suggestions by the number of complaints or other
methods. In most of the cases the suppliers and the
© 2015, IRJET

subcontractor are rated (52%) and when defects in
services are identified, they are required to pay for or
correct them.

4.3 Quality in their organization
From this section, although only about 50% of the
contractors surveyed had a clear definition of quality in
their organizations, 86% are aware of the importance of
quality. The majority of the respondents said that they do
not have a formal. Quality Improvement Program (QIP) in
place. Those that do, however, have the full support of
their top management. Also, they use a mix of Quality
Control, TQM and ISO 9000 principles in their QIP.
Demanding customers, CEO commitment and competitive
pressures were identified as the key reasons for
implementing the quality improvement programs. Main
objectives of the QIP are employee involvement followed
by increasing productivity and cost reduction. 40% of the
contractors felt that the quality of their products and
services improved after implementing such a program.

4.4 Training
32% of the companies provide some to no training to their
employees. Only 24% said that they provide formal
training in TQM or other quality improvement
philosophies. 44% of the contractors said that their
managerial/supervisory staff have undergone quality
improvement training. The number is even lower for nonmanagerial positions (29%).Training programs mostly
emphasize customer satisfaction as a primary goal
followed by teamwork and communication.

4.5 Others
The following shows the obstacles in the implementation
of Total Quality Management Program most important to
least important based on the data gathered.
 Changing behaviour and attitude.
 Lack of expertise/resources in TQM
 Lack of employee commitment/understanding
 Lack of education and training to drive the
improvement process
 Schedule and cost treated as the main priorities
 Emphasis on short-term objects
 Tendency to cure symptom rather than getting to
the root cause of a problem

Phase 2:
A second questionnaire focusing on the customer was
created to identify the processes for improvement. It was
called “Client Satisfaction Index” (Annexure B). A client
survey is an invaluable aid in determining how well a
construction company is doing in meeting customer’s
expectations. The real value of the survey was that it
identified areas for improvement. The customer
satisfaction index is the measurement of a company’s
overall performance in the eyes of its customers.
Client Satisfaction Index: This questionnaire was
prepared after analysing the results of the first
questionnaire and reference from books. The
questionnaire
was
divided
in
four
sections:

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Administrative, Project Management and Engineering,
Logistical and Construction. A rating scheme was used
ranging from strongly satisfied to strongly dissatisfy.
Under the administrative section clients are dissatisfied
with attention to client priorities (27.27%), and adequacy
of planning (27. 27%).Under the Project Management and
Engineering section, the clients are dissatisfied with
scheduling (36. 36%).Under logistical problems, the
clients are dissatisfied with adequacy of delivery (18.
18%). Under construction related problems, the clients
were mainly dissatisfied with adequacy of processing
change orders (33. 33%).
Cause and Effect Diagram: Based on the client
satisfaction index, five sets of questionnaires using the
Cause and Effect Diagram were developed to investigate
the problems related to client dissatisfaction. They are:
1. Poor planning
2. Lack of attention to client priorities
3. Poor scheduling
4. Inadequate change orders processing
5. Poor delivery schedule and methods
Poor Planning
 Quality of Material
 Manage Change Orders
 Cash Flow Analysis
 Construction Underestimation
 Quality of Workmanship
 Damage to Equipment
Lack of Attention to Client Priorities
 Cost Control
 Quality Control
 Contractor-Subcontractor Coordination
 Conformance to Specifications
 Training of Personnel
Poor Scheduling
 Incomplete Design
 Site Condition Supervision
 Project Management Coordination
 Network Model Selection
Processing Change Orders
 Errors in Construction Design
 Defective Material/Equipment
 Weather Delays
 Design Changes by Clients
Poor Delivery
 Change Orders from Procurement Department
 Ambiguity in Methods
 Availability of Materials/Equipment’s

Client Priorities; Project Management and Engineering Poor Scheduling; Construction – Processing Change Order
and Logistical- Poor Delivery. A rating scheme was used
from “A lot of improvement” to “No improvement”.
From the results, we can determine that the clients’
satisfaction level will increase with the improvement of
the following processes.
 Construction Underestimation
 Cost Control
 Conformance to specifications
 Incomplete Design
 Project Management Coordination
 Design Changes by Clients, and
 Change Orders from Procurement Department

Phase 3:

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A total of five interviews were conducted with the same
owners and clients who were interviewed for the Client
Satisfaction Index and this was called Importance Index.
This questionnaire was divided into five areas which were
previously identified as areas of client dissatisfaction:
Administrative - Poor Planning and Lack of Attention to
© 2015, IRJET

5. CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS










The majority of the contractors agreed that TQM
is a philosophy used to improve cost estimating
and warranty claims. This shows their lack of
knowledge about the TQM and the potential
benefits in implementing this program in their
organizations.
The majority of the contractors perceive quality
as
a
competitive
advantage
and
the
product/service quality is very important in order
gain customers satisfaction to increase profit.
The methods and techniques for implementing
Total Quality Management program in the
Construction Industry are still to be developed.
The basic problem attributes to lack of expertise
or
resources
for
implementing
quality
improvement programs.
Customer satisfaction can be greatly enhanced by
improving
construction
underestimation,
conformance
to
specifications,
project
management coordination, design changes by
clients and change orders from the procurement
department.
The key to understand is that the client is now a
moving
target,
their
expectations
and
requirements are constantly changing. To keep up
with their ever hanging goals, the contractors
need to have in place a system of identifying,
measuring and continuously improving their
tangible and intangible products and services.

6. REFERENCES

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