UNIMAS 2019

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Planning for Quality

One of the biggest problems in the engineering industry worldwide

is the resources and management controls necessary to achieve
adequate levels of quality in completed projects. And when picking
on what can be given away, quality is usually the give away.
Engineering organizations, which practice Quality Management
(QM) or even Total Quality Management (TQM) and have Total
Quality Culture in the organization are organizations, which
emphasize on quality and would aim to have each project
completed conforming to the quality standards set out.

Early QM focused on last minute inspection services for the

detection of inferior quality before it reached the customer, with
manufactured items being rejected, or work being redone.
Subsequently, monitoring and controlling processes were
introduced to automate the quality control process. Statistical
analysis allowed prediction of likely failures before they actually
happened, allowing QM to be incorporated into the process even
earlier.

Quality as a process

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Eventually, it was recognised that QM was an input to the process,

not an attribute of the outputs. Today the emphasis is on a
corporate culture that nourishes best practice attitudes on the part
of management and staff. The higher the level from which those
attitudes commence, the deeper the culture becomes and the higher
the level of quality achieved.

According to AS ISO 10006–2003 (p. iv),

there are two aspects to the application of quality management in
projects: that of the project processes and that of the project’s
product. A failure to meet either of these dual aspects may have
significant effects on the project’s product, the project is customer
and other interested parties, and the project organisation.

What is Quality?
Quality can be defined as the totality of features and characteristics
of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or
implied needs. Quality is about conforming to the requirements,
standards and fulfilling the needs that were originally proposed.
The very minimum of quality is the project being fit for its
intended purposes and use.

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Evans & Lindsay (1993) offer us a number of additional

descriptions of quality as follows:

 A relative quality which is absolute and related to a

comparison of features and characteristics of
products.
 A product based definition that reflects differences
in some quantity of a product attribute.
 A user based definition based on fitness for intended
use.
 A manufacturing based definition measured by
conformance to specifications.
 A value based definition relating performance or
conformance to cost.

In a project context, Ireland (1991) states:

Modern concepts of quality focus heavily on customer

satisfaction and conformance to the (customer’s) requirements
more than fitness for use or purpose…

Conformance to the customer’s requirements is the best term

to be used in a concept of building or operating a product
because it focuses attention on elements of work to be
accomplished to meet requirements or specifications.

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The term ‘ customer satisfaction ’ best describes the goal of a

project or company in its relationship with the customer, from
initial contact through delivery of the product or service.

(Source: Ireland 1991)

We can see from these definitions that ‘quality’ has become

customer-focussed.

Quality can be measured qualitatively or quantitatively and

measurement can be described in eight dimensions and different
levels:
Level 1: Basic intended use and features with no defects and no
complaints
Level 2: Conformance to standards and specifications dictated by
statutory bodies and designers
Level 3: Long Durability
Level 4: Good performance, efficiency and operability
Level 5: High Reliability
Level 6: Serviceability in various environment
Level 7: Aesthetics, i.e. attractive to the eyes
Level 8: Perceived Quality deals with emotional and sensory
characteristics

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Quality Management
Various approaches to quality improvement

Total Quality Management (TQM)

To overcome the problems caused by ‘inferior’ or ‘inadequate’
quality, we are exhorted to implement a programme of total quality
management (TQM). What is TQM? Barkley & Saylor offer us the
following description:

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TQM is a unique management approach…(and) is a people

oriented, measurement-driven, customer-focused, long-term,
strategically oriented management philosophy using a structured,
disciplined, continuous-improvement operating methodology.

In order to practice TQM, there should be Total Quality Culture

within the organization, i.e. think quality, talk quality, plan quality
and do quality.

TQM strives to focus attention on both the following:

 the delivery process

 the completed outcomes.

Having TQM provides the organization with an edge over its

competitors who have the same technical capability. It assists the
organization:
 Recognising the concept and importance of quality
 Create awareness within the organization of the need and
opportunity for quality improvement
 Set goals for continuous improvement
 Build an organization by establishing a quality council,
which assist in identification of problems, problem solving
and choosing the right people and teams to do a job.

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 Provides proper training

 Reporting on progress
 Showing recognition
 Communicate results
 Keep records of successes and failures

Comparison of traditional management and total

quality management

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TQM is a system or systematic method of quality management and

it incorporates the following elements within its system;
Customer Focus ~ Quality set out is always the customer/client’s
standard.
Continuous Improvement ~ making improvement continuously
and reaching for the next level each time with incremental steps at
a time
Change management ~ Quality management should be flexible
and able to change according to circumstances
Refer to notes on Time Cost Quality and Safety.
Leadership ~ senior executives and top management
commitments and roles in leading the practice of TQM
Teamwork ~ Involvement of all level of organization in practicing
TQM
Planning and Policy ~ all quality plans should be made part of the
company’s management policy
Quality Assurance (QA)

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Error: Reference source not found

See how QA is a part of TQM and how QC is contained as part of

QA.

Quality Plannning

As a fundamental step in the implementation of a TQM

programme, it is necessary to prepare a quality management
plan (QMP). The QMP establishes guidelines for the complete
quality system, including ‘organisational structure,
responsibilities, procedures, processes, and resources needed

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to implement quality management’ (PMI PMBOK). The

nature and extent of the QMP for any particular project will be
unique, and will be determined by the nature and size of the
project.

According to Stebbing (1994), the quality plan ‘is a document

setting out the specific quality practices, resources, and
activities relevant to a particular product, service, contract or
project’.

There will be some inconsistency in the use and definition of

such terms. For our purposes, suffice it to say that there will
be a need for an overall corporate policy on quality
management that will lead to an increasing level of detail
incorporated into, and expressed in, the following:

‘umbrella’ quality systems to be employed

specific quality plans that are prepared for specific projects.

The quality manual

The quality manual sets out the intentions at a management

level, but does not contain detailed procedures. Stebbing
(1994) suggests that the manual would include the following:

 policy statement
 authorities and responsibilities

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 organisation
 system element outlines
 list of procedures.

(Source: Stebbing 1994, p. 564)

The quality plan

The purpose of any plan is to anticipate any likely situations

and to establish guidelines for dealing with those situations.
The situations and responses will have increasing levels of
detail, and will cover such issues as:

 Network planning – the logical sequence of work

accomplishment through a structured plan.
 Time analysis – the capability for comparison of planned
and actual time durations.
 Resource analysis – the capability for comparison of
planned and actual resources committed to the project.
 Cost analysis – the capability for comparison of planned
and actual costs for the project’s activities.
 Multiple schedules – the development of ‘what-if,’ or
contingency, schedules for alternative courses of action.
 Progress reporting – the routine reporting of the status of
the project as compared to the planned progress. This

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includes variances from the plan for time, cost, and

technical performance status.
 Reports and chart/plots – the graphic summaries of the
status of the project, depicted in a comparative manner.
 Key events – the key events, or those the customer
believes to be important to reflect the status of the
project. In addition, the project manager may have key
events that are used to control the project.
 Earliest dates/deadlines/activity logic – the earliest and
latest start dates for all activities to include the logical
association between activities.

(Source: Ireland 1991, p. III-2)

Ireland also recommends that the following secondary items

be included:

 upgrade drawings/incorporate changes

 producibility/constructibility review
 testability review
 acceptance requirements documents review
 procurement plan.

(Source: Ireland 1991, p. III-2)

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Quality management techniques

The planning stage is important to establish measures that

are proactive rather than reactive. The PMI PMBOK
suggests techniques that can be utilised in the preparation
of the quality plan in a project environment.

 Cost benefit analysis

At each decision-making point in the planning stage, it

may be necessary to carry out a cost/benefit analysis to
determine which of the options will provide the optimum
quality outcome. It would then be necessary to determine
the relevant criteria by which a decision can be made to
achieve the desired level of quality. This may be
represented by fewer defects, less rework, higher
reliability etc.

 Benchmarking

Benchmarking is a relative measure, establishing quality

standards by comparison with industry norms, best
practices etc. The benchmarking yardsticks may be
derived internally or externally.

 Flowchart

A flowchart diagram facilitates the quality process by

establishing documented records of decision-making

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outcomes and permits the decisions to be communicated

to other stakeholders. These may be in the form of cause
and effect diagrams (fishbone diagrams), or process
flowcharts.

 Design of experiments

Design of experiments (DoE) is utilised where ‘what if’

scenarios are to be analysed to achieve the optimum
outcome from a range of options, where materials, labour,
time etc. may be traded off against one another.

 Outputs of quality planning

The outputs from the planning process will include the

following:

 quality management plan

 quality metrics
 quality checklists
 process improvement plan
 quality baseline
 project management plan (updates)

(Source: PMI 2004, p. 182)

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Quality Assurance

Quality assurance (QA) represents the interim phase of the

TQM system, where provision has been made to ensure that
the desired quality levels will be achieved. Systems and
equipment are in place to obtain the relevant data for
determination of conformance or non-conformance with the
established benchmarks. You plan to check and how to check!

Kerzner defines quality assurance as:

the collective term for the formal activities and

managerial processes that are planned and undertaken
in an attempt to ensure that products and services that
are delivered are at the required quality level. QA also
includes efforts external to these processes that provide
information for improving the internal processes. It is
the quality assurance function that attempts to ensure
that the project scope, cost and time functions are fully
integrated.

(Source: Kerzner 2003, p. 772)

He also maintains that:

a good quality assurance system will:

 Identify objectives and standards.

 Be multi functional and prevention-oriented.

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 Plan for collection and use data in a cycle of

continuous improvement.
 Plan for the establishment and maintenance of
performance measures.
 Include quality audits.

(Source: Kerzner 2003, p. 772)

Quality assurance is a management tools/process/system for

the implementation of quality management procedures in
place to ensure that the end-products and services are of
desired results. Quality management procedures are various
identifiable rational steps taken to ensure quality is achieved.

QA is designed to be visible, identifiable and can be

publicized and promote to client to increase overall
confidence of the Client to the organization.

Companies can use available QA tools such as SIRIM and

ISO. However, a company can provide such assurance to their
client if they can prove that they have their own in-house
quality assurance program. Typical criteria for successful QA
program:

 Tailor the quality assurance program to suit the

project
 Set quantifiable objectives
 Evaluate and audit the quality assurance program

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 Be aware and include if necessary the industry

standard
 Establish quality levels for all major components of
the projects
 Establish quality assurance applicable to sub-
contractors and suppliers
 Proper reporting procedures for all parties
concerned with acceptable quality level details and
quality standards
 Review and evaluate designers’ quality assurance
procedures
 Review non-conformance procedures
 Review defects rectification procedures
 Review team member capabilities in terms of
experience, technical knowledge and management
attitude.

Qualilty Control Cycle

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Error: Reference source not foundA good quality control system will:

 Select what to control

 Set standards that provide the basis for decisions regarding possible
corrective action
 Establish the measurement methods used
 Compare the actual results to the quality standards
 Act to bring the nonconforming processes and material back to the
standard based on the information collected
 Monitor and calibrate measuring devises
 Include detailed documentation for all processes

Quality Control Tools

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To achieve this cycle of data collection, measurement, analysis, and corrective
action, we have available a range of techniques. These are often referred to as
the seven quality control tools, and are identified by Kerzner (2003, p. 777) as
follows:

 data table – a simple matrix within which data are recorded, revealing any
patterns in the distribution of the data
 pareto analysis – generally illustrated as a bar chart indicating the
characteristics being monitored in order from the largest frequency to the
smallest frequency. The intention is to identify the significant
characteristics leading to a reduction in quality, thus allowing major quality
efforts to be directed to where they are needed most
 cause and effect analysis – commonly referred to as the ‘fishbone’
diagram, this is an analysis by which the respective categories of causes
are represented as branches of the fishbone diagram, and how the
respective categories ‘flow’ into the aggregated effect
 trend analysis – identification of any trend or pattern in the results of the
monitoring process
 histogram – visual representation as a vertical bar chart of findings from a
quality control process, revealing any patterns that might exist in the
distribution of results
 scatter diagram – this is the graphical component of regression analysis,
and illustrates any pattern when the results obtained from the monitoring
process are plotted
 process control charts, which illustrate the records of results plotted on a
time chart, and revealing where results deviate from the process mean to
the extent that they exceed any upper or lower control limits indicated on
the chart.

Details of the quality control tools are given in Kerzner’s (2003) text Project
management – a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling,
pages 777–94.

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Figure 4.2 illustrates the seven quality control tools, broken down into the
categories of identification and analysis.

Figure 4.2: The seven quality control tools 

Quality Control (QC) is a part of Quality Assurance and QA is

a tool for QC. Quality assurance is a management
tools/process/system for the implementation of quality
management procedures in place to ensure that the end-
products and services are of desired results. Quality
management procedures are various identifiable rational steps
taken to ensure quality is achieved.

QA is designed to be visible, identifiable and can be

publicized and promote to client to increase overall
confidence of the Client to the organization.

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Companies can use available QA tools such as SIRIM and

ISO. However, a company can provide such assurance to their
client if they can prove that they have their own in-house
quality assurance program.

Planning for Safety

In order to plan for safety on construction sites it is essential to

plan for a Construction Safety Program. A basic safety program

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consists of the following components, information provided by the

CIDB.

1. Provision of Signs & Equipments on site

WARNING SIGNS:-
 Dangerous when wet
 Compressed Gases
 Inflammable Liquids
 Inflammable Solids
 Organic Peroxide
 Oxidizing Substances
 Poisonous Substances
 Toxic Gases
 Spontaneously Combustible
 Danger Fire Risk
 Danger
 Dangerous voltage
 Fragile roof
 Danger corrosive chemicals
 Danger forklift trucks
 Toxic hazard
 Danger overhead hazards
 Danger limited heights overhead

MANDATORY SIGNS:

 Wear eye protection

 Wear face shield
 Wear foot protection
 Wear head protection
 Wear dust mask
 Wear ear protection
 Wear hand protection

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 Carry respirator

SAFE CONDITION SIGNS:

 Emergency shower
 Eye wash
 Fire exit keep clear
 Safe direction
 Emergency telephone
 First aid

PROHIBITION SIGNS:

 No admittance
 Inflammable liquids

EQUIPMENTS:

 Safety Gloves
 Safety Harness
 Respirator
 Safety Boots
 Ear Muffs
 Lanyard
 Half mask dust respirator
 Disposable face mask
 Goggles
 Spectacles
 Face shield
2 Create safety practice as set of rules and
regulations
REMEMBER:

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 Put on your safety equipment before you start any work

 Wear safety boots to avoid food injuries
 Provide safety nets to avoid loss of lives

WEAR:
 Always put on your safety helmet to avoid from falling objects
 Wear essential life saving equipment when working over water
 Always wear safety equipment and comply to safety regulations

PAY ATTENTION:
 Know and obey to safety warnings

CHECK FIRST:
 Check that the machine is in order before starting any work
 Check that all machines are in working order to avoid mishaps

DON’T:
 Dump at proper dumping sites only
 Dumper or excavator
 This is not the place for leisure
 Forklift crane must no be overloaded
 Do not leave hazardous materials in the open

PRACTISE:
 Practice the safer and healthier waste disposal system
 Clean up your work area daily
GET AUTHORISATION:
 Get authorization first before dismantling tieback/bracings
 Don’t work in a manhole without authorisation

COMPLY:
 Follow the right work procedure
 Don’t work on edges without safety harness
 Your green card is just for yourself and is not transferable

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CAREFUL:
 Be extra careful when handling with hazardous chemicals
 Don’t be absent minded until you forget your own safety

SUPERVISION:
 Don’t dismantle formwork without close supervision

SAFETY FIRST:
 Use barricades to ensure the safety of the public

THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY:

 The right way to handle wire mesh

BE CAUTIOUS:
 If you had been careful you wouldn’t have to bear this pain

FOLLOW PROCEDURES:
 Tie and lock properly. Don’t overload

CAUTION:
 Use rooftop catwalk to avoid any possible fall
 Sparks may cause sinister mishap
 Check all lifting equipment before use

ENSURE:
 Seal floor openings to avoid slipping into them

BE SAFE:
 Pass through barricaded walkways only

SAFER WAY:
 Handle and keep gas cylinders safely

CLEAR THE PASSAGE:

 Ensure working passages are hassle free

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DO IMMEDIATELY:
 Remove/bend protruding nails immediately

BE ALERT:
 Do not overload platforms

DO NOT:
 Do not stack construction materials on high edges

DON’T FORGET:
 Get permission before any electrical works are carried out

REPORT IMMEDIATELY:
 Report accidents immediately to supervisors

DON’T NEGLECT:
 Tidy up your work area

BEWARE:
 Stay away from moving machines
 Monitor crane movements

AVOID:
 Don’t pile up earth at the edge of the trench

BE SURE:
 All platforms must have guardrails an toeboards
 Install jack base and prepare the platform on stable ground

UNDERSTAND THEM:
 Understand and comply to requirements stated in work permits

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3 Administer the rules and regulations, which

involve company employees and those of the
site. There should be a safety coordinator and
Safety officers or superintendent appointed to
enforce the safety practices.

4 Provision of Training and Safety manuals

5 Holding safety meetings ~ reviewing the

administration of the rules and regulations.
Any accidents should be reviewed and
comments and suggestions given especially on
certain procedures.

6 Be in mind the safety for environment and

public when creating the safety practice and
be included as part of rules and regulations.

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