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Question #1 :
Based on the current situation of the country in terms of accreditation, the holding of an
ISO 9001 certificate does not mean that a company is implementing an effective QMS, to
do that requires a cultural shift. The change from a culture of building to the lowest
quality level and then repairing inevitable defective work, to a culture of producing „right–
first-time‟ output, is required for the demonstration of achievement of successful quality
system application. Corbett and Rastrick (2000), Irani, Beskese and Love (2004) and Koh
and Low (2008) state that there is a definite relationship between corporate culture and
quality in construction projects, and in order to support the necessary elements of such
a QMS, an appropriate corporate culture is a prerequisite. This relationship is “mutually
reinforcing‟ and this means that if the corporate culture is good, the quality system will
be applied appropriately, with the resulting products and services also being good (ibid
2008).
The cultural factors, which are integrated into organizational management and policies,
also play a major role in determining how effectively construction companies implement
their QMSs. This perspective is equally applicable in the Indonesian scenario. From the
few studies that exist on the subject, it is apparent that the cultural values which support
quality system implementation need to be internally driven by the management and staff
of construction companies. Hence, with a strong culture that gives an organization a
distinct identity and drives it to operate effectively (Sai, Wong and Wu 2011), an effective
implementation of the company QMS that also exhibits continuous improvement, is
expected. Such a system should be capable of meeting project owner requirements, and
of providing a high level of customer satisfaction in the area of project delivery.
The successful implementation of an ISO 9001 certified QMS requires a total change in
organizational focus, even to the extent of adopting a new type of culture that must be
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The sub-sections below introduce the general concept of quality and quality management
system (QMS), in the context of the construction sector perspective; also introduced are
the essential concepts of one of the well-known QMSs, the ISO 9001 standard. The two
concepts are reviewed to contextualize the extent and significance of these research
topics. Accordingly, the effectiveness of implementing QMSs and barriers to implementing
the quality system are also justified.
ISO 9001:2015 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is the only
standard in the family that can be certified to (although this is not a requirement). It can
be used by any organization, large or small, regardless of its field of activity. In fact, there
are over one million companies and organizations in over 170 countries certified to
ISO 9001. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including
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a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process
approach and continual improvement.
As construction projects usually involve large quantities of resources and many dynamic
processes, achieving high quality is not only end-product based, but also reflects on the
management of interrelated organizational processes. However, the assessment of the
output of construction companies can often be impeded by different interpretations of
“quality‟ by the service providers and related parties involved. As a result, quality
deliverables at both management and project levels are often not as transparent and
measurable as promised in project designs and contracts. The concept of quality
management systems and, in particular the use of QMS-ISO 9001 standard, are
introduced before discussing effective practices of QMSs and challenges to their
implementation in the global construction industry.
With regard to any examination of quality issues in the construction industry, there are
commonly three main terms that require objective definition and discussion. They are -
what is actually meant by „quality‟, „quality management system (QMS)‟, and what
constitutes a „total quality management (TQM)‟ philosophy.
There is no precise or single definition of „quality‟, and although many of the pioneers of
the quality movement and gurus, such as Deming, Juran, Crosby, Feigenbaum, Taguchi
and others, had their own individual definitions of „quality‟, ISO DIS 9000:2000 generally
defines „quality‟ as “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill
requirements” (Tricker 2008, 4). Lam, Low and Teng (1994, 15), in the context of
construction, define „quality management‟ as “that aspect of the overall management
function that determines and implements the quality policy”, and „quality system‟ as “the
organisational structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources for
implementing quality 17 management”.
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Deming has provided a seven point action plan as follows: Much research has been done
with regard to the implementation of TQM and it is belief that the benefits of higher
customer satisfaction, better quality products, and higher market share are often obtained
following the adoption of TQM by construction companies. It requires a complete
turnaround in corporate culture and management approach As compared to the
traditional way of top management giving orders and employees merely obeying them.
It is believed that the single most important determinant of the success an organization
in implementing TQM is its ability to translate, integrate, and ultimately institutionalize
TQM behaviors into everyday practice on the job. TQM is a way of thinking about goals,
organizations, processes, and people to ensure that the right things are done right the
first time. It is a major organizational change that requires a transformation in the culture,
process, strategic priorities, beliefs, etc. of an organization. The first question that a
construction company must ask itself prior to implementing a formal quality management
system is ‘where should we start?’.
The main challenge facing most construction companies understands what their first step
is for implementing a quality process. In developing a total quality culture in construction,
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Question #2
The introduction of total quality management (TQM) has played an important role in the
development of contemporary management. Quality, considered a key strategic factor in
achieving business success, is more than ever required for competing successfully in
today’s global market place (Dean & Evans, 1994), and it has become the key slogan as
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It is important to note that we adopt a new perspective when examining the relationship
between TQM and innovation (Prajogo & Sohal, 2003b; Hoang, Igel, & Laosirihongthong,
2006), where the degree of innovation is considered as an organisational characteristic
(independent variable) that influences TQM practices (dependent variable).
TQM as operational strategy The literature presents so many definitions and descriptions
of TQM that sometimes it seems as if each author has its own definition and each
organisation has its own implementation (Watson & Korukonda, 1995). However, no TQM
discussion is complete without acknowledging the work of the five best known TQM
experts, or ‘quality gurus’: Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Crosby and Ishikawa. In a recent
study, Reed, Lemark, and Mero (2000) systematically reviewed the work and ideas of
these TQM experts – Deming (1982, 1986), Juran (1974, 1988, 1989, 1992), Crosby
(1979, 1996), Feigenbaum (1951, 1983, 1991), and Ishikawa (1985) – and pointed out
the shared similarities on TQM elements. This review revealed that they all agreed on the
importance of the following six key elements: customer satisfaction, cost reduction,
leadership and top management commitment, training and education, teamwork and
organisational culture.
In addition to the complete agreement reflected in the above six elements, Reed et al.
(2000) also found commonly shared differences regarding the other TQM elements. The
role statistical tools play in improving quality control was emphasised by everyone except
Crosby (1996), who implied that the use of statistical control was not a core quality
management issue. Similarly, while Feigenbaum, Ishikawa, and Juran stressed product
design, Deming and Crosby did not. With the exception of Crosby, all mentioned planning,
but each dealt with different aspects of it. Juran covered all facets of planning, Deming
was concerned mostly with the stages of planned action, while Feigenbaum and Ishikawa
focused on feedback and control. Let us take a look at some of the definitions and TQM
elements that other researchers have proposed.
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TQM can be defined as a set of techniques and procedures used to reduce or eliminate
variation from a production process or service-delivery system in order to improve
efficiency, reliability, and quality (Steingrad & Fitzgibbons, 1993). Vuppalapati, Ahire, and
Gupta (1995) stated that TQM is an integrative philosophy of management for the
continuous improvement of product and process quality in order to achieve customer
satisfaction. According to Dean and Bowen (1994), TQM is a management philosophy or
an approach characterised by principles, practices, and techniques. They pointed out
three principles that most quality frameworks had in common – customer focus,
continuous improvement, and teamwork. Each principle is implemented through a set of
practices, and these practices, in turn, are supported by a broad set of techniques.
Anderson, Rungtusanatham, and Schroeder (1994) identified some core TQM
components derived from Deming’s 14-point programme using the Delphi method. These
components reflect Deming’s principles and are either explicitly or implicitly similar to the
factors included in the other quality management frameworks.
Concerning the relationship between TQM and innovation in the literature, there are two
opposing schools of thought. One school believes that TQM supports innovation, implying
that organisations that implement TQM will be successful in innovation. The alternative
school argues that TQM impedes innovation. The main debatable issue is whether or not
the nature of TQM practices fosters innovation.
Quality is the mantra of every enterprise which aspires to be on the cutting edge.
Organizations have taken up quality management systems world over to strengthen their
competitive advantage and in their march towards excel- lence. Despite a tendency to
associate quality systems to manufacturing set-ups, the quality jargons have become all
pervasive and have transcended every sphere of act.
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As the markets are getting more and more competitive and are subject to enormous
changes, there are several aspects that can be influenced in order to create a competitive
advantage for a business.The aspects, described above underline the major changes in
the three areas of social, economic and technical kind. Every company has to adapt to
these in the best possible way in order to survive in the changed surroundings. TQM can
be seen as one of these strategies to gain competitive advantage in today’s markets.
TQM helps to improve internal processes, satisfying customer’s-needs in the long run
cutting down the cost of running a business (Dale and Oakland 1991, pp. 11-13) and has
the major positive impact on creating competitive advantages.
Total quality management can support and strengthen the position of a company and is
described as the ‘fast track’ to improve performance and profitability in the companies’
processes (Anonymus, 2002) in order to be able to act more competitively in the markets.
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As there are several different definitions of TQM available, this essay will use
Freigenbaum’s definition, that defines TQM as “an effective system for integrating the
quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various
groups in an organization so as to enable production and service at the most economical
levels which allow for full customer satisfaction” (Feigenbaum 1986).
The main goal of an operation that implements TQM is to design and improve its business-
processes corresponding to its strategies and to involve its employees and resources in
the maximum efficient way in order to reach the following goals:
The main concept of the TQM-approach, compared to the traditional quality assurance is
that quality is not limited to products or services. It is a systematic process, which runs
throughout the whole company. This splits the steps of the different processes up into
customer-supplier relationships, where there is no difference between internal and
external customers. This enables a customer-focused thinking and acting throughout the
company and prerequisites to meet external requirements (Freiling 1994, 31-33).
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To push TQM into any form of organization, a total change in the commitment of the
management is required. Ideally it starts with the senior management and is distributed
and flat down through the business.
There are several approaches of using the three elements of the model. A company can
either use one or more of them as a spearhead to drive the quality concept through the
organization. Some companies start their TQM initiative with a new computer system,
some with the installation of a new management. There is now best practice approach,
as the structures and situations of the different companies vary.
CONCLUSION:
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ISO standards help to make the construction industry more effective and efficient by
establishing internationally agreed design and manufacturing specifications and
processes. They cover virtually every part and process of the construction project, from
the soil it stands on to the roof. ISO standards also provide a platform for new
technologies and innovations that help the industry respond to local and global challenges
related to demographic evolution, natural disasters, climate change and more
TQM is one element of the operations improvement processes, which is not only
concerned with quality but also with all aspects of operation’s performance and
improvement. . On top of a solid foundation, four pillars are constructed that include
process management, quality measurement and control, employee training, and
customer focus. A good management system, tools to control the processes and
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teamwork that have to be set up. They are complementary but all share the same
uncompromising commitment to quality.
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