Improving the materials supply system in small-sized building firms

This paper presents a research study aimed at developing a method for improving the materials supply system in small-sized building firms using total quality management (TQM) principles. The study involved three companies from the Brazilian building industry, which worked cooperatively through several stages of TQM implementation. The proposed method is based on simple well-known quality techniques for problem identification, analysis and solving, such as flowchart, brainstorming, checklist and Pareto diagram. The paper points out some of the difficulties in applying such techniques and principles in small-sized building firms and discusses some typical problems found in materials supply systems of such companies in Brazil.     

Contractors' perception of the use of costs of quality system in Malaysian building construction projects

While conforming on the findings of prior researches regarding quality cost system in building companies, current research successfully illustrates the contractors' perceptions on the importance of the quality cost system and the barriers that may constrain the implementation of the system for recording and collecting quality cost data. A postal and email surveys were undertaken on Malaysian building companies, focusing on the benefits and difficulties associated with the implementation of quality cost system. Statistical analyses based on Chi-Squared test and Relative Importance Index techniques were used to investigate the significance of the findings and determine the relative importance of the factors. The most important benefit of measuring quality costs is “getting management attention and increase quality awareness” as perceived by the sample of the study. The possible barriers that may affect the management's decision to implement quality cost system are identified and grouped into three categories, which are culture and knowledge; system; and company. The study suggests that the level of the site staff's knowledge should be as important as that of the management to successfully collect and record quality costs data. The findings of this research will raise the level of awareness and sensitize managers and those involved with building industry about the importance of quality cost system and collecting quality costs data.     

价值工程理论在建设工程费用管理中的应用

随着我国建筑行业的迅猛发展,在确保建筑工程质量的同时,如何降低建设工程的费用就成为了业主最关心的问题。本文对价值工程理论的概念以及价值工程活动的原则进行了概述,并将价值工程理论应用于建设工程的费用管理中。希望能为业主和项目管理部门实行有效的建设工程费用管理提供一些参考依据,促进我国建筑行业又好又快的发展。     

Quantifying the causes and costs of rework in construction

Very few construction companies and consulting firms in Australia measure their costs of quality. Consequently, it is difficult for them to prove that systems for preventing quality failures are cost-effective. Although the direct costs of a quality system can be quantified with some accuracy (salaries, costs of documentation, audits, etc.), the corresponding benefits are far more difficult to assess. Indeed quality failures have become an endemic feature of the procurement process in construction and invariably lead to time and cost overruns in projects. Thus, in order to improve the performance of projects it is necessary to identify the causes and costs rework. The research presented in this paper quantifies the causes, magnitude and costs of rework experienced in two construction projects that were procured using different contractual arrangements. The causes and costs of rework projects are analysed and discussed. The findings reveal that the cost of rework for the case study projects was 3.15% and 2.40% of their project contract value. Changes initiated by the client and end-user together with errors and omissions in contract documentation were found to be the primary causes of rework. It is recommended that construction companies and consultant firms (particularly design consultants) implement quality management practices as well as place emphasis on coordinating project documentation during the design development process so that the amount of rework in projects can be reduced or even eliminated.     

Determining the causal structure of rework influences in construction

One of the most perplexing issues facing organizations in the construction industry is their inability to become quality focused. As a result sub-standard products and services often emanate, which inadvertently result in rework. Typically, rework is caused by errors made during the design process. These errors appear downstream in the procurement process and therefore have a negative impact on a project's performance. The lack of attention to quality, especially during the design process, has meant that rework has become an inevitable feature of the procurement process, and the costs have been found to be as high as 12.4% of total project costs. Such costs could be even higher because they do not represent schedule delays, litigation costs and other intangible costs of poor quality. To reduce the cost and effect of rework, an understanding of its causal structure is needed so that effective prevention strategies can be identified and the effects of rework reduced or eliminated. A case study approach based upon deductive and inductive reasoning is used to identify the major factors that influence rework in projects. From the findings and with reference to recent literature, the concept of system dynamics is used to develop a series of influence diagrams, which are then integrated to develop a conceptual causal loop model that is used to determine the overall causal structure of rework. Once an understanding of the causal structure of rework events has been acquired, effective strategies for rework prevention can be designed and implemented in order to improve project performance. This paper contributes to study of quality in construction by capturing the complexity and dynamism of those factors that influence rework and project performance in a holistic manner.     

BIM在施工成本管理中的应用

BIM模型作为新型建造管理技术,其改变了传统的建造管理模式,是一种动态的管理模式。在施工阶段全过程引入BIM技术,可以精准地预测项目成本,合理安排人、材、机和资金等相关资源计划,优化设计变更过程。结合相关实例,探讨BIM技术在施工前期的深化设计与施工模拟、施工过程中工程计量与进度管理、后期竣工结算管理等方面的具体应用,为施工企业进行施工成本精细化管理提供借鉴。     

建筑工程造价中的动态控制研究

在市场经济日益发展与完善的当今社会,建筑业作为经济发展的支柱产业之一,其发展状况备受瞩目。建筑项目管理中一个非常重要的部分就是工程的造价管理,它对工程的质量和施工过程有着决定性作用。建筑项目管理中比较核心的造价管理,对施工的过程和最终质量有着决定性的作用。本文按照项目工程建设中的几个重要阶段,分别阐述了工程造价的动态控制在各个阶段中所存在的问题,以及相对应的对策。     

Target value design: using collaboration and a lean approach to reduce construction cost

Target costing is an effective management technique that has been used in manufacturing for decades to achieve cost predictability during new product development. Adoption of this technique promises benefits for the construction industry as it struggles to raise the number of successful outcomes and certainty of project delivery in terms of cost, quality and time. Target value design is a management approach that takes the best features of target costing and adapts them to the peculiarities of construction. The concept of target value design is introduced based on the results of action research carried out on 12 construction projects in the USA. It has been shown that systemic application of target value design leads to significant improvement of project performance—the final cost of projects was on average 15% less than market cost. The construction industry already has approaches that have similarities with elements of the target value design process or use the same terminology, e.g. partnering and target cost contracts, cost planning, etc. Following an exploration of the similarities and differences target value design is positioned as a form of target costing for construction that offers a more reliable route to successful project outcomes.     

建设项目全过程造价管理提升技术研究

在我国经济发展的带动下,我国的建筑事业也取得了巨大的发展,建筑工程施工技术和施工质量都取得了巨大的进步。然而工程建设中投资超额、管理混乱等问题频繁出现,严重制约了建筑事业的发展。本文从全过程造价管理角度出发,对工程建设项目造价管理问题进行研究,构建高效、动态的全过程造价管理体系,希望能为建筑行业的健康发展作出贡献。     

浅谈工程项目成本管理

成本是项目施工过程中各种费用的总和。成本管理的内容很广,贯穿于项目管理活动的全过程和每个方面,从项目中标签约开始到施工准备,现场施工直至竣工验收,每个环节都离不开成本管理工作。就成本管理的完整工作过程来说,其内容一般包括成本预测、成本控制、降低成本的有效途径,根据这三个方面以"山东大学齐鲁软件学院"项目为例引以阐述。     

The rationalization of quality in the construction industry: Some empirical findings

The industry's attempt to rationalize construction quality is examined. Two schools of thought are identified. While the determinist school of thought envisages a belief that every construction element can be quantified and accounted for in writing, the indeterminist school, on the other hand, suggests otherwise. The socio-political effects on quality as well as the technical safeguards taken by both the contractor and the employer are investigated. Emphasis is then directed towards workmanship and the relevance of Quality Assurance as a management process for achieving quality standards in the construction industry. The empirical results of a field study from six building sites in the West Midlands, England are presented to highlight the salient factors which influence respondents’ perceptions and attitudes towards construction quality. The findings from this study tend to mirror the existence of both the rational and irrational approaches to quality in the construction industry. The industry needs to recognize this phenomenon in its attempt to institutionalize any procedure to both achieve and maintain quality construction.     

浅析园林施工管理及成本控制

城市居民对环境的质量需要越来越高,导致了园林建筑业的竞争日趋激烈。近几年来,我国的环境问题得到关注,园林工程建设如火如荼。在园林施工的过程中,加强管理以及成本控制是主要的两个方面。本文就从园林施工管理以及成本控制这两方面进行了剖析。     

The cost of non-conformance during a highway project: a case study

Poor quality resulting from non-conformance during construction leads to extra cost and time to all members of the project team. The costs of rectifying non-conformance can be high and they can affect a firm's profit margin and its competitiveness. Construction-related firms can identify non-conformance information by employing a quality cost matrix as illustrated in a case study as a basis for improvement. Findings indicate the applicability of the matrix, the usefulness of the information for quality improvement and the positive change in attitude of personnel involved in the case study. Areas and frequency of non-conformance and the viability and importance of preventive measures are also ighlighted.     

全面质量管理在香港迪士尼工程中的综合运用

以香港迪士尼工程的安全管理实践为基础,提出更好地将全面质量管理应用到建筑工程的安全管理中,分析了以全面质量管理理念为指导,通过安全管理各项职能将安全管理体系落到实处,主要论述了其中所包含的基准化、组织架构、专业技术、评估、培训、过程控制等环节。     

Quality improvement in construction by using a Vandermonde interpolation technique

Cost and quality are considered as the two most important elements in all construction activities. However, the quality of products or services does not focus only on their ultimate delivery, but also on the quality of the whole business model. Prevention–appraisal–failure (PAF) modelling is the most commonly adopted methodology to assess the quality performance of the construction organization. However, it cannot successfully show the correlation between prevention, appraisal, and failure costs, hence, it is difficult to determine the optimal point among these costs. A case study is proposed in this paper by presenting activities of a hydro-seeding company. Quality management data of the company are also attached and analysed by using a Vandermonde interpolation technique. This new method clearly shows an optimal point of the total cost which is a summation of prevention, appraisal and failure costs. Comparisons with the PAF modelling of the data are made. Data interpolation can also be used to thoroughly study the company’s performance in terms of investment and managing its resources.     

Web-based quality control of ready mixed concrete

The ready mixed concrete industry is an important part of today's construction business environment. This industry provides the required quality of concrete used in construction works. The production of this concrete has many different operation parts and it is highly essential to obtain the required quality in these operations. The new trend; web-based management, has the characteristics of developing the business methods in any business environment as well as in ready mixed concrete industry. This paper presents a web-based system for the quality control of ready mixed concrete. The system is illustrated step by step and its benefits for this industry are examined.     

The European Quality Award

Companies in the process of implementing a quality system usually need a standard against which progress can be measured. Prestigious prizes and awards have been established in a number of countries accepted as quality world leaders. These awards enable quality organisations to be recognised and more importantly provide firms with a standard to measure how they are developing towards world class. These awards include the Deming prize initiated in Japan in 1951, the Malcolm Baldridge award established in America in 1987 and the European Quality Award (EQA) introduced in 1992 for companies within the European Community. This article is concerned with total quality management (TQM) in industry in South Wales. The authors indicate the requirements of companies aiming for the EQA and report on the findings of a case study. The progress that can be achieved by the consistent and systematic approach of a leadership committed to the fundamental principles of quality is illustrated. The progress of a medium-size South Wales company through the consistent and systematic approach of a leadership committed to the fundamental principles of quality to achieve business excellence is described     

工程机械涂装品质管理

对比工程机械行业与汽车行业在涂装方面的特点,介绍工程机械涂装品质管理的方法和意义.从原材料管理--包括化学原材料供应商资格管理、涂装原材料管理-加强常规性能指标进厂检验及功能性指标的检测、金属原材料管理-加强防腐蚀保护;现场5S管理;工艺管理--建立完善的工艺管理体系,制定相关工艺文件和加强对外协厂家涂装质量的控制,制定相应的管理制度,签订相关的技术协议;质量管理--顾客级、公司级、部门级和自主级的4级质量控制体系;供应商服务--设置专职售后技术服务人员及人员培训等多方面,对工程机械企业涂装品质管理的方法进行了探讨.指出工程机械产品涂装贯彻"持续改善的思想",在满足基本设备的条件下,采取合理的管理制度,开拓思维,充分调动每一位员工的聪明才智,工程机械企业也能做到高品质的涂装质量.     

Assessing contractor quality performance

This paper proposes a radical change in industry practice that will improve the quality of the construction process and the levels of customer satisfaction derived from it by evaluating the quality performance of the contractor. An alternative theory is developed of what constitutes quality, client satisfaction, performance, and their interrelationships in the context of the construction industry. It should be noted here that the term construction client includes both the owner (i.e. the agency or organization funding the project) and the end-user of the construction (i.e. the general public). A comprehensive view of construction quality is proposed that deals with both the service (as received by the owner) and product (as received by the end-user) aspects of the construction project as well as the corporate quality culture. Such a dissection of construction activity facilitates developing strategies to define, operationalize, measure and improve construction quality. A frame4 work for the assessment of a contractor's quality performance is established. This involves gathering a list of contractor quality performance (CQP) indicators that are derived from various quality-related practices of the contractor at the corporate and project level. Finally, a contractor quality performance (CQP) evaluation model is introduced that can be used in a contractor prequalification and/or selection system. The CQP indicators are operationalized within the theoretical framework of the CQP evaluation model.     

工程项目总监理工程师素质的模糊综合评价方法

我国建设监理自１９８８年试行以来对工程建设的全过程,特别是对工程项目实施过程中项目三大目标（质量、投资、过度）在很大程度上起到了控制作用,大大改变了过去的“工期马拉松、投资无底洞、质量难保证”的局面。建设监理这项高智能的技术服务活动的效果好坏与总监理工程师负责制下工程项目总监理工程师的素质紧密相关。本文分析了项目总监理工程师素质应当具备的基本要素,用模糊数学方法建立了评价项目总监理工程师素质的模型,为业主选定监理单位时评价项目总监理工程师人选提供了可行的方法。