Construction Quality Management Blog

We’ve helped a lot of companies start a construction quality program, so we know the many pitfalls that can be avoided. While it’s likely that you’ll make a few mistakes along the way—who doesn’t?—understanding the most common errors before you get started can keep them to a minimum.

If you have been in the construction industry for long, you know that there is no magic bullet for managing all aspects of multiple projects. Whether you’re swinging a hammer or wielding an iPad, you need the right combination of talented people, processes, and tools to successfully complete projects on time, on budget, and with first-time quality.

Every Builder knows that having a solid specialty subcontractor base can make or break the company. Subcontractors who show-up on time and complete their jobs 100% keep the building schedule moving. Contractors who don’t, create complications and delays that can give the Builder a bad reputation.

The last couple of years have been optimistic for homebuilders, with rising home prices and increased margins. However, as pipeline reports lengthen, a new problem has surfaced: the trades struggle to keep up with the increased demand. And, when the subcontractors grow too fast, the building quality can suffer.

Just a few years ago, the main advantage of using a smart phone on the construction site was turning on the flashlight app. Today, smart phones are as important a tool as anything found in the contractor’s toolbox, especially when it comes to a managing quality.

A strong Quality Assurance Program can actually give the mid-size builder a competitive edge over those large builders with deep pockets. Jobsite waste, scheduling errors, rework, dry-runs and call backs get jumbled-up in the rage of volume building, where the race to deliver projects on-time can overwhelm any quality assurance efforts. It’s actually easier to deliver first time quality (i.e. finishing each milestone in the construction schedule 100% complete and on time) in a smaller business model. In fact, the builder can respond to changes faster, implement improvement measures easier and deliver a quality project with fewer people, fewer resources and fewer mistakes and accidents. But this is only possible when the subcontractors and crews work as a team with each other and the builder.

Subcontractor reliability and performance are essential to the success of GCs and home builders. When subcontractors underperform, it’s frustrating, time-consuming, and brings the construction schedule to a grinding halt. But what should the Builder do when a subcontractor isn’t bringing its A Game – or worse, isn’t even showing up? Can the Builder help improve an underperforming subcontracting partner? Or should the Builder cut its losses at the first sign of trouble?

Are you thinking of rehiring a subcontractor for a new project? How was their quality on the last few projects? How do they compare to other subcontractors? Seeing subcontractor quality performance across other subcontractors and across  projects is essential for making an informed decision. Here is how you can use FTQ360 to understand each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses: