The Good Old Days
Successful construction projects used to go something like this: Owners would hire experienced, hardworking Architects and Engineers who developed plans and specifications that were not perfect, but good enough that experienced, hardworking General Contractors could hire experienced, hardworking Trade Contractors to do the work of making a project happen. We worked through the inherent difficulties of construction by working long hours, keeping our word and understanding that “stuff happens”. We accepted that no project was perfect, that people screw up, and knew that there was little use in crying over spilled milk. The satisfaction of a job well done carried us through the toughest days.
We didn’t spend much time telling specialists, like trade contractors, how to do their job. They had skilled tradesmen, the construction was relatively simple, and most contractors did things pretty much the same. If we had a contract, it was something the “suits” put together, and copies might not be sent to the jobsite since they had little or no connection to the “getting the job done”.
The New World
Construction professionals are living in a new world:
Consumers expect quality increases and price decreases in all products.
The building industry is not keeping pace with the quality and price advances many industries are
making.
Consumers are more litigious than ever and there is a proliferation of attorneys.
The building industry is not attracting the best and brightest young people.
The built-environment has been altered in the last 20years, including increased complexity, less
fault- tolerant materials, and tighter, slower drying buildings.
Consumers are more conscious of building-related health issues than ever.
In some areas, a lack of skilled construction labor makes the construction professional’s job even
more critical.
Construction Management
Our company delivers training in construction management and we have categorized the phases of project planning and management in a framework we call “The DBSKCV™ (pronounced “dib-skiv”) Method.”
Summary of the DBSKCV™ Method
Define the Scope of Work (this includes the design phase).
Budget: Identify how much the project will cost the contractors and owner.
Schedule when the construction will happen and share this information.
Contract (K): Who is doing what? Everyone should know what to expect.
Coordinate the construction.
Verify, document and communicate that everyone is doing what they should.
For details, please read The DBSKCV™ Construction Management Method.
Construction Risk Management
Growing legal risks, administrative issues, sky- rocketing workers’ compensation costs, increasing fees and taxation, and complicated insurance issues are only a few of the reasons why the price of construction is higher today than ever before. Managing construction risk is a full time vocation for many professionals and beyond the scope of this article (we do training on this too).
The ABC’S of Risk Management
A = Avoid Potentially Dangerous Situations (Impossible in construction)
B = Be Really Good At What You Do
C = Cover Your Assets
The ABC’s apply to Managing Construction Quality because (A.) we must face the fact that “risk avoidance” as a construction professional is impossible, (B.) being good at what you do means doing all you can to make sure a project succeeds, and doing a little bit of someone else’s job will sometimes become necessary, and (C.) the best “coverage” is avoiding problems by delivering work that meets expectations. Just accept buyers expect high quality and performance, even when they pay rock-bottom prices, and lawyers expect perfection; the former is hard, but easier than the latter.
Project Definition
The “Define” phase of construction management consists of documenting the work to be performed. This is usually graphic and written with plans, specs, references to codes and standards, and detailed “Scope of Work” documents. Getting a clear, specific and detailed project scope is the first step in the construction project management process and it is where a project’s “quality” should be established.
Some Quick Definitions
Plans and Details: Graphic representation of construction.
Specifications: Specs are the written representation of construction, which usually includes a
greater level of detail regarding construction performance, process, products, and quality.
Construction Contract: Agreement between two or more parties for the delivery of construction; plans and specifications are used as the definition of what is being bought and sold.
Standards: Documents, with graphic and written information, referenced by plans, specifications and construction contracts, which specify performance criteria and/or methods in greater detail than typical plans or specifications. Standards are created by standards setting bodies like ASTM, product manufactures, and industry trade groups.
Scope of Work: The written definition of what is being bought and sold. Usually articulated in writing by making a list or description of responsibilities and specific exclusions (work that is NOT included), with references to plans, specifications (prescriptive or performance based), and industry standards. I strongly prefer when the scope can be summarized in a 5-15 point list, or conform to the fundamentals of a 2 or 3 level “Work Breakdown Structure,” collectively representing 100% of the project scope.
Hold-Point: Critical time in the construction process where construction should stop for verification of conformance with plans, specifications, standards (including performance) and contracts. Verification can include inspection, testing, recording, and reporting.
In “the good old days” we left the details of “how to” to the trade contractors. After all, they are the specialists. But for the reasons stated above, leaving the details to trade contractors to work out among themselves has left a lot of projects in a less than enviable position: lack of integration, quality problems, re-work, leaks, lack of durability and on and on.
Owners or their representatives should no longer sign a one or two page “Proposal” from a contractor which serves as the “Scope of Work.” Such documents are not likely to contain information specific enough to ensure the scope is complete, to ensure that the parties are on the same page for quality or performance, and they lack adequate contractual protections.
Specification writers making obscure references to documents that are difficult to obtain is not new. But acquiring these documents is much easier due to the internet. It is now possible to “define” (design) our projects using readily accessible documents that we can use during the building process to make sure the on-site work is being installed and integrated correctly. This information needs to be integrated throughout the plans, specifications, standards and contracts. In practice, these documents should be created or referenced in the Define phase, referenced in the Contract phase, and used to compare the actual work in the field to the plan during Coordination and Verification.
Managing Construction Quality
There is no way to 100% guarantee project success and performance; the closest I have found is the use of a proven system.
Think of it this way: Construction plans and specifications are a hypothesis, and a hypothesis should always be verified. The hypothesis is that the designers and specialty consultants have composed a set of documents that are appropriate to build a project that will meet the performance expectations of the owners and applicable codes. The contractors on the project then work under the hypothesis that the design is functional, and that the work they do will also meet performance expectations.
Question: How do we verify our construction projects are going to perform?
Answer: (1.) During the define phase, we make sure our design hypothesis is reasonable by having someone with experience in building performance issues review, comment and recommend improvements; (2.) We make sure the plans, specifications, standards, and contracts are consistent in describing to the contractors who will install the specified material “what good performance looks like”; (3.) We establish a procedure to “verify” at specified Hold-Points during construction; (4.)During construction we inspect to verify conformance with the design (plans, specs, standards, and contracts). (5.) After the initial assemblies are installed, test them to verify performance, or build a mock-up and test it before construction (whichever is more cost effective).
Remember: We must be willing to administer consequences to project team members who don’t do what they promise. You will get resistance. If a contractor has signed a contract to perform consistent with a specified standard, it will sometimes take a strong will to make some of them perform.
ATTACHMENT: The attached Independent Quality Review spreadsheet is a matrix of optional activities one might perform or purchase from a consultant. The minimum activities required, for a third party to be of assistance in ensuring project quality, are identified; higher levels of service are like buying more insurance. Remember, this does not include doing the actual design. At a minimum, this is making sure the project definition is close to complete, and helping assure that proper installation and integration of the assemblies will lead to appropriate performance. Further work can ensure a connection between the plans, specifications, standards and contract scope of work documents.
Quality Management Plan
Here is the system, organized in the context of The DBSKCV Method. Remember, the DBSKCV Method is iterative, meaning we walk through all steps many times throughout the life of a project. We should go through the “D-B Loop” (e.g Define-Budget-Repeat) many times before moving forward.
Define
Architectural, Structural, and Specialty Design
Specification Writing
Referenced Standards
Quality Planning
Evaluation of plans and specs
Evaluation of referenced standards, and contract/ scope of work language review (Optional)
Hold Point Development and performance verification planning (Optional)
Mock-Up of assemblies and testing (Optional)
Recommendations (final) from Quality Review Consultant
Meetings or teleconferences between Quality Review Consultant and Owner, Designers and/or
Contractors (Optional).
Review of updated design, specification, referenced standards and contracts made in response to Recommendations from Independent Quality Review Consultant (Optional).
Budget
Update as necessary throughout the process. Make active decisions about “how much insurance to buy”.
Schedule
Establish Hold Points
Be prepared to stop the project if acceptable performance cannot be achieved
Contract
Connect the Plans, Specifications, and Standards, Quality Management Plan, including Hold Points, to the Contract and Scope of Work documents so that Quality does not “cost extra” (in change orders) during construction.
Coordinate
Make sure prime and trade contractors know the standards they will be held to during the Verify phase.
Coordinate actions at Hold Points in the construction schedule to verify quality of installations.
Verify
Visual Inspection at Hold Points to verify conformance with project definition (plans, specs, standards and contract scope of work documents) and to evaluate any on-site changes (Optional)
Testing to verify performance (Optional)
Final Report that might include: Quality control process, design summary, evaluation process, inspection summary, testing summary and on-going maintenance recommendations (Optional)
