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1.0 Introduction
To improve quality management, this report examines the effect of quality management on building construction in Nigeria. Construction failures and, in extreme cases, building collapses have been blamed on a variety of factors, including poor quality management. Quality control measures employed in quality management by the Nigerian construction industry include physical checks and statistical reliance, indicating that quality management and effective quality evaluations (a measure of quality assurance in building production) are not generally implemented. Greed, bribery, and corruption are issues, as well as a lack of quality control. A lack of proper sanction by the standard assurance organization, inadequate communication of quality standards, and a lack of stakeholder understanding of the benefits of quality management have all been reported as obstacles influencing quality management practice in the Nigerian construction industry. This research will explore the subject and give insight into how construction companies may take a more performance approach, as well as the need to raise awareness about the importance of quality management concepts in the construction industry.
2.0 Background
In the construction sector, quality is defined as complying with the contractor’s, regulatory authorities, and owner’s criteria. Quality management has a huge impact on a construction firm’s reputation, and it may also have an impact on the organization’s growth and vision. Because construction facilities have such a large impact on a country’s economy, quality management ideas in construction projects cannot be fully dismissed. To some extent, a country’s growth is influenced by the quality of its infrastructure and construction projects (Wasiu and Modupe 2012). However, according to Sanni and Windapo (2008), the construction industry employs a sizable percentage of Nigeria’s workforce. As a result, the success or failure of any building project can have a favorable or negative influence on the economy of the country. ISO 8402 (1994) describes quality as the degree of excellence in a competitive sense. Quality management practices can assist reduce material waste, cost overruns, and delays and they can also be used to meet client needs (Hoonakker et al., 2010). Quality management is an important management method that construction firms should adopt to improve their level of performance; nevertheless, quality management is not used by most construction firms in Nigeria.
3.0 Literature Review
Most construction projects require large sums of money to be executed. As a result, time and resources are important factors in determining the cost-effectiveness of a project. Failures in built-in facilities could cause project delays. Cost increases are unavoidable, particularly when a structure must be reconstructed. In the worst-case situation, failures can result in serious injury or even death. To avoid large increases in capital expenses (due to reconstruction requirements) or the risk of fatalities caused by the occurrence of accidents on construction sites, extensive quality control research is required. These quality measures are essential for improving the construction process and ensuring on-time completion. If experts such as architects, builders, engineers, and contractors diligently adhere to traditional quality management systems, the chances of a building failure or site mishap are greatly reduced. Unfortunately, in most building settings, strong adherence to quality management has not been the case). In the Nigerian construction sector, quality management is critical to a project’s success. Quality management has been studied and confirmed to be effective at reducing total cost throughout the life cycle of a project by professionals all over the world.
3.1 Quality Management
Issues regarding the performance and quality of construction projects have grown in recent years. The requirement for organized and formal construction management systems to handle issues of performance, workmanship, and quality has increased as a direct result of inadequacies and constraints in design, construction, materials, and components. Many building problems manifest themselves as a variety of defects ranging from small technical and aesthetic issues to serious structural defects. Such issues are known to cost the construction industry a significant amount of money each year, regardless of their severity; however, many of these issues could be avoided by paying more attention to performance and quality standards during the briefing, design, and construction stages of the construction process (Griffith, 1990). More emphasis should be placed on applying quality management standards to design and site work, including project selection and specification, as well as site monitoring and protection if structures are to be trouble-free (Atkinson, 2005). All project participants should be able to comprehend and comply with the quality requirements, which should be transparent and verifiable.
3.2 Quality Improvement
According to the Health Foundation (2009), quality improvement has no one definition, and no single strategy appears to be more effective than the others. Quality improvement, on the other hand, is defined by several definitions as a systematic approach to quality improvement that employs specific procedures. How the change is introduced and implemented is the most significant factor in achieving long-term success. ‘A component of quality management focused on enhancing the ability to achieve quality standards,’ according to ISO 9000:2000. Builders and developers use several quality improvement measures, according to several studies on construction quality management. The majority of these methods have been put together under the successful management philosophy known as ‘Total Quality Management,’ or TQM. (Shofoluwe and colleagues, 2013)
Quality Management Systems in Construction
Total Quality Management, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Malcolm Baldridge (MB) standard, and BS 5750 of Standard Institute (BSI), European Construction Institute (ECI), which founded the Matrix in 1993, are all globally recognized quality management standards (Kado, 2011). According to the ASCE manual issued in 2012, the major purpose of codes and ethics is to protect the public’s safety, health, and environment, as well as to ensure that quality standards are met early in the construction process. Significant costs and delays may be incurred if acceptable norms and quality standards are not established before the start of construction projects. As a result, while beginning any construction project, professionals must follow strict rules and quality standards to ensure that the project is completed successfully.
As a result, in the Nigerian construction industry, quality management has become a key point. Quality management, according to ISO 8402, (1994), refers to all management roles that establish and implement quality policy, objectives, and responsibilities within any quality system through quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality implementation. Quality management creates a set of reference points to ensure that the same information, processes, skills, and controls are used and applied consistently each time a process is completed. Quality management, in essence, aids firms in standardizing operations, reducing waste and reworks, and increasing profit margins.
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