Improving Quality Control From Contractors to Owners
August 04, 2009
Some segments of the commercial construction industry are still seeing a bit of development, according to industry reports, particularly healthcare and educational facilities. In these particular segments, one process that is absolutely essential is quality control—and those involved in the construction process are looking to technology for assistance.
Contractors and owners are finding that moving from a paper-driven environment to a technology system can help improve processes and workflow, specifically related to QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control). One example is the $106 million education construction project for LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District).
The project—which includes a four-story building with 67 classrooms, a library, and food services—is scheduled for completion in March 2011. One of the reasons Suffolk Construction, www.suffolkconstruction.com, Irvine, Calif., was selected as the contractor on the project is because it is able to provide the LAUSD with critical updates and quality control through the use of technology.
Suffolk Construction is using Vela System’s, www.velasystems.com, Burlington, Mass., Issues and Punchlists, Checklists (QA/QC), and Document Sync software. This technology allows project participants to access plans and drawings, while providing the LAUSD with field updates.
With the Checklists (QA/QC), Suffolk is able to implement an enterprise quality control program, gather QA/QC information to reduce risks, monitor compliance, understand subcontractor and self-perform quality, and standardize QA/QC materials with content library checklists.
While Suffolk Construction is an example of a general contractor looking to improve quality control within the construction processes, QA/QC is also important for the owner community.
When the Community Hospital of Los Gatos needed to transform into the El Camino Hospital Los Gatos and safely introduce new staff, equipment, policies, and supplies, it turned to technology.
The hospital selected Healthcare Technical Services (HTS), www.consulthts.com, Los Angeles, Calif., a consulting firm that provides commissioning and transition planning services for new hospital construction projects. In 2002, the consulting company created the FreightTrain, www.freighttrain.com, Los Angeles, Calif., online database software tools to help with the commissioning of healthcare projects.
One of the goals of this project was to move away from paper-based processes and move to an integrated IT (information technology) system to improve patient care. The HTS team implemented protocols to help reach deadlines, which included a Critical Task Log, among others. The hospital also implemented the Visual Fragnets module in the FreightTrain software, which uses room layout drawings to plan occupancy and hospital readiness oversight.
From contractors to owners, quality control is a vital part of all construction processes. These days, technology is enabling companies to improve such procedures on projects through the use of online punch lists and databases.