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PROJECT MANAGER'S ROLE IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Howard G. Birnberg
Few design firms engage in any regular
or formal process of quality reviews and quality assurance. Some
may spot check or occasionally critique designs and/or technical
decisions. Rarely do designers establish a formal quality assurance
program. These programs are intended to develop checking procedures,
checkpoints, lines of communication, meeting processes, clarity
of authority and responsibility, assignment of checking responsibilities
to staff, implement training programs and a wide range of other
systems.
Under the pressure of meeting deadlines
and maintaining budgets, most designers tend to minimize their quality
assurance reviews or to ignore them altogether. Even more distressing
is the lack of attention to the development of a program to improve
the quality of the product being issued by the firm.
The focus on quality must permeate
the entire practice. Quality management is far more than simply
reviewing designs or drawings at various stages of completion. It
must include not only a review of the project, but also an examination
of the method of operation and organization within the firm to develop
designs, working drawings and specifications.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
A number of years ago, I was told the
definition of quality control and quality assurance. The old engineer
telling me the difference said that quality control required three
steps:
1. make a lot of errors
2. spend a huge amount of time and
money finding them
3. invest even more in fixing them
(or ignore them and hope they go away)
He went on to say that quality assurance
was simply a process of avoiding errors in the first place. Many
of us today know this as Total Quality Management (TQM).
Unfortunately, TQM has been denigrated
by many in the construction industry. Perhaps this was a result
of overselling by management consultants, or because of confusion
arising from ISO 9000 certification. Whatever the reason, TQM is
a sound idea that should be incorporated in all design and construction
organizations. While there are numerous philosophical and theoretical
works on the subject of Total Quality Management, what is important
is the practical application of theory.
Some suggestions to apply TQM in your
organization include:
1. An effective project management/project
delivery system is essential to controlling the quality of the product
you produce. In nearly every other system, crisis management prevails,
a clear point of contact is lacking for clients, no one individual
is in charge of a particular project and a variety of other weaknesses
exist.
2. Make the appropriate use of technology.
Your manual systems must be well thought out and clearly understood
before automation occurs. Remember that CADD is a tool and should
be part of your total system. Look toward system integration and
continually seek out new applications for technology.
3. Effective communications is the
basic tool for improving quality. Accurate and timely information
must be conveyed to all who need it. A regular meeting process must
be used. Tools such as e-mail, voice mail, faxes, etc. must be part
of every project managers daily life.
4. Project management and quality are
team concepts. No one individual is capable of doing everything
on other than a small project. Every team member must always think
about how they can help other members do their job more effectively.
5. Cross training is vital. This allows
team members to help each other, builds in support during busy times
or absences, and improves the performance of everyone.
6. Every staff member's authority level
must be roughly equal to their level of responsibility. This is
particularly true for project managers. Without this equality, you
will not be properly able to perform your job. Unfortunately, many
senior managers find it irresistible to meddle in projects particularly
where they are well acquainted with the client. This can destroy
the project manager's authority and hurt project quality.
7. Every organization must strive to
push decision making to the lowest effective level. This is achieved
through training, well documented procedures, good communications,
effective hiring, and a variety of other techniques. Remember too,
the three steps to making this work: your system
must permit people to make decisions;
they must be willing to
make decisions; and they must make correct
decisions.
8. "If it isn't broken; don't
fix it" is absurd. Continuous improvement is vital. Your marketplace
changes daily, the economy changes, legislation and regulations
change, the labor market changes, and a thousand other things change.
If you don't change--you're finished.
PEER REVIEW
One important resource that designers
can call upon to improve quality is to make use of peer review programs.
These have been offered by most of the major design profession associations
including National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the
American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Consulting Engineers
Council (ACEC), and the Association of Engineering Firms Practicing
In The Geosciences (commonly known as ASFE).
In May 1990, the CONSTRUCTION SPECIFIER
magazine reported on the history, progress, goals and costs of peer
review programs. As the magazine noted, "The ACEC first examined
the concept of peer review in 1977. ACEC based much of its program
on the first peer review program ever created for design professionals,
established in the late 1970's by ASFE. Thirteen years later, five
major organizations have endorsed the ACEC program, nearly 400 firms
have been reviewed and several types of peer review have been created."
In a Birnberg & Associates survey
of nearly 900 professionals representing approximately 500 firms,
less than a dozen had undertaken peer reviews. Most were not even
aware of the existence of peer review programs. Many perceive peer
review as a fad of the 1980's. Indeed, peer reviews are infrequent
today. This in no way lessens the value of the concept.
Why this lack of knowledge and participation?
One reason may be the crisis management approach that prevails in
many firms. Often bogged down in day to day project problems, many
designers fail to examine alternatives to their current methods
or to learn about programs that might help improve their quality.
A second reason may be the cost of
peer review programs. According to the CONSTRUCTION SPECIFIER, "The
firm under review is billed for all review costs, including travel
and lodging expenses incurred by the review team, administrative
costs and daily honoraria. Some smaller firms find these costs prohibitive,
but compared to the costs of hiring professional consultants, the
price is small."
The tradeoff for the costs of the review
can be great. Clearly, if the firm implements the advice of the
peer reviewers, the quality of designs and drawings can be greatly
improved and profitability may be enhanced. In addition, several
of the leading professional liability insurance carriers offer benefits
for firms undertaking peer reviews.
COMPONENTS OF A PEER REVIEW
Firms that wish to undertake a peer
review must select a review team from an extensive list of trained
reviewers. All reviewers are registered professionals with at least
fifteen years' experience, including at least five years in company
management. There is inherently no restriction on the discipline
of the reviewers because their technical knowledge is not as important
as their management experience.
In a typical review, the reviewers
examine documents and interview selected staff from all levels in
the firm. Reviews cover six areas, including overall management,
professional development, project management, personnel/human resources,
finance and business development (marketing).
Firms wishing to take advantage of
peer review programs must contact their appropriate professional
society. You will be provided a list of qualified reviewers. Obviously,
the scheduling of a review can be complicated and can take at least
three months to plan for an on-site visit. The review itself can
be conducted and completed quickly.
SUMMARY
Organization of staff is the key element
in any quality assurance program. Clear responsibilities and the
use of standardized forms, formats, methods and procedures will
yield the benefits of reduced liability, improved schedules, fewer
errors and higher profits. It is well worth the effort.
Howard Birnberg is the Executive Director
of the Association for Project Managers. He can be reached in Chicago
at (312) 664-2300 or e-mail at AssocPM@ix.netcom.com
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