Construction Quality Management

8. TRANSITION FROM ISO 9000:1994 TO ISO 9000: 2000 AND INTEGRATION OF QMS WITH TQM PHILOSOPHY

8.1 Introductio n As discussed i n previous chapters , th e ISO 9000 (199 4 version) qualit y assurance (QA ) syste m i s a systemati c approac h i n satisfyin g give n requirements an d providin g adequat e confidence . Whil e rework , scrap , delivery, delays etc. may be minimized by the adoption o f the ISO 9000: 1994 system, othe r defects , fo r example , unnoticed delays , frustration , redundant interna l effort , ove r control , manpower inefficienc y an d lo w morale, which ar e largely hidden, ca n only be exposed an d cure d by th e adoption of total quality management (TQM ) (Ahme d and Aoieong 1998) . TQM was discussed in detail in Chapter 7. Also, in Chapte r 4, we have seen that in 1997 , almost all contractors an d consultants in Hong Kong who obtained ISO 9000:1994 certification wer e interested only in satisfying clients' requirement and improving companies' reputation. Thi s attitud e ma y no t b e th e bes t wa y t o improv e quality . Nevertheless, ISO 9000:1994 (mainly for QA) may act as a stepping stone, or an integrated first step, for the implementation of TQM. The authors had done no survey from 199 8 to 2001, but their subjective experience was that there had been an improving trend in general in quality management in the Hong Kong construction industry, although the rate of improvement seemed to be slow. CONSTRUCTION QUALIT Y MANAGEMENT With th e emergence o f the ISO 9000:2000 version in December 2000 , all construction organizations in Hong Kong certified t o ISO 9000:1994 would need to prepare themselves for re-certification to ISO 9000:2000. The deadline set b y th e Hon g Kon g Governmen t wa s mid-December 2003 . Thi s ne w version of ISO 9000 is of a more generic process-based structure with a PlanDo -Check-Act improvement cycle (Sung and Au 1999), which assembles to a large extent prevailing international models of TQM. In order to know how construction organization s in Hong Kong obtained recertification fro m IS O 9000:1994 to ISO 9000:2000 (o r integrating thei r QMS with TQM philosophy), a questionnaire survey for and interviews with these organization s were carried ou t in 2002 and 200 3 respectively. Th e details are reported in this chapter. 2 Ke y Factors for the Successful Transition from QA to TQM Based on literature review, interaction with construction organization s and the authors' own experience , 1 1 key factors fo r th e successful transitio n from QA to TQM were identified. A questionnaire survey conducted in Hong Kong in 2002 covered these 1 1 factors: 1. Clarifyin g th e understanding o f the purpose o f ISO 9000:200 0 and/or TQM. 2. Recognizin g the real motivations for pursuing ISO 9000:2000 and/ or TQM. 3. Th e top management's commitment to quality and the comparable extent of their senior colleagues' commitment in other functiona l areas. 4. Th e top management's pursuits of long term financial results and customer satisfaction, thei r vision and their enthusiasm. 5. Clarifyin g th e top management's understanding of the ways and behaviours which they need to change to align with a ISO 9000: 2000 or TQM culture. 6. Th e to p management' s willingnes s t o undergo suc h persona l change and development . 7. Clarifyin g t o what degree the top management should recogniz e about their existing quality personnel who may need to develop new skills and behaviours. 8. Embracin g leadershi p practice s tha t creat e a n environmen t conducive to company-wide employee involvement. Transition fro m IS O 9000:1994 t o ISO 9000:2000 an d integratio n o f QMS with TQM philosophy 1 0 7 9. Recognizin g th e nee d fo r rewar d an d recognitio n system s supportive of involvement and empowerment . 10. Embracin g a behavioral orientatio n whic h treat s qualit y a s a strategic imperative. 11. Strategi c practice that recognizes the value of organizational core competence and organization capability. The target respondents fo r th e survey were companies implementing IS O 9000:2000 o r TQ M programmes . Ther...