Construction Quality Management

4. IMPLEMENTION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BY HONG KONG CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS

4& AH' IMPLEJVIENT. MANMifeMBNiT HONG ON OF QUALITY SYSTEMS BY CONTRACTORS LTANTS Chapter 3 was a general and brief discussion on the implementation of quality management systems in a number of places in the world. This chapter will concentrate on the situation in Hong Kong alone in greater detail. The descriptions in this chapter are mainly based on two research findings , Kam and Tang (1998) and Tang and Kam (1999) on the implementation of quality management systems by contractors and consultants respectively in Hong Kong. Since globally Hong Kong is one of the pioneers in developing constructio n quality management systems, it is useful t o know more about Hong Kong's experience. 4.1 IS O 9000 Certificatio n for Contractor s In June 1992 , the first IS O 9002 certificate wa s issued in Hong Kong to a local building contractor (Tar n 1993) by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA), a certifying organization in Hong Kong. Five years later, in June 1997 , 35 0 construction-relate d firm s ha d receive d IS O 900 0 certificates. I n order to learn more about ISO 9000 implementation i n the Hong Kong construction industry, a survey was carried out in June/August 1997 for certified contractors . 4 0 CONSTRUCTIO N QUALIT Y MANAGEMENT The purposes of the survey were to find out the contractors' motivation fo r implementing a n ISO 9000 quality management syste m (QMS) , evaluate their experience and difficulties i n developing and implementing the QMS, and collect views on their maintenance of the QMS. The survey also examined the benefits of operating ISO 9000 by contractors and asked them about any possible improvement to quality management in the Hong Kong construction industry. A structured questionnair e wa s sent t o one hundre d IS O 9000 certifie d construction companie s tha t were listed i n th e Hong Kong Governmen t Works Bureau's approved contractors lists; 35 completed questionnaires were received and the response rate 35% could be considered representative . 4.2 Contractors ' Views on Having a QMS to ISO 900 0 4.2,1 Motivatio n for Implementing a QMS Many reasons and benefits ha d been suggested as to why companies see k ISO certification (HKQA A 1994; Shaw 1995). These reasons were condensed to seven motivations in the survey Quality managers of those 35 contractors were asked to indicate their original motivations for having a QMS to ISO 9000. The motivations include: 1. T o improve th e company' s qualit y imag e i n th e constructio n industry. 2. T o improve the company's efficiency an d management . 3. T o resolv e th e problem s wit h poo r qualit y arisin g fro m construction processes. 4. T o reduce the failure costs and liability risks. 5. T o fulfill th e mandate from th e Government . 6. T o satisfy th e demands from th e private owners/clients. 7. T o be a stepping ston e fo r implementin g TQ M (tota l qualit y management). Thirty-three respondent s (94% ) indicate d tha t th e requirement fro m th e Government was the most important reason to seek ISO 9000 certificatio n (item 5) . Th e Hon g Kon g Housin g Departmen t an d th e Works Burea u required thei r major contractor s to be certified t o ISO 9000 as a condition for retentio n i n thei r approve d contractor s list s afte r Marc h 199 3 an d September 199 6 respectively (se e Chapte r 3) . The IS O 9000 certificat e becomes a "work permit" and no contractor can afford t o ignore it. Twenty Implementation o f quality managemen t system s b y Hong Kon g contractors an d consultant s 4 1 contractors (57%) were aware of the advantages of improving the company's image (ite m 1 ) and management (ite m 2) by ISO 9000 certification. Onl y three companies (9%) recognized that the QMS could help in resolving quality problems (item 3) and reducing the failure costs (item 4). Such a low response indicated tha t insufficien t informatio n abou t quality-relate d cost s o n construction sites led to the difficulty in understanding the long-term savings in construction works. Six...