An Analysis upon Various Applications and Developmental Process for Implementation of Total Quality Management in Construction Projects | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

Total quality management (TQM) is a management philosophy which has been widely implemented in the manufacturing and other services industries, and it shows how significant it can improve the quality in these fields. Few articles and studies attempted to bring the benefits of this philosophy to construction industry. The objective of this paper is to point out the latest studies which focused on increase the business quality through implementing TQM in construction industry and its suitable applications in the different phases of project construction. Quality systems entail having the organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources for implementing quality management such that there is a guiding framework to ensure that every time a process is performed the same information, method, skills and controls are used and practiced in a consistent manner. Total Quality Management (TQM) has been defined as a comprehensive systematic, integrated, consistent, organization-wide effort dedicated to customer satisfaction through continuous improvement. With its primary focus being the involvement of everyone, TQM has the potential to improve business results, greater customer orientation and satisfaction, worker involvement and fulfilment, team working and better management of workers within companies. Its ability to adapt to new ideas, tools and methods suggest that it can be applied albeit in an altered form to construction field operations involving workers at levels traditionally regarded as below middle management. However, the construction industry has been slow to embrace the concept of TQM.