Integration of Quality Management System In the Malaysian Construction Industry

Abstract

Quality management system (QMS) is defined as the managing structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes, and management resources to implement the principles and action lines needed to achieve the quality objectives of an organization. QMS is conventionally being associated with the manufacturing industry as it is used to direct and control an organization with regard to the end-product quality via various QMS manufacturing models, namely Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the ISO 9000 quality standards, Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma and Lean. However, since the construction industry appears to be going through a period of introspection, with the increasing of technological innovation in design concepts, use of new and unique materials, novel methods of construction, complex social issues, rapid environmental change as well as obnoxious problems of delay, over-budget and low quality, QMS is observed by this paper as the solution to this dilemma. Hence, this paper aims at appraising the integration of QMS in the Malaysian construction industry. It is expected that the findings of this paper would help the project management team of the construction projects to efficiently manage the construction activities throughout the whole project life cycle from pre-contract to post-contract phase via the integration of QMS.

Engineering Harmony Under Multi-Constraint Objectives: The Perspective of Meta-Analysis

“…By actively carrying out quality management, engineering harmony can be effectively promoted. This conclusion is consistent with the views of scholars such as Kiew, Ismail, and Yusof (2016) and Sullivan (2011). Engineering construction is a people-oriented production activity.…”

“…Engineering construction is a people-oriented production activity. The technical level, organizational capacity, ideological level, psychological behavior, consciousness level and judgment ability of engineering organizers will affect the project quality directly, and internal harmony can be achieved through personnel restriction by engineering quality management (Kiew et al, 2016). Whether the engineering materials are up to standard, whether the engineering technology is advanced, and whether the engineering operation is correct will affect the realization of the engineering quality directly.…”

Exploring Quality Dimensions From a Construction Perspective: A Literature Review

“…In another effort to address quality in construction work, the Malaysian government also mandated using a Quality Management System (QMS) [48]. QMS, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), "is the management system used to direct and control an organization regarding quality [49]" QMS models are being used effectively by different industries, in particular the manufacturing industry, because of the wide range of models it contains, such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Six Sigma, Lean, and the ISO 9000 quality standards which are among the most recognized quality models in the world [50].…”

“…In addition, Kiew et al [50] stated that many companies strive for quality certification for different reasons, and other potential benefits are gained in return. Therefore, it is envisaged that implementing QMS will resolve quality issues and satisfy the client's demands [51].…”

The Role of the Total-Quality-Management (TQM) Drivers in Overcoming the Challenges of Implementing TQM in Industrialized-Building-System (IBS) Projects in Malaysia: Experts’ Perspectives

“…The fact is that most corporations are far beyond getting the maximum advantages of quality standards [60]. The true benefit of implementing quality in the Malaysia construction industry are to increase operation and attain a particular degree of customer satisfaction [61,62].…”