Quality management of documentation. - Andrew Leech
"The history of quality management can be traced all the way back to The Middle Ages. Work completed by journeymen and apprentices were evaluated and inspected by the skilled worker to ensure that quality standards were met in all aspects of the finished product, ensuring satisfaction of the buyer. And while the history of quality management has gone through a number of changes since that time, the end goal is still the same"
Source: Census.gov.
The purpose of quality management remains the same as it always has been throughout history, and that is to ensure that customers always receive an excellent, quality product for what they are paying for. They want value for money.
Acumen the Australian Institute of Architects reinforces this and stresses the importance of a quality management system in order to produce well prepared accurate working drawings, specifications and schedules to clearly and unambiguously communicate the project requirements to all involved in the building construction process.
Checklists are an effective tool to achieve consistency and coordinated outcomes for management of contract drawings, schedules and specifications.
The preparation of suitable checklists for complex buildings needs to be prepared by experts with years of experience in their related discipline.
The overall objective of construction documentation reviews is to produce a set of documents fit for its intended purpose. The project checklists need to be prepared and tailored to suit the full range of project types.
Essentially the quality control approach and specific detail in the system relies on the classification of buildings, structures and types of construction.
Eg; requirements in a hospital checklist vary enormously to say; schools or industrial type projects.
Each construction type has very specific and unique requirements which need to be identified, defined and included in the checking process.
Once a review strategy has been established, sufficient time needs to be included in the overall documentation programme.
TYPES OF REVIEWS.
There are several project checking review approaches and each one requiring criteria related to the different building type and classification.
1. TRADITIONAL REVIEW:
The traditional review process includes the following various stages aligning with authority submissions approvals and selected milestones.
Schematic design: (prior to design development); fee, contracts, parking, site information, building and planning options.
Design Development: (prior to DA lodgement) floor plans, materials, elevations, site and boundary dimensions.FSR.
Contract documentation: (prior to tender and construction issue) Dimensional coordination, detailing and resolutions, services review, final coordination with drawings, schedules and specification.
2. STAGED or PROGRESSIVE REVIEW:
Staged reviews include designing a checking procedure using a tailored checklist and progressively checking construction documentation at various stages of completion and designated milestones.
The review process can be generally summarised into 3 stages;
Prelimary review: 30% - 50% complete.This includes reviewing initial coordination and product buildability issues along with NCC and Australian Standards and authority compliance.
Intermediate review: 70% - 80% complete.
This looks at buildability and coordination of all the consultants and potential conflicts and methods of resolution.
Final review: 95% - 100% complete.
A final check ensures that all the previously located conflicts, errors, omissions and buildability ambiguities are resolved and all documentation including drawings, schedules and specifications are ready for tender issue.
Also at this stage clients have the opportunity to review and see how the checklist process of checking documentation has progressed.
3. BUILDABILITY REVIEW :
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The buildability review includes a complete review of all of the following:
Construction review documentation
Consultants coordination
Code review incl. NCC Australian standards review ,
Codes and authorities.
Sustainability, ESD review.
The main requirement of the buildability review is to be able to provide the contractor with a complete set of documents, including construction drawings, specifications , schedules all fully coordinated minimising the opportunity for raising RFI’s and resolving areas of building concern whilst also maintaining good relations with all involved parties.
4. COORDINATION REVIEW:
Coordination of all the various consultants is frequently the most difficult and overlooked aspect in the checking process leading to additional costs , RFI’S and disharmony with clients.
This is the major cause of design problems which if not caught ealy in the documentation phase can lead to real disasters on site during construction.
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Coordination amongst all of the following:
Architectural
Structural
Mechanical
Electrical
Hydraulic
Civil
Landscape, etc.
5. EXPERT PEER REVIEW :
For large scale construction projects expert peer reviews could be implemented on any of the following as required.
Accessibility requirements
Constructability
Coordination
Design standards
Value engineering
Authority reviews
These reviews need to be conducted mid way through documentation and also as a final approval of documentation just prior to the construction issue.
CHECKING PROCEDURE.
It is considered imperative that the checking of documents is conducted by an expert experienced in the various disciplines and not having been involved with the actual documentation.
Once drawings and other documentation is reviewed, scanned copies should be taken of the mark ups and kept on file and the original marked up copies returned to the author for amendment and resubmission for further review.
The scanned copies can also be used for the clients reference to show the checking progress.
The tab system could also be implemented similar to the NATSPEC quality control procedure.
TYPICAL DOCUMENTATION ERRORS.
The most significant problems incurred without a well organised documentation quality management review includes some of the following.
Faulty working drawings, dimensional set out errors and detailing problems.
Conflicting information between drawings, schedules and specification.
Incomplete and ambiguous specifications.
Poor working relationships amongst various parties
Non- compliance with NCC, Australian Standards and Codes.
Financial limitations
Construction time 'blow outs' and inability to maintain construction programme.
Insufficient tolerances/clearances for services installation.
Insufficient space above ceiling for a/c units and HVAC ducts.
Slab penetrations not coordinated with services ductwork.
BENEFITS OF WELL MANAGED REVIEWS.
The potential benefits of well managed documentation reviews include:
Minimising or avoiding legal disputes and conflicts and costs.
Better professional reputations amongst all parties.
Successfull design.
Minimised RFI’s and administrative costs.
Eliminate most Requests for Information (RFI's), saving time and cost of processing
Reduced contract administrative costs.
Improved relationships between the owners, designers, consultants and contractors.
"A practice should have as minimum three control documents: the BCA, their QA system, and NATSPEC". Source: David Parken CEO: AIA.
End of report.
Quality Management of Documentation : by Andrew Leech
Plansforcouncil.com is a project bidding web site originally founded by Andrew John Leech in 1999.
Andrew Leech has been in the architectural and construction consultancy industry for approximately 25 years and saw the need to develop a career type bidding web site for all consultants and persons seeking greater opportunities in their careers and consultancy employment
The business commenced as a “phone in” service for anyone in the architectural and construction industry requiring consultancy or building assistance and due to its success, the service quickly developed into a 100% on line project bidding web site which was eventually expanded to include a full range of consultant categories and skills.
The plansforcouncil.com business now operates successfully out of Sydney and has over the years registered hundreds of consultants from all around the world whilst also gaining an enviable reputation as being one of the original and leaders in its field.
Andrew Leech and the staff at plansforcouncil welcomes the free registration of all new consultants and users of the site.
