NOTES ON QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN BUILDING/BEMERKUNGEN ZUM QUALITÄTSMANAGEMENT IM BAUWESEN

Abstract

At present we can see how the quality of building production presents many facts for dissatisfaction. The amount of losses is extremely large and the national economy cannot tolerate it. In the EU attempts were made to solve quality problems by organizational means. Consequently, in the 1980s appeared and in 1994 were altered the codes ISO 9000 which are to be used up to 2004. On the other hand, a different tendency may be observed. So-called “lean production” in Japan industry showed that good quality can also be achieved by low prices. It should be mentioned that the above-mentioned experience and knowledge are first of all applied to industry. Hence they cannot be adopted directly in building construction. A control through self-control is an essential part of quality management. Self-control becomes an effective means when tasks and steps are formulated in written form. This process is divided into 10 steps. The application of this system encounters many difficulties. The principal difference between building construction and industry is that in building construction separate, not serial, objects prevail. Every client expresses individual demands for building structures. A successful quality management must embrace all phases. Besides, the common interconnection points of contracting and interested parts are very important, too. Quality management should clearly define the responsibilities at an enterprise. A correctly treated and applied quality management should optimise the inner processes and structures of an undertaking; the employees should be motivated and all the participant of building processes are to be effectively co-ordinated.