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Construction and structures

Quality management in construction

Quality management has become an absolute necessity in the construction industry. Environmental management systems according to ISO 14001 and occupational health and safety (OSH) systems such as ISO 45001 and SCC are fully implemented. Almost all medium-sized construction companies, and especially large companies operating in the construction industry, have already implemented a quality management system and are currently taking steps to develop this system into integrated management systems by supplementing it with requirements for risk management (ISO 31000 or ÖNORM D 4901), compliance management (ISO 37301), anti-corruption management (ISO 37001), and information security management (ISO 27001).

Quality management in construction has become one of the most successful strategies for maintaining economic success in the market, despite constantly increasing demands. More and more building owners are realizing both the opportunity and the responsibility to demand and ensure quality capabilities from the companies they entrust with managing construction projects. For example, contractors, subcontractors, professionals, and planning and architectural firms are increasingly required to demonstrate not only their creative achievements but, above all, their systemic, organizational, and entrepreneurial skills. A certificate issued by Quality Austria is one of the best ways to achieve this.

The procurement situation is becoming increasingly difficult, and falling prices are also reducing revenues. Consequently, construction companies cannot afford to eliminate warranty damage and workmanship defects (often recurring failures) after the project is completed. Statistics on construction damage show that the average cost of failures is 6-8% of production costs, often consuming the entire revenue of many companies. In construction, quality means the sum of the services provided by all parties involved in a construction project. Typically, responsibility for design, implementation, and value creation rests with various parties (building owner, architect, planner, construction contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, and building materials retailers).

Important benefits of quality management systems in construction

Workmanship defects will be reduced.
Preventing recurring failures (which may be committed on other construction sites or by other workers).
The amount of rework required during construction will be reduced.
Problems in interaction with clients, planners, subcontractors, suppliers, public authorities, etc. will be reduced.
Clear and consistent filing systems and a small number of standardized forms help ensure the systematic submission of evidence and important documents (often years later). This will make demonstrating due diligence in matters of liability easier and faster.

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