QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

The requirements are also essential in fulfilling contract performance objectives.

The most important management requirements that need to be included in RFP’s for major contracts involve the control of the quality, cost, and schedule of the work performed by suppliers and contractors.

Quality program requirements are included with technical specification requirements on certain projects.

The primary goal of the project quality program is to assure that the design, procurement, construction or manufacturing, and testing activities on a project fulfill the technical requirements.

OWNER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

A key issue in a project quality program is the amount and type of inspection of supplier and contractor activities that is performed by an owner. There are two factorà the first factor concerns the importance of the contractor’s work to the quality of the project, the second factor concerns the confidence level that the owner has in the ability of a supplier or a contactor to perform the work correctly.

Audits and Surveillances

The quality assurance group performs detailed audits and surveillance of procurement activities to assure that they comply with the requirements of the project quality program and the specifications.

Quality assurance surveillance are less formal inspections of the activities of a supplier or a contractor.

Quality assurance audits and surveillance require that supplier or contractor personnel are available for interviews.

The project quality program defines those procurement activities that are covered by audits and surveillance.

Shop Inspection

The purpose of the detailed inspections is to review specific supplier activities that are important to achieving the technical requirements in the contract specifications. Shop inspections can be conducted on a periodic basis or shop inspectors can be assigned full time to review the quality of the work performed by a supplier.

The project quality program identifies the procurement items that require deatiled shop inspections by owner personnel. The supplier must also take the necessary corrective actions to respond to deficiencies identified by shop inspections.

One of the advantages of a shop inspection program is that quality problems can be identified and resolved while work is being done in the supplier’s facility.

Receipt Inspections

The extent of the inspections performed by owners when materials and equipment are received from suppliers varies considerably. Certain receipt inspections only look for shipping damage and do not compare the materials and equipment against the detailed technical requirements for the items.

If the inspection procedures used by the personnel performing receipt inspections are different than the procedures used by the supplier in its fabrication shop, there can be disputes between the supplier and an owner regarding the acceptability of materials or equipment.

The owner can be reluctant to ship the materials or equipment back to the supplier for correction of quality deficiencies due to the time required to complete the repairs.

Quality Control of Engineering Contractors

In addition to the audits and surveillances performed by the quality assurance group, most owners perform technical reviews of the work performed by engineering contractors to assure that the design documents produced by these contractors meet the technical objectives of a project.

Owner that do not have an internal engineering staff may hire another engineering contractor to perform an independent technical review of the design documents produced by the primary engineering contractor.

Quality Control of Construction Contractors

In addition to the audits and surveillance performed by the quality assurance group, many owners inspect selected work activities performed by construction contractors.

Formal construction quality control programs require that non conformance reports are written for construction work that does not conform with the quality and technical requirements of a project.

Quality Documents

The project quality program specifies the quality documents that must be generated and retained for a project. Quality documentation for major procurement items can be voluminous and time consuming to prepare.

Many project quality programs require the retention of quality inspection records to demonstrate that work is properly performed.

SUPPLIER AND CONTRACTOR QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

Quality Procedures

Many suppliers and contractors have developed quality procedures that are used to assure that goods and services are provided in accordance with the quality and technical requirements of a project.

Owners can use certain supplier or contractor quality procedures after work on a project is complete.

Inspection

An owner needs to understand the manner in which suppliers and contractors conduct inspections of the quality of the work that they perform, needs to know the qualifications of the personnel performing the inspections, need this information to establish the amount of effort that should be expended by owner personnel to assure that supplier and contractor work satisfies the quality and technical requirements of a project.

Training Programs

One of the best ways to assure that work is performed correctly by production personnel is to have adequate training programs for these personnel.

Quality Review Meetings

Quality program review meetings can be scheduled prior to the time when bids are evaluated as well as during the performance of contract work.

The review meeting also gives the owner an opportunity to explain the requirements of its project quality program to the supplier or contractor.

TESTING REQUIREMENTS

An advantage of the testing approach in demonstrating the quality of the work is that it normally demonstrates the adequacy of both the sign and the construction or manufacturing work.

• Engineered Materials and Equipment  
• Engineering Contracts
• Construction Contracts

QUALITY INCENTIVE FEES

The basis for determining the achievement of quality incentive fees is defined in RFP’s for contracts.

Quality incentive fees can be established by setting a minimum acceptance percentage for quality inspections of work reported as complete by contractor production personnel.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

This quality group is also responsible for defining the quality requirements that pertain to a particular supplier’s or contractor’s quality program such as the quality procedures that need to be reviewed and approved by an owner.

The engineering group is responsible for identifying testing requirements for engineered materials.