Total quality management and project management systems: A solution to re-thinking construction

This paper is in response to the Re-Thinking Construction Task Force Report chaired by Sir John Egan. The report focuses on the scope for improving quality and efficiency in the UK Construction Industry Housing Sector. However, it is the authors intention to establish the transferability of the problematic issues to all sectors of the UK Construction Industry. The identified problematic issues requiring particular attention are : Cost, Quality and Time and this is put most succinctly in the report as “Projects are widely seen as unpredictable in terms of delivery on time, within budget and the standard of quality expected” The authors will offer Total Quality Management and Project Management Systems (PMS) (interlinked) as advocated solutions to the problematic issues. The paper is based upon an extensive literature review and two ongoing research projects.