Towards total project quality - A review of research needs

The focus of quality management (QM) in the construction industry, and its literature, has been on during construction and on product quality. The construction phase represents the final step in the construction procurement process, however it is the outcome of the previous stages of analysis, planning and design and represents but a small fraction of the overall cost and value that is created in the construction and use of buildings and built infrastructure. In other industry sectors and through the international quality movement, the focus in QM has moved to total quality. This is reflected internationally in the criteria for quality awards in which product quality represents only some 20 per cent of the total score for an enterprise. This paper briefly reviews the development of the quality movement and its application within the construction sector and suggests a broader scope for the application of quality concepts within the procurement process from a whole-of-life perspective. Identifies also areas which require further research.