ARE Project Management Subject: Quality Control

Although checking drawings for accuracy is part of the quality control process, it is merely a fraction of what the complete quality control process entails. The approach to quality control takes many forms and is broad reaching. This blog will discuss quality control from three levels: the firm, the team, and the individual.

Successful architectural practices include many aspects of quality control at a firm-wide level. One common quality control technique is to have a well-defined design process implemented consistently across the office. A design process crafted from many years of practice that is flexible and adaptable to many projects within a firm is essential. This is not to say that the design process will yield a consistent architectural style or signature aesthetic. Instead, the purpose of the design process is to provide a roadmap for the project teams that will help guide them through various steps during the design process so that a level of consistency is maintained across the office. Elements of a design process may include standard approaches to program review, design charettes, development of design concepts, coordination among various disciplines, and client presentations. A well-tuned design process will be inclusive and engaging and will yield a higher level of project design quality.

Another firm-wide aspect of project quality control involves the development and use of office standards, which includes standard approaches to the technical aspects of a project like details and project specifications. Office standards build on a firm's years of knowledge and experience and take the best practices forward through the development of standards. Some examples may include office standards for flashing details, drawing set templates, and CAD production. Further, office standards are updated with the latest information to keep them effective.

At the team-level, quality control takes the form of communication between team members as they exchange progress sets and conduct coordination meetings to facilitate the simultaneous development of systems and structures that both enhance and strengthen the project design. Tools used by the team may include past completed project examples or a project mockup that gives the entire team a high-level look at what the completed project may look like. Past projects and mockups can help team members by providing the visual connection to the outcome, helping to keep the team focused and setting a higher level of coordination.

The third level of quality control occurs at the individual level. Your firm may have a quality control staff, or designated professionals that specialize in reviewing drawings for completeness and accuracy, but the best practice related to quality control comes down to individuals taking responsibility and pride in their work and doing all they can to make it as complete and accurate before sending for review. Some successful practices related to quality control at the individual level include widening the coordination between the work being done and other work that is adjacent that involves another discipline within that same part of the project. As an example, say that you are responsible for creating the roof plan and all the roof details associated with the project. In this case, a good quality control practice would include frequent communication and coordination within the team members responsible for developing the building elevations and wall sections (both of which are strongly related to the roof details). Taking this further, coordinating with the consultants producing the structural roof framing and locating mechanical equipment will help properly develop effective approaches to roof drainage.

The key is to realize the coordination is not simply setting your work and having others adapt to what you have established. It is a process of working back and forth to develop designs that are optimal and complete, which enhances project quality control. The process of providing an effective project quality control includes firm-wide, team-wide, and individual efforts to enhance consistency, completeness, and accuracy.