Quality Management in Construction Environments: Combining ISO
9001 with Lean quality programs
Mil van Werven
University of Groningen – Faculty of Economics and Business – student number: s2400928
Master thesis MSc Technology & Operations Management (TOM)
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore quality management (QM) in construction by using theory from manufacturing. This is important because great expenditures of time, money and resources are still wasted because of inefficient or non-existing QM procedures in construction and QM programs underperform in construction.
Design/methodology/approach – A literature study was conducted regarding quality, QM, ISO 9001 and Lean quality programs to form a basis for use in construction. An explorative (embedded) single case study was performed at a construction company in the Netherlands that addressed an ISO 9001 certified quality management system (QMS) in a construction environment and an attempt has been made to find the added value of Lean quality programs to this existing QMS. Data collection methods used were company documents, semi-structured interviews and direct observations.
Findings – Missing links in the transition of QM theory from manufacturing for construction use identified are: (1) a focus on problem resolution and managing rework, (2) managing a constant changing organizational structure within a construction company as well as temporary relationships with other companies during construction projects and (3) communicating project prospects and performance with the workforce.
Research limitations/implications – The case study was susceptible for subjectivity and biases due to the execution of qualitative research by one researcher. To generalize the results, quantitative validation of multiple ISO 9001 certified quality management systems in construction environments should be done.
Practical implications – A detailed description is given of what to consider in an ISO 9001
certification program in construction; particularly which ‘hard’ practices to consider. Thereby a clear angle of incidence is given on how to contemplate Lean quality programs with ISO 9001 in
construction.
Originality/value - QM in construction is under researched and the demand for research is
increasing. This explorative research attempts to grasp on the QMS level why there is not a quality revolution present in construction environments yet by using QM theory from manufacturing. Keywords Quality management, ISO 9001, TQM, Six sigma, Construction environment
Table of Contents Abstract ...2 List of Tables ...6 List of Figures ...7 Acknowledgements ...8 Abbreviations ...9 1 Introduction ... 10 2 Theoretical Background... 13
2.1 The concept of quality in construction ... 13
2.2 Quality management and its key dimensions ... 15
2.3 ISO 9001 certification program ... 17
2.3.1 ISO 9001 in construction ... 18
2.4 The Lean philosophy and Lean quality programs ... 18
2.4.1 Lean thinking ... 19
2.4.1.1 Lean thinking in construction ... 19
2.4.2 Total Quality Management ... 19
2.4.2.1 Total Quality Management in construction ... 20
2.4.3 Six sigma ... 21
2.4.3.1 Six sigma in construction ... 21
2.4.4 Mutual relationships between Lean thinking, Total Quality Management and Six sigma 22 2.5 Lean quality programs versus ISO 9001 certification ... 23
2.5.1 Why combine Lean quality programs with ISO 9001? ... 23
2.6 Research framework ... 24
3 Methodology ... 26
3.1 Research Design ... 26
3.2 Case and sub-unit selection ... 27
3.3 Data Collection ... 28
3.3.1 Company documents ... 28
3.4.2 Interviews ... 30
4 Results ... 31
4.1 The case company as a construction environment ... 31
4.2 QM in this construction environment ... 32
4.2.1 One-of-a-kind nature of projects ... 32
4.2.2 High customer involvement ... 32
4.2.3 Formation of temporary multi-organizations... 33
4.3 ISO 9001 certification in this construction environment ... 34
4.3.1 Knowledge of and involvement with ISO 9001 certification ... 34
4.3.2 Core dimension: process management ... 35
4.3.3 Core dimension: product/service quality ... 35
4.3.4 Core dimension: Quality data and reporting ... 35
4.3.5 Infrastructural dimension: Top management commitment ... 36
4.3.6 Infrastructural dimension: Strategic quality planning ... 36
4.3.7 Infrastructural dimension: Employee empowerment and training/learning ... 36
4.3.8 Infrastructural dimension: Customer focus ... 38
4.3.9 Infrastructural dimension: Supplier QM ... 38
5 Discussion ... 39
5.1 Defining quality in construction ... 39
5.2 The construction environment and QM theory from manufacturing ... 40
5.3 ISO certification in construction ... 41
6 Conclusions ... 42
6.1 Limitations... 44
6.2 Practical implications ... 44
6.3 Future research ... 45
References ... 46
Appendix A Implementation framework TQM in construction environments ... 50
Appendix B Case study protocol ... 51
Appendix C Interview protocol for interviews with office employees ... 61
Appendix D Interview protocol for interviews with employees in the construction hall ... 72
Appendix E Transcription of interviews ... 80
Appendix F Case description... 99
List of Tables
List of Figures
Figure 2.1: Conceptual model of this research ... 25
Figure 2.2: Conceptual model of this research ... 53
Figure 4: Organization chart of the company ... 100
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
ISO – International standards organization LC – Lean construction
1 Introduction
Globalization, intense world-wide competition and ever-changing customer demand have changed the business environment over the past few decades (Ebrahimi & Sadeghi, 2013). These changes ask for more requirements for quality management (QM) practices (Weckenmann et al., 2015). There is an increasing interest within the construction management community to explore the possibilities of applying quality knowledge gained from manufacturing and other industrial sectors to the problems of managing the construction process (Jraisat et al., 2016). Because in construction environments a considerable amount of time, money and resources is still wasted because of inefficient or non-existent QM procedures (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997; Jraisat et al., 2016; Lam et al., 2008).
Construction is defined as “the mobilization and utilization of capital and specialized personnel, materials, and equipment to assemble materials and equipment on a specific site in accordance with drawings, specifications, and contract documents prepared to serve the purpose of the client” (Merrit et al., 1996, p. 4.1 IN Delgrado-Hernandez & Aspinwall, 2008). Construction environments refer to the similarities in characteristics and challenges that are present in places such as the construction of houses, boats or airplanes. Construction environments are characterized by one-of-a-kind nature of projects, site production and with the formation of temporary multi-organizations (Emblemsvag, 2014). The “product” is large in volume and weight and contains a large amount of different components. There is a significant overlap in the design, planning and construction processes, as the construction process is complex with many interdependencies (Veldman & Alblas, 2012). Thereby, construction projects show a considerable diversity in types, forms and shapes and comprehend unique contractual relationships (Harrington et al., 2012). Additionally, rework is common and the customer is much more involved in construction than in manufacturing (Gao & Pheng Low, 2014).
A construction company’s his first encounter with the concept of quality is often the development of a quality management system (QMS) by using ISO 90011 certification. A QMS refers to the bundle of practices and procedures implemented to produce high quality goods in a systematic way (Ilkay & Aslan, 2012). However, research shows that the effects of an ISO 9001 certification on business and operational performance are limited (Sampaio et al., 2012). And in general, no substantial changes on actual business processes are found (Iden, 2012). Academics have concluded that an ISO 9001 certification mostly functions as a marketing tool and formal sign of an implemented QMS (Alič, 2014). Nevertheless, the advantage of using ISO 9001 certification to build a QMS is that a standardized ISO system is more transparent and easier to transfer and implement than a self-designed QMS (Sun, 1999). Many academics state that it should be adopted as one tool in a larger strategy of achieving competitive advantage through QM and communicating quality results (Anderson et al., 1999; Babatunde & Pheng, 2015; Karthi et al., 2012; Leong et al., 2014)
Lean quality programs and ISO 9001 certification, as well as combining them, are acknowledged as valid QM practice for construction by academics but a quality revolution that has been seen in manufacturing has not yet taken place in construction. Therefore, this explorative research intends to find the added value of Lean quality programs to the widely adopted ISO 9001 certification, or to redefine them, for use in the construction environment. The following research question has been formulated:
“How can Lean concepts be used in combination with the ISO 9001 certification to improve quality management in construction environments?”
Taking into account the limited theoretical literature of QM in construction environments, an exploratory single case study has been conducted within a company in the construction sector in the Netherlands. This company represents a construction environment in which Lean ideas and an ISO- certified QMS are present. The company initially experienced challenges in implementing a QMS in order to improve quality; this provided an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of ISO 9001 certification in construction and also the opportunity to examine the added value of Lean quality programs on the existing QMS.
Secondly, a contribution is made to the quest for the development of stepwise guidelines/processes for Lean concepts in low volume high variety industries such as construction (Bhamu & Sangwan, 2014). Sousa & Voss (2002) also recommended future research to derive general principles for QM that apply to particular categories of companies in order to guide research beyond exploratory level towards theory building for QM implementation.
2 Theoretical Background
This chapter presents a review of literature regarding quality, QM, ISO 9001 certification program and Lean quality programs in order to set the necessary base for answering the research question.
2.1 The concept of quality in construction
The concept quality has multiple and often muddled definitions. Quality has diverse definitions ranging from excellence, value, conformance to specifications, conformance to requirements, fitness for use (Juran, 1986) and meeting and/or exceeding customer’ expectations (Reeves & Bednar, 1994).
The definition of quality as meeting and/or exceeding customer’s expectations suits construction environments and this research well. This definition represents a comprehensive view on quality with a strong emphasis on the customer. Kärnä (2004) interestingly states that customer expectations depend on three comparisons they make at the project level: (1) a comparison between the quality of the product (product quality) and the customer’s expectations and the adjusted goals of the product, (2) a comparison between the quality of the construction process (service quality) and the experiences with other projects and (3) a comparison between the customer’s expectations (corporate image) and the customer’s experiences with the project.
The greatest weakness of defining quality as meeting and/or exceeding customer expectations is that it is the most difficult to measure (Reeves & Bednar, 1994). Determining and measuring customer expectations is a complicated task because customers often do not know exactly what their expectations are, particularly with infrequently purchased products and/or services (Reeves & Bednar, 1994). Nonetheless, it is expected that the sum of product and service quality dimensions are able to provide a strong approximation of what the customer expects and how it can be exceeded. Table 2.12.1 depicts an overview of product and service quality dimensions upon which consensus is reached amongst academics.
Product quality dimensions (Garvin, 1984)
Service quality dimensions (Evans & Lindsay, 1996 IN Yasamis, Arditi, & Mohammadi, 2002) Performance Time Features Timeliness Reliability Completeness Conformance Courtesy Durability Consistency
Serviceability Accessibility and convenience
Aesthetics Accuracy
Perceived quality Responsiveness Table 2.1: Product and service quality dimensions
Moreover, the difference between product quality and service quality of a project should be considered during the three main phases of a construction project. These are the designing, engineering and planning phase, the construction phase and the operation and maintenance phase (Pheng & Teo, 2004).
The quality of a construction project can be defined as meeting the requirements of the designer, constructor and regulatory agencies as well as the client (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997). The interactions and interrelationships between key participants (e.g. the client, the designer, and the contractor) have a huge impact on the overall performance of a construction project (Jraisat et al., 2016).
The next section will elaborate on the origin, development and key dimensions of QM described in literature concerning manufacturing (and services). This will provide handhelds to examine combining different QM programs in construction later on.
2.2 Quality management and its key dimensions
Quality management can be identified roughly 100 years ago during the introduction of mass production and it started with a refined focus on the final product (Weckenmann et al., 2015). Nowadays QM is a popular companywide operations management practice with an integrated view on management and improvements of all entities in an organization like products, processes, partners, suppliers, customers, employees and considerations of their mutual relationships (Weckenmann et al., 2015).
As for manufacturing (and services) QM is a mature field of research in which key QM practice dimensions exist (Sousa & Voss, 2002; Zu et al., 2008). A distinction has been made between core and infrastructural dimensions. Table 2.2 displays matching dimensions of which the likes of Crosby (1979), Deming (1981), Garvin (1983) and Juran (1986) have had great influence. In 1989, Saraph et al. already identified and published these matching dimensions and developed instruments to measure them.
Core dimensions Infrastructural dimensions Process management Top management commitment Product/service design Strategic quality planning Quality data and reporting Customer focus
Employee empowerment
Training/learning
Combining these QM dimensions with the product, service and corporate quality distinction made in the previous section 2.1, a comprehensive view of quality and QM in construction can follow, see Figure 2.1. This representation of quality and QM in construction is in line with the definition given in the introduction: QM as an integrated management philosophy that aims to achieve and exceed customer expectations through continuous improvement of the performance of processes, products and services (Ebrahimi & Sadeghi, 2013).
QM programs are used to implement and address these dimensions in practice. The following sections will elaborate on the ISO 9001 certification program and Lean quality programs for construction use as well as their mutual relationships.
2.3 ISO 9001 certification program
The International Standards Organization, also known as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), acts out the ISO 9001 certification standard for quality management systems and is by far the most commonly used standard (Ilkay & Aslan, 2012; Manders et al., 2016).
The ISO 9001:2015 is the latest version of the ISO 9001 certification and it is an external audit for managing quality that standardizes working processes into a series of procedures (Heras-Saizarbitoria & Boiral, 2013). In this research the terminology “ISO 9001” refers to the second to last ISO 9001:2008 version. The goal of ISO 9001 is to develop a quality management system (QMS) at a company in order to achieve product homogeneity and to meet the specifications established by the customer (Anderson et al., 1999). A QMS refers to the bundle of practices and procedures implemented to produce high quality goods in a systematic way (Ilkay & Aslan, 2012).
The ISO 9001 standard belongs to the ISO 9000 series of standards for consolidating and communicating concepts in the field of QM (Hoyle, 2009). The ISO 9000 series of standards are based upon seven QM principles appointed by ISO: (1) Customer focus, (2) Leadership, (3) Engagement of people, (4) process approach, (5) continuous improvement, (6) evidence-based decision making and (7) Relationship management (ISO, 2015). Principles that show self-evidently similarities with the before mentioned QM dimensions. The ISO 9000 series include the ISO 9000 (basic concepts and language), ISO 9001 (requirements of a QMS), ISO 9004 (how to make a QMS more efficient and effective) and ISO 9011 (guidance on internal and external audits of quality management systems) (Hoyle, 2009).
2.3.1 ISO 9001 in construction
Bearing in mind the characteristics of the construction environment, a standardized formation of quality management systems in construction industries appears valuable. However, ISO 9001 certification in construction is not without its problems (Low & Goh, 1994). Disadvantages/drawbacks that are mentioned by critics are training, employee turnover, keeping documents up to date, more paperwork and additional costs (Dissanayaka et al., 2001). Additionally, in construction the craftsmen are the “machines/working stations” and it is of great importance that they feel motivated to perform high quality activities; however, employee motivation is considered a huge obstacle in construction (Low & Goh, 1994). Employee motivation can be affected by lack of quality culture, lack of pride and lack of control over sub-contractors (Low & Goh, 1994). Therefore, employee motivation is considered a huge barrier for ISO 9001 certification effectiveness in construction: the extent to which planned activities are realized and planned results are achieved (Willar et al., 2015)
2.4 The Lean philosophy and Lean quality programs
Lean has caused a change in management in a wide spread of industries. It is a terminology that means different things to different people, at different moments in time (Samuel et al., 2015). As Lean´s origin lies in manufacturing and researchers began looking into its functionality, among others in construction, service organizations, financial services and health since 2000 (Samuel et al., 2015). The goal of Lean is to be highly responsive to customer demand by reducing waste and thereby aims at producing products and services at the lowest cost and as fast as required by the customer (Bhamu & Sangwan, 2014).
2.4.1 Lean thinking
Taiichi Ohno famously developed the Toyota Production System (TPS), with the introduction of the most important concept of ‘waste’ for quality improvement activities in the early 1950s in Japan (Womack et al. 1990). TPS was later labeled as “Lean production” and “Lean thinking” by Womack et al. (1990; Dahlgaard & Dahlgaard-Park, 2006). The Lean thinking concept refers to the use of five Lean principles in order to carry out quality improvements: (1) understanding customer value, (2) value stream analysis, (3) flow, (4) pull and (5) perfection (Andersson et al., 2006). The following definition of Lean thinking fits this research well: “a principle-based continuous quality improvement management system based on the Toyota production system” (Clark et al., 2013, p. 638).
2.4.1.1 Lean thinking in construction
The value stream approach of Lean thinking is challenging in construction, as stated by Bertelsen & Koskela (2002), applying Lean to an environment that delivers extremely variant products there is no clear definition of a final product or its value. In manufacturing the value of an item can be determined more easily and the goals and needs of suppliers, producers, and users naturally align (Sullivan, 2011).
On the other hand, the concept of flow seems to work in construction. Tools used are the Last Planner system (Koskela et al., 2002) and the use of visual control devices (Picchi & Granja, 2004).
Another point of interest is the idea of “control” or the action of causing an event to conform to a plan; that is applied both to manufacturing and construction. However, in each environment it entails something different. In manufacturing the tendency is to look forward whereas in construction; control is a process of looking backward by measuring results to trace the source of the problem or to find the factor that did not performed well (Sullivan, 2011). The result is that independent and uncertain activities are analyzed “after the fact” and therefore have no effect on the final product (Sullivan, 2011).
2.4.2 Total Quality Management
contradictions between the two, which is not a coincidence as TQM can be traced back to the Japanese quality evolution (Dahlgaard & Dahlgaard-Park, 2006). TQM was first developed for the manufacturing industry but Japanese construction companies had already began implementing TQM during the 1970s (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997). Important TQM results appointed in literature are customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, impact on society and internal and external business results (Fotopoulos & Psomas, 2009).
2.4.2.1 Total Quality Management in construction
Metri (2005) identified ten critical success factors for TQM in construction environments by comparing fourteen of the most prominent TQM frameworks; in addition to the nine that exactly match the QM dimensions mentioned in Table 2.2 is the factor ‘Quality culture’. TQM is a strategic philosophy adopted by an organization and implemented on a continuous basis, even if the organization is waiting to perform a new project (Harrington et al., 2012). TQM therefore encompasses continuous quality improvements, in addition to quality assurance and quality control practices of projects.
Koh & Low (2010) conducted a survey among 145 local contractors in Hong Kong that had implemented TQM (and were ISO 9001 certified). They identified customer management, process management and top management leadership as the QM dimensions that had been implemented at a higher level compared to others, with quality data and reporting at the lowest level.
Barriers to TQM implementation in construction as stated by Harrington et al. (2012) are: (1) there is not a high incentive for contractors to adopt TQM principles due to the high emphasis on price in project bids, (2) the long-term nature of a successful TQM implementation in comparison with fluctuating demand, custom work in construction and construction firms being reactive in nature rather than proactive, and (3) the resistance to a fundamental organizational culture change. In this retrospect, the applicability of concepts like TQM for small and medium enterprises in construction is considered to be not very high because it is an overarching concept.
2.4.3 Six sigma
Another concept that has had much influence on QM practices in the West also originated from the Japanese quality revolution is the Six sigma program, which was developed in the Motorola Company. Six sigma is “an organized and systematic method for strategic process improvement and new product and service development that relies on statistical methods and the scientific method to make dramatic reductions in customer defined defect rates” (Linderman et al., 2003, p. 194).
Six sigma is a formal and disciplined method for defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling (DMAIC) processes (Stewart & Spencer, 2006). The proposed application of Six sigma for construction environments is not about being totally defect-free or having all processes and products at Six sigma levels of performance (Linderman et al., 2003). The suitable level depends on the strategic importance of the process and the cost of its improvement relative to the benefit (Stewart & Spencer, 2006).
Critics stress that Six sigma is “TQM on steroids” and that it is nothing new (Abdelhamid, 2003). However, other academics have stated that it does not try to improve quality on all business aspects like TQM and therefore is different (Abdelhamid, 2003). Zu et al. (2008) researched the impact of Six sigma on QM literature and they concluded that there are three practices critically associated with Six sigma implementation and that these are distinct practices from traditional QM practices: (1) Six sigma role structure, (2) Six sigma structured improvement procedure and (3) Six sigma focus on metrics.
2.4.3.1 Six sigma in construction
Stewart & Spencer (2006) point out that Six sigma in the construction industry focuses largely on micro-opportunities, which differentiates itself from the revolutionary changes it tends to be involved with within manufacturing. Applying Six sigma in construction involves breaking down large tasks into smaller ones that can be re-engineered or improved (Stewart & Spencer, 2006).
2.4.4 Mutual relationships between Lean thinking, Total Quality Management and Six sigma
Dahlgaard & Dahlgaard-Park (2006) state that principles, concepts and tools of Lean and Six sigma should not be seen as alternatives to TQM but instead as a collection of concepts and tools which support the overall principles and aims of TQM. Six sigma and Lean concepts are excellent road-maps, which can be combined or used seperately, in order to strengthen the values of TQM within an organization (Andersson et al., 2006). Table 2.3 shows an overview of the similarities and differences between TQM, six sigma and Lean, adapted from Andersson et al. (2006).
Concepts TQM Six Sigma Lean
Origin The quality evolution in Japan The quality evolution in Japan and Motorola
The quality evolution in Japan and Toyota
Theory Focus on customers No defects Remove waste
Process view Improve and uniform processes
Reduce variation an improve processes
Improve flow in processes Approach Let everybody be committed Project management Project management Methodologies Plan, do, study, act Define, measure, analyze,
improve (or design), control (or verify)
Understanding customer value, value stream, analysis, flow, pull, perfection
Tools Analytical and statistical tools Advanced statistical and analytical tools
Analytical tools Primary effects Increase customer satisfaction Save money Reduce lead time Secondary
effects
Achieves customer loyalty and improves performance
Achieves business goals and improves financial
performance
Reduces inventory, increases productivity and customer satisfaction
Criticism No tangible improvements, resource-demanding, unclear notion
Does not involve everybody, does not improve customer satisfaction, does not have a system view
2.5 Lean quality programs versus ISO 9001 certification
Lean thinking, TQM, Six sigma and the ISO 9001 certification share a lot of core similarities in terms of scope, goals, and principles; for example this includes customer focus, process approach and the presence of continuous improvement activities (Hoyle, 2009). However, implementation of these programs result in different procedures and practices in each company. These concepts can be viewed as structured guidelines of what to consider for improving quality without presenting actual procedures and targets.
Differences between the programs are present. Firstly, TQM is an overarching management approach to an organization centered on quality and focuses on the whole organization (Harrington et al., 2012). Secondly, the ideologies of Lean thinking, Six sigma and an ISO 9001 certification are smaller and more focused. Thirdly and also in line with the previous arguments, Six sigma is considered an excellent roadmap to TQM (Andersson et al., 2006) and an ISO 9001 certification is a useful stepping stone for TQM implementation (Babatunde & Pheng, 2015). Finally, another difference is visible in why the companies pursue an ISO 9001 certification or implement Lean quality programs; companies attain an ISO 9001 certification to sustain growth in the open market, an external influence, whereas the implementation of Lean thinking, TQM or Six sigma have a much stronger internal propellant (Karthi et al., 2014).
2.5.1 Why combine Lean quality programs with ISO 9001?
A research in China found that most construction firms preferred ‘TQM integrated with ISO 9001’ in order to achieve effective implementation and continuous improvement in quality management (Leong et al., 2014). The ISO 9001 provides an excellent starting point for a firm beginning a TQM program (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997). While ISO 9001 consists more of ‘hard’ practices and TQM consists of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ factors integrating the two means a combination of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ practices will be implemented (Leong et al., 2014).
Karthi et al. (2012) have researched the integration of Six sigma and ISO 9001 certification. They state that Six sigma should be integrated with an existing ISO 9001 certified QMS in a company. However, they also state that not enough research has been carried out to achieve synergy by integrating both programs. They ask for more case studies in this direction to examine the feasibility of combining the ISO 9001 certification with the Six sigma program.
2.6 Research framework
The approach of this research is to contribute to QM in construction by analyzing an ISO 9001 certified QMS in a construction environment and using the QM dimensions as guidance. The expected result is a clear view of what ISO 9001 achieves and what is perceived missing. Next, with the aid of the theoretical background, a well-advised point of view can be forwarded of how to combine ISO 9001 with popular Lean quality programs. The research question has been formulated as follows:
Research question
“How can Lean quality programs be used in combination with the ISO 9001 certification to improve quality management in construction environments?”
3 Methodology
This chapter will elaborate on the methodology of this research. In section 3.1 the research design is explained, section 3.2 describes the case and sub-unit selection, section 3.3 elaborates on the data collection methods and finally section 3.4 concludes with describing the used data analysis methods.
3.1 Research Design
This research attempts to answer the research question by performing a case study. Literature is used to establish a starting point or base for the following topics: construction environments, quality in construction, quality management, ISO 9001 and Lean quality programs. Thereby, this literature provides information about their mutual relationships and outlines what is known and unknown about the research question. This case study has deliberately not chosen to do a systematic literature review or to use the grounded theory method because it could divert the much-needed time and focus on the case study and the phenomenon of QM in construction environments. Case study research is suitable for: (1) studying a phenomenon in its natural setting because through observing actual practice, relevant theory can be generated, (2) it answers why, what and how questions about a phenomenon with a relatively complete understanding of the nature and complexity and (3) it is particularly interesting for exploratory investigations where the variables are still unknown and the phenomenon is not fully comprehended (Voss et al., 2002). All these three elements apply to the field of research of QM in construction.
Generalizability of the results is at stake with the chosen research design, however with the available time and resources of a master’s thesis project, rich insights can be gained. The results found are considered a solid and necessary basis for future research (Siggelkow, 2007; Yin, 2009). In order to reduce the risk of non-generalizable results, a company that had a clear aim to excel in quality management in a construction environment and was encountering challenges regarding the implementation of an IS0 9001 certified QMS was chosen. The implementation of this QMS was considered a typical case (Swanson & Holton, 2005) for QM in construction environments.
3.2 Case and sub-unit selection
The case study took place at a contractor for super yachts in the Netherlands. Construction takes place in one construction hall that facilitates a large dry dock. The company was chosen because they were considered to be a fairly Lean company that had an ISO 9001 certification for their QMS and were experiencing difficulties in implementing the system in hope of improving quality. The company did not have any experience with Lean concepts but they had a clear aim to excel in quality in a very competitive market.
The employees involved with the QMS were divided in four sub-units (see Table 3.1).These groups were chosen because a difference in knowledge and experience with the QMS was expected. Thereby a difference was expected between own employees and those of subcontractors, however, as elaborated on in the results this did not seem particularly crucial.
Sub-unit 1 Sub-unit 2 Sub-unit 3 Sub-unit 4
Environment Office Office Construction hall Construction hall
function Top management
and other management project management Foremen and craftsmen Facility and logistics Expected knowledge of ISO 9001
High High Medium Low
Expected experience with procedures defined in the QMS
Medium High High Low
3.3 Data Collection
Multiple data collection methods were used to strengthen the construct validity of the research (Eisenhardt, 1989; Yin, 2009). One researcher collected the data during the period of November 2016 to January 2017. In order to assure construct validity, key informants reviewed the draft case study report (Yin, 2009).
3.3.1 Company documents
A review of company documents was conducted with two main intensions: (1) to research the actual documentation of the ISO 9001 certification of the company and (2) it was interesting to know if there is accessible information on previous, current and future construction projects.
The procedures described in the ISO 9001 were monitored by direct observations and through interviews. By searching for project related documentation it became apparent what information is available, how it is archived and which possible performance measures were used.
3.3.2 Interviews
The reliability and validity of interview data is improved by using an interview protocol (Yin, 1994). The development of the interview protocol is done in close association with the company’s representative (a project manager). During the process, it became apparent that employees in the office and employees in the construction hall actually desire a slightly different interview protocol. The interview protocols can be found in Appendix C and D.
In order to harvest a thorough research, as many interviews as possible were conducted within the available time; therefore, taking into consideration the availability of the employees, per sub-unit two or more employees were interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and provided relevant data whilst also leaving room to uncover unexpected facets raised by the interviewee (Gill et al., 2008). The participants were contacted by email and asked to participate in the study. Following this, participants were sent a formal invitation with a copy of the interview protocol. Hereby, the participants were given the opportunity to think about the questions and the topics in advance.
Inter view No.
Interviewee Age Gender Duration Experience with the QMS Experience at company Sub unit 1 (Office) 1 Manager (project development ) 40-50 years
Male 50 min High 1-3 years
2 HRM 40-50
years
Female 40 min Medium 5-10 years (since the beginning)
3 Purchasing/I CT
40-50 years
Male 50 min Little 5-10 years (since the beginning)
4 Finance 40-50
years
Male 50 min None 5-10 years Sub unit 2 (Office: Project team) 5 Project manager
40-50 Male 60 min High 5-10 years
6 Project engineer(int erior)
50-60 years
Male 30 min High 5-10 years
7 Project leader(constr uction and outfitting) 40-50 years
Male 70 min High 1-3 years
Sub-unit 3 (Constructio n hall: project team) 8 Foreman 40-50 years
Male 70 min High 5-10 years(since the beginning)
9 Foreman 50-60
years
Male 50 min Medium 5-10 years(since the beginning)
10 Craftsmen/ yacht builder
20-30 years
Male 45 min Little 5-10 years(since the beginning) Sub unit 4(Constructi on hall: facility 11 Dock master/ craftsmen / yacht builder 50-60 years
Male 35 min Little 5-10 years(since the beginning)
12 Warehousing 50-60 years
Male 30 min None 1-3 years
Table 3.2: Details of interviewees
(3) to find the added value of Lean quality programs to the existing QMS by using the QM dimensions from manufacturing as a guideline.
3.3.3 Direct observations
Direct observations were used to observe relevant behaviors and environmental conditions (Yin, 2009). The researcher was allowed to be present at the company for approximately five months, upon which a rather nuanced opinion of the construction environment could be established. By observing the environment for the longest possible time, the other data collection attained more focus as an iterative process.
Direct observations were crucial for triangulation of the information. For instance, a difference could be expected on what employees claim about the QMS and what they actually do. Consequently, direct observations formed a link between the written ISO 9001 document and actual practices. Unique or determining observations were documented in a text file including the date. 3.4 Data analysis
3.4.1 Company documents
The ISO 9001 document was analyzed by abstracting the elements it was referring to and other main features that seemed determinant for construction environments. Project related documentation was analyzed by listing the elements of available information.
3.4.2 Interviews
The initial data from the interviews were first reduced and displayed and are considered a useful first step for data analysis within units by Karlsson (2009). By doing this it is possible to become intimately familiar with each sub-unit as a stand-alone entity; hereby unique patterns of each sub-unit could be identified before comparing the data in cross-unit analysis (Eisenhardt, 1989; Karlsson, 2009), contributing to the internal validity of the case study (Yin, 2009). Quotes related to the research goals were marked in the transcripts; quotes regarding (1) characteristics of the construction environment and QM in construction in general, (2) quotes about ISO 9001 certification and (3) quotes about QM dimensions in construction. See Appendix E for the transcript of the interviews.
4 Results
This chapter represents the results of the case study. The focus was on the employees in a construction environment and how they perceive the ISO 9001 certification program and QM dimensions in their environment. Appendix F provides a more generic case description about the company and the market that the company is involved with.
Section 4.1 begins with confirming that the environment at the company can be characterized as a construction environment, section 4.2 lists the results regarding determent characteristics of the construction environment and QM. Finally, section 4.3 evaluates the ISO 9001 certification program of the company by using QM dimensions as a guideline.
4.1 The case company as a construction environment
This paper is built on the generalization made of the “construction environment”. The case company, a contractor in the super yacht industry, meets all the characteristics described in literature. Appendix G gives a schematic overview of the characteristics that were found in literature and in the case study, accompanied by the definition chosen for construction.
4.2 QM in this construction environment
Elements mentioned by interviewees were improving the level of work of everything conducted by the company (continuously improve), ensuring that the craftsmen are certified (regulations, safety and health), the development and value of defining procedures for working activities (QA), performing toolbox meetings (Safety and site conditions), to ensure that the final product is viewed as high quality and finally that this is done so in a systematic way with care for customer (Customer focus and service/product quality).
Construction of a super yacht can be considered as any another construction project. However, as stated by many of the employees, there is a noticeable difference between yachts and for example commercial shipping. A construction project of a yacht involves more unique designs, activities with a greater emphasis on taping/quality/neatness during the project, the on lay and the will of the customer.
The company is relatively small (approximately thirty employees) and short communication lines were present but a line of demarcation had to be acknowledged between office employees and employees in the construction hall. Group formation between these two working forces was noticed, additionally confirmed in the interviews when the quality of processes and the actual product were evaluated.
4.2.1 One-of-a-kind nature of projects
The one-of-a-kind nature of projects asks for an interesting and valuable element of an effective project team: the process of deciding how to execute a certain activity. “In every project there are activities in which you still have to decide how you are going to do it and what you need. It is even possible that you are half way and then decide to do it differently.”(Interviewee 8). Therefore, the ability to efficiently and effectively execute and debate (unique) activities is considered a valuable asset of a project team in construction. This requires knowledge, skills, communication and employee empowerment.
4.2.2 High customer involvement
The characteristic of high customer involvement in construction environments pinpoint some issues. A determinant quote said: “You do not always want the customer to know everything that is happening in the construction hall. Thereby, it can be quite difficult to have a customer that wants to decide every detail himself.” (Interviewee 7).
made during construction: “The customer receives a question he has to answer, for instance for color of paint or other design choices. If the client is too late with an answer, the whole project can be late, multiple of these minor setbacks can add up to a few months in the end. If you do not register this properly, you cannot justify this in the end to the customer.” (Interviewee 4).
Multiple interviewees noticed that every customer is different meaning that reading your customer is crucial in order to cater for their needs. However, a feature that was widely acknowledged was that there should be only one person in the organization that is in contact with the customer or the customer’s representative(s).
4.2.3 Formation of temporary multi-organizations
The formation of temporary multi-organizations has two points of interest; an important aspect within the organization and an aspect that takes place between different organizations in a construction project.
A fluctuating workflow and an accompanied constant changing organizational structure within the organization was described by interviewees and noticed by the researcher. Interviewees described the need for predefining what is expected in a certain position as well as a quest for a way of communicating contemplated project teams. A widely outspoken challenge to the constant formation of project teams was the lack of clarity of what the employees’ responsibilities were and which working relationships are present. There was a need for a more structured method of communicating the organizational structure. In addition, more information on position related information besides generic job descriptions was also considered an important aspect. Uncertainties regarding the organizational structure were problematic: “If an employee does not exactly know what his responsibilities are than he will have difficulties in taking responsibility for his activities. Non-committal behavior is the result.” (Interviewee 1).
4.3 ISO 9001 certification in this construction environment
As described by the operational director, the company attained ISO 9001 in 2012 and is committed to the ISO 9001:2008 update in December 2015. For both audits an external quality manager was present at the company to analyze the facilities to develop and analyze the ISO 9001 documentation and its procedures.
ISO 9001 at the company entails a digital file in the company’s archive and concerns the following topics: (1) a general quality policy manual and organization chart; (2) procedures for management of documents, records, internal audits, corrective and preventive actions, the identification and control of nonconforming products; (3) procedures for hiring, training and internal communication of personnel; (4) procedures regarding purchasing and evaluation of suppliers; (5) procedures for maintenance; (6) procedures related to health and safety; (7) procedures of the primary processes of project development, project and construction management and after sale and (8) procedures for environmental inspection of the yard.
However, during the period present at the company, the effects of these documented procedures in practice became apparent.
4.3.1 Knowledge of and involvement with ISO 9001 certification
The expected lack of knowledge about ISO 9001 certification of employees in the construction hall was confirmed in the interviews; however, the expected high knowledge of office employees was not present. All interviewees gave similar answers to the question regarding their knowledge of the ISO 9001. Interviewees of all sub-units knew very little about the ISO 9001 certification program and what it exactly entails. As noticeable in the following quotes: “I only know that it exists and that we have it.” (Interviewee 1), and “I know we have it and that we formulated some procedures regarding warehousing and document management for instance.” (Interviewee 8). Thereby, the expected minimal involvement of the workforce in attaining ISO certification was confirmed; only two to three employees (excluding the operational director) were involved.
4.3.2 Core dimension: process management
The ISO 9001 certification has self-evidently had a substantial impact on process management by the development of a bundle of procedures. However, the expected small impact on actual working processes as described in literature in not apparent.
The ISO certification process has had a positive impact and created a reasonable improvement step for: (1) data backup, mail archiving, document archiving and supplier rating (Quality data and reporting and Supplier QM), (2) quality control (QC) during projects (Product/service quality) and (3) it helped management to develop a quality policy manual in a structured way (top management commitment and strategic quality planning).
Quotes that confirm these results are: “Procedures have been written for data backup, mail archiving, document archiving, supplier rating.” (Interviewee 3) and “Yes, a change is visible in the quality control during construction, we now work in stages, between which QC is done” (interviewee 6), and “Things have improved in management since the ISO 9001:2015 update.” (Interviewee 1).
On the other hand, elements that seemed to be missing regarding the process management are: (1) development of procedures regarding project team formation to take away uncertainty among the workforce, (2) interviewees referred to the need for a more structured manner of “taking work” by predefining how pre-project / pre-work order conditions are archived, and (3) no handover procedures were found in the ISO 9001.
4.3.3 Core dimension: product/service quality
The ISO 9001 did not entail elements that referred to product or service quality measures. However, product quality is accordingly addressed during the engineering and planning phase of a project by specifying the specifications of the product and tested in the commissioning and completion phase. Nonetheless, service quality is not referred to in the ISO or in other processes in the company. This aspect of quality in construction seemed to be overlooked and seems related to the usage of quality data (and reporting), as well as implementing a customer focus.
4.3.4 Core dimension: Quality data and reporting
performance. At least, not with all the members of a project team or referring to the whole organization.
Other aspects seemed present that diminish the need for sharing and communicating project performance with the project team by management. It became apparent that the top management has detailed insights in the performance of certain activities but that they are not willing to share it openly or even to present and discuss it with their project teams.
4.3.5 Infrastructural dimension: Top management commitment
The managing director denoted several times the necessity of delivering a high quality product in order to survive. Interviewees in every sub-unit acknowledged the willingness of management to deliver a high quality product. Positive comments were “I have the feeling that management wants to deliver quality, yes.” (Interviewee 11), and “Yes, I have the feeling that management wants to deliver a high quality boat, better than the competitors, most certainly.” (Interviewee 4), and “Yes, we want to deliver the best quality boat; however, it always depend on how much the client is willing to pay.” (Interviewee 1).
However, a contradiction came forward as: difference between what management wants and how it can be achieved in practice. Interviewees mentioned that (1) choices are perceived to be mostly based on cost considerations, (2) a short-term quality vision is perceived; no money is saved on covering materials and safety necessities during construction but long-term investments in equipment and yard upgrades are not perceived as important for management, and (3) a perceived minor budget for strengthening the human resources was outspoken; for instance little to no training was provided.
4.3.6 Infrastructural dimension: Strategic quality planning
The quality policy manual in the ISO 9001 document entails the scope, mission and vision of the company. Regarding strategic quality planning no other initiatives could be found, despite the ISO 9001:2015 upcoming update. For instance, no continuous improvement cycles could be identified nor could interviewees describe process or product/service improvement initiatives. This result seems in line with the reactive nature of a contractor in construction environments.
environment or unsafe/wrong use of equipment. This seems dependent on the atmosphere during projects, which can vary quite a lot.
A crucial aspect to enhance quality in construction seems the flexibility and resourcefulness of the workforce. “Ideas of how to do something often change during the work.” (interviewee 8) When done correctly, this is considered a crucial element of an effective construction team.
4.3.8 Infrastructural dimension: Customer focus
Customer focus is inherent to a construction process due to the high involvement of customers in projects. However, only a minor reference to customer focus was described in the quality policy manual. No elements of implementing customer focus, measuring customer’s satisfaction and evaluating customer focus were found.
As stated by a project manager, the level of quality has to be much higher than the requirements prescribed by regulatory agencies or the contract. He gave the example of verifying the quality of a paint job. The paint system that is put into place can be compliant to requirements but can still show some irregularities. The point made is that some aspects of the product (and service) quality will come down to the customer saying: “Yes this looks good.” or “This is not good enough.” When a customer is not satisfied the contractor wants to prevent a discussion with long lasting effects on a project. Therefore, it is important for a contractor to systematically document and register everything that is done in order to prevent these discussions from getting out of control. The proposed missing procedures in sub-section 4.4.1 for documenting pre-project conditions and developing handover procedures affect this element of quality and QM in construction.
However, as stressed by the operational director and project managers numerous times: the crooked perceived quality by customers during a construction project. The operational director gave the example that you have to do twenty things correctly to let the client forget one mistake.
4.3.9 Infrastructural dimension: Supplier QM
Procedures were written for rating suppliers and purchasing. Rating suppliers takes a certain degree of rule by thumb but it was described by interviewee 4 as a useful activity to discuss and value companies and relationships.
5 Discussion
This chapter serves the purpose of critically reviewing the results that were found in the case study research with QM literature. First, measuring quality and the transition of QM theory from manufacturing to construction are discussed. Second, the considered missing links of an ISO 9001 certified QMS in construction are reviewed. Last, the added value of Lean quality programs to a ISO 9001 certified quality management systems in construction are discussed.
5.1 Defining quality in construction
In this research quality in construction has been defined as meeting and/or exceeding customer’s expectations; knowing that a customer’s expectations is difficult to measure, especially for infrequently bought products/services (Reeves & Bednar, 1994). The research of Hoonakker et al. (2010) confirms that customer satisfaction is perceived as the best measure/indicator of quality in construction among contractors; however, they also state the inability of defining a standardized outcome measure for customer satisfaction in construction industries.
This research states that the sum of product, service and company quality dimensions can be used as a representation of what the customer expects and therefore what satisfies the customer. Using feedback from the customer was not considered in this research because in the super yacht industry it is not preferred to actively approach a customer for feedback. Thereby, a choice is made to look inwards for possibilities to improve the quality instead of relying on a customer’s opinion; as stated by the operational director, the perceived quality by customers can be crooked and a misconception of the quality that has been achieved. Academics also describe fluctuations in the customers’ perception of quality during a construction project (Sommerville, 1994) and that the customer might overemphasize the later stage of a project because of its long duration and that defects in the completion phase clearly stays in the customer’s mind (Kärnä, 2004). However, this approach neglects practices of implementing a customer focus; the extent to which an organization evaluates the feedback from its customers to improve quality (Ebrahimi & Sadeghi, 2013).
5.2 The construction environment and QM theory from manufacturing
The researcher of this research stresses that the transition of QM theory from manufacturing for construction use should be discussed on the QMS level. Multiple researchers state that quality management systems are the road map of the never-ending road to quality in construction (e.g. Ahmed et al., 2005; Cachadinha, 2009). However, researchers keep focusing on for instance the relative importance of the ‘generic’ QM dimensions (Jraisat et al., 2016), regardless of the consensus on the most important dimensions to improve quality in construction being employee involvement and management commitment (Hoonakker et al., 2010). Consequently, the results of this research of elements that should be considered when implementing a QMS in construction cannot be verified accordingly in literature. Only Willar et al. (2016) describes QMS variables to consider when a construction company wants to implement a QMS; for instance correspondence exists with this research on the barrier of lack of effective internal communication. The case study showed a separation between employees in the construction hall and the office that was fed by a lack of communication.
In manufacturing there is no such thing as a constant changing organizational structure; however, this aspect came forward in this case study. Therefore, QM literature from manufacturing does not account for challenges regarding constant changes in working relationships and for instance the effects on employee commitment.
In construction QM emphasizes on problem resolution and quality control (punch list concept). This has not the same emphasis in QM programs in manufacturing where rework is usually avoided (Gao & Pheng Low, 2014)
A customer focus seems very important in literature; however, how to implement this in construction remains uncertain. In the case study came forward that you have to read your customer and have to know what they want in order to do the right thing. No concrete practices were forwarded to implement a customer focus. Therefore, this could be implemented as a procedure in order to emphasize the importance.
Literature describes a high emphasis on price in project bids (Harrington et al., 2012). This was also found in the case study. So despite an perceived top management that was committed to QM was the brutal truth of cost considerations by customers.
5.3 ISO certification in construction
Despite the fact that an ISO 9001 certification results in different procedures in almost every company, a determent aspect for problem resolution/solving can be distinguished for construction environments. The implemented procedures for dealing with (quality) issues during projects and most certainly during construction. Issues which can be caused by variability and the unique nature of the projects such as: late delivery of material and equipment, design errors, order changes, equipment breakdown, tool malfunction, improper crew utilization, environmental effects, poorly designed production systems, accidents and physical demands of work (Abdelhamid, 2003). These issues lead to “pending items” which have to be solved, in some cases by multiple actors. The company developed a “punch list concept” to manage these issues. The list incorporates overview, summarizing the issues, listing who needs to solve the issue, when the issue is initiated etc. Therefore, the list functions as a control list for the actors involved to see what still has to be done and/or if issues that are in their way are being looked at. The punch list has a substantial role and is used as a guideline of conflicting and/or pending items, an important feature of the QMS of the company which seems a generic quality control mechanism for construction environments. The list is a reactive QM procedure for problem resolution and rework.
The case study showed a mismatch between what employees know about ISO 9001 and on the other hand using ISO procedures and acknowledging its positive effect. A considerable effect on actual business processes was visible in the case study, this contradicts the finding of Iden (2012). Procedures that were effectively implemented were quality control (punch list concept) and documentation and archiving. Numerous times it became apparent that the way e-mails and other project related documentation like drawings were archived had a huge impact on the quality of projects in every phase of the projects; engineering and planning, construction and after sales.
There were no continuous improvement cycles present at the company, despite that this is a QM principle the ISO 9000 series are built on. However, this will not be implemented on itself when a company attains ISO 9001; which only outlines the requirements of a QMS (Hoyle, 2009).
handover procedures, (5) procedures for project development and (5) procedures for project evaluation.
6 Conclusions
This explorative research of QM in construction has been based on QM theory from manufacturing. A literature review prior to the case study focused on the concept of quality, QM, ISO 9001 certification and Lean quality programs for construction use. ‘Construction quality’ is defined as meeting and/or exceeding customer’s expectations; even considering the difficulties of measuring the expectations of a costumer of infrequently purchased products and/or service (Reeves & Bednar, 1994). Moreover, a customer’s expectations is depending on three quality aspects in construction: product quality, service quality and company quality (Arditi & Lee, 2003). These three quality aspects have known quality and QM dimensions; however, this research shows critical differences between pursuing quality and QM in manufacturing and construction.
Some elements seem to be missing in QM theory from manufacturing for use in construction: first, rework is common in construction therefore quality control during construction and problem resolution is an invaluable aspect of QM in construction projects. In manufacturing, where rework is usually avoided, the emphasis is more on quality process control (Gao & Pheng Low, 2014). Second, construction projects come with a constant changing organizational structure with temporary working relationships within a construction company and between organizations. This research found that it is of most importance to properly inform the workforce about ‘how’ and ‘what’ is communicated of project team formation. The case study showed that uncertainties in project formation are a demotivating factor for employees to conduct high quality activities and to take responsibility for their actions. A fluctuating demand and workflow (Harrington et al., 2012) intensifies this barrier for conducting high quality activities. Third, in the case study a clear demand for structurally communicating project prospects was present among the employees; namely, another demotivating aspect was the unstructured and somewhat secretly obtainment of information of future projects which inhibited gossiping and is seen as a barrier for QM.
cause was not the expected immeasurability of quality in construction but management showed reticence in sharing project performance information with the workforce.
In the case study group formation was visible between employees in the office and in the construction hall. The group formation is fed by a physical separation and a difference in working with the brains or with the hands; however, considered increased by the lack of communication of project prospects, the constant changing organizational structure and project performance.
Applying knowledge of QM from manufacturing for construction use should be discussed on the QMS level. Using ISO 9001 certification as a first encounter with the concept of quality is beneficial for construction companies, the ISO 9001 program provides appropriate guidance to develop the ‘hard’ practices of a QMS (Sun, 1999). Nonetheless, for a construction company to excel in QM it should be adopted as one tool in a larger strategy of achieving competitive advantage through QM and communicating quality results (Babatunde & Pheng, 2015).
6.1 Limitations
This research was subjected to various limitations. First, the research was performed by one researcher which could have caused a bias during the interviews. It was attempted to avoid this bias by using a predefined semi-structured interview protocol. Second, a bias could have been present in translating and transcribing the answers of the interviews. An attempt is made to avoid this bias by discussing the results with the employees and top management as well as sending a copy of the transcripts of the interviews to the concerned interviewee for confirmation. Last, the interview questions regarding QM dimensions where subtracted from survey constructs developed by Saraph et al. (1989); however, only a few questions of the constructs could be used in order to avoid long interviews. This could entail that the interviews did not gave a full overview of the QM dimensions in the case.
6.2 Practical implications
QM in construction starts with accepting the characteristics of the environment. When accepted, it is useful to think about and formulate reoccurring activities in a QMS. This can be done by using ISO 9001 certification, which will also provide a company’s first formal sign to external parties. This report describes the elements that could be assigned in an ISO 9001 certification for construction use. When the first round of procedures has been developed the company will have to implement them. This takes some time and a few projects, however, when the employees are asked about the improvements made, it is expected that they will acknowledge the value of rethinking the construction projects as a process. This can give enough drive to start with the second phase; continuous improvement of the QMS, with the employees as a leading force. Quality improvement teams should be set up to ensure that everyone within an organization is constantly inspired to a quality mentality and that there is continuous improvement in the quality systems (Pheng & Teo, 2004). This can be done by using the Six sigma program, which can also function as a second formal sign for external parties and customers that the company takes the quality of your products, services and processes seriously.
6.3 Future research
