THE ROLE OF OPTIMAL DECISION MAKING IN TQM FOR
CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT
Dr S. K. Dave,
Assistant professor in Applied Mechanics Department And I/C Head Civil Engineering Dept.
(SF), B&B Institute of Technology, V. V. Nagar3
Abstract: The construction industry is one of the most complex sector where there is
always a difficulty in in maintaining the expected satisfaction required by the customers
without compromising the quality. Total quality management has proved to be a useful tool
in ensuring the achievement of standards and success of civil engineering projects. This
paper envelops the problems of defining quality in the construction industry, examining
possible benefits of implementing Total quality management concept in construction
processes so as to optimize objective functions and constraints in decision making .This
paper discusses the decision making with quality in process and execution, making right
decisions at right time. It aims at presenting the general information regarding decision
quality in construction projects. A right qualitative decision at execution process involves
coordination of many tasks and individuals with different priorities and objectives. It is
aimed to give justification to make optimal decisions resulting to best outcomes between
projects’ cost, time and quality constraints.
Keywords: Construction Management, Decision, Total Quality Management (TQM)
INTRODUCTION
Decision quality is a practical and systematic approach that methodologically breaks
down barriers and improves the quality and timeliness of important decisions. The
successful execution of a civil engineering projects is heavily influenced by a right
decision at initiation stage up to completion stage. A right qualitative decision at
execution process involves coordination of many tasks and individuals with different
priorities and objectives. Project management involves five main processes: Initiating,
Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Different project types,
including construction ones, are made up of a group of interrelated work activities
constrained by a specific scope, budget, and schedule to deliver capital assets needed to
achieve its objectives. These constraints, sometimes called knowledge areas, include
integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communication, risks and
procurement. For civil engineering projects, there are four unique constraints; Safety,
environment impacts, finance and claims. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
managing construction projects all these points should be considered. [15]
Quality has been considered as an important aspect amongst the construction
industries. There may be a long time between the decision and knowing the outcome.
Determining the quality of the decision and giving yourself a chance to improve it at the
I.
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time of making the decision is an important aspect of a quality decision. Construction
industry is such a sector where the work focusses more on durability and sustainability
and hence a qualitative approach is required for each decision to be taken. Relating
construction sector with management perspective will give an outcome to “Total
Quality Management”.
The quality management system aims to improve the level of works in construction
projects and make awareness among the staff in different managerial decisions
improving the quality of construction works.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT CONCEPT
Total Quality Management TQM is termed as a journey and not a destination [5]. Quality is
one of the critical factor in the success of the construction projects. TQM is concerned with
moving the focus of control from outside the individual to within, the objective being to make
everyone accountable for their own performance and to get committed to attaining quality in
highly motivated fashion. [10]
II.
III. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT: A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
PROCESS
To be competitive in today‟s market, it is essential for construction companies to provide
more consistent quality and value to their owners/customers. Such goals demand that a
continuous improvement (CI) process be established within the company in order to provide
quality management. TQM is a management philosophy, a paradigm, a continuous
improvement approach to doing business through a new management model. The TQM
philosophy evolved from the continuous improvement philosophy with a focus on quality as
the main dimension of business. [14]
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Deming’s points for Total Quality Management
 Create constancy of purpose for
 End the practice of awarding business on
improvement of product and service. (Plan
the basis of price tag alone. (Seek longerto stay in business.)
term supplier relationships; reduce the
number of suppliers.)
 Adopt the new philosophy. (Stop tolerating  Improve constantly and forever every
poor quality.)
process in the system of planning,
production, and service.
 Cease dependence on inspection to achieve  Institute modern training (for everybody!).
quality. (Improve the process.)
 End the practice of awarding business on
 Institute modern methods of supervision.
the basis of price tag alone. (Seek longer(The responsibility of foremen must be
term supplier relationships; reduce the
changed from sheer numbers to
number of suppliers.)
QUALITY.)
 Improve constantly and forever every
 Drive out fear. (Encourage employees to
process in the system of planning,
speak up.)
production, and service.
 Institute modern training (for everybody!).
 Break down barriers between departments.
 Institute modern methods of supervision.
 Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and
(The responsibility of foremen must be
targets for the work force.
changed from sheer numbers to
QUALITY.)
 Create constancy of purpose for
 Eliminate work standards that prescribe
improvement of product and service. (Plan
numerical quotas.
to stay in business.)
 Adopt the new philosophy. (Stop tolerating  Remove barriers to pride in workmanship.
poor quality.)
(Poor supervisors, poor materials,
inadequate equipment, lack of training,
etc.)
 Cease dependence on inspection to achieve  Institute a vigorous program of education
quality. (Improve the process.)
and self-improvement for everyone.
 Place everybody in the company to work
to accomplish the transformation and
create a structure in top management that
will push every day on the above points.
Source: Article on Total Quality Management: A Continuous Improvement Process
@1996 PHCC Education Foundation.
A quality decision making in a civil engineering projects can be done by following the
sequence as mentioned below:
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Table 1. A summary of decisions and uncertainties encountered in a construction site
Building elements Decision-making problems
Key uncertainties
Materials
Equipment
Manpower
Methods
Choice
of
suppliers,
management, material type
Stock Availability deficiency,
losses, quality, site
containment
Acquisition type, storage facilities and Failures, unknown yield,
location,
uncertain financial means
arbitrary recruitment , composition of
teams per trade poorly controlled
Lack of adequate understanding
between training and the real market
needs.
Tasks scheduling
Fabrication technique
Accidents, illness, strikes,
unavailability, poorly
controlled performance.
Practices, regulations,
attitudes
Any quality decision is considered perfect by following the below given points:
A. A useful frame: are we adopting a right way to undertake the project?
B. Creative and feasible alternatives: having a small set of wide-ranging choices,
incoming materials in market having different properties and specifications.
C. (I)Meaningful and reliable information, particularly about risk.
(II)Clear preferences and product control.
(III)Sound reasoning, and clear communication about complex issues and special
product studies.
D. Commitment to action.
A. A Useful frame
This is related to planning stage where several characteristics are unique to the planning of
constructed facilities and should be kept in mind even at the very early stage of the project
life cycle. These include the following:
 Nearly every facility is custom designed and constructed, and often requires a long
time to complete.
 Both the design and construction of a facility must satisfy the conditions peculiar to a
specific site.
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Because each project is site specific, its execution is influenced by natural, social and
other locational conditions such as weather, labour supply, local building codes, etc.
 Since the service life of a facility is long, the anticipation of future requirements is
inherently difficult.
 Because of technological complexity and market demands, changes of design plans
during construction are not uncommon.
B. Creative And Feasible Alternatives
This means having a small set of wide-ranging choices, incoming materials in market. It
represents the procedures for actual acceptance of materials, parts and components that are
purchased from other companies or, perhaps, form other operating units of the same
company. In construction market there are various options available for the same type of
work to be performed. Opting for the most suitable type of choice depends on the
economy and feasibility of the alternative selected from viewpoint of both design and
construction. The designers and contractors should also be more willing to introduce new
techniques in order to reduce the time and cost of construction. The planning for a
construction project begins with the generation of concepts for a facility which will meet
market demands and owner needs. Innovative concepts in design are highly valued not for
their own sake but for their contributions to reducing costs and to the improvement of
aesthetics, comfort or convenience as embodied in a well-designed facility. However, the
constructor as well as the design professionals must have an appreciation and full
understanding of the technological complexities often associated with innovative designs
in order to provide a safe and sound facility. Because of the ambiguity of the objectives
and the uncertainty of external events, the creative and feasible alternatives which are
appropriate one are considered.

C.(I)Meaningful And Reliable Information Particularly About The Risk,(II) Clear
Preference And Product Control,(III) Sound Reasoning, And Clear Communication About
Complex Issues And Special Product Studies
One of the most important aspects of design innovation is the necessity of communication in
the design/construction. A proper market survey is necessary for the optimum decision to be
taken for the equipment and material to be collected for the suitable procedure. The
meaningful and reliable information will facilitate product control of item at the source of
production as well as at site so that departures from quality specifications can be corrected
before defective structures are constructed. It does not only involve the materials, but also the
control of processes that contribute to the quality characteristics during the execution and
supervision. This control seeks to deliver a reliable product that will perform satisfactorily
during its expected life and under the conditions of use and minimize the risks.
The studies have shown that it is difficult to define quality in the construction industry.
Contractors often have an attitude of „looks good, feels good‟. This type of quality is hard to
quantify, and that is also one of the main results of our study, it is hard to find a quantifiable
outcome measure of quality in construction. Customer satisfaction is an obvious outcome
measure but most of the time, this measure is not adequately quantified in construction.
Contractors are more than willing to show references from satisfied customers, but a
standardized outcome measure would be welcome. If, for example, all construction
contractors would use a standardized customer satisfaction questionnaire, it would be
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possible to compare the quality records of contractors (benchmarking) and analyze which
factors contribute to high customer satisfaction and high quality.[11]
TOP MANAGEMENT OF COMPANY
Indicating the
problems and
defects in the
department
Figure 1: The Relationship Between Quality Circles And Quality Management
Department In Construction Companies.
D. Commitment to action
Valuing people leads to a more productive and engaged workforce, facilitates recruitment and
retention of staff and engages local communities positively in construction projects.
 Local employment projects and local training initiatives should be utilized in order to
create sustainable communities.
 Training and development should be offered to all staff, including the client, to meet
individual, project and company needs.
 Opportunities for apprenticeships and work experience should be offered.
 A policy of equal opportunities to be adopted to encourage a diverse workforce.
 Project specific agreements should be established between unions and employers to
encourage better employment practices, including training as well as health and safety.
 Construction sites should be clean, tidy and provide good quality facilities, including
catering, appropriate to the diverse needs of the workforce.
There are four different proficiency level to quality decision making in construction
management, related to logic, analysis, wisdom and experience.
Table 3: Proficiency Levels for Quality Decision
Level 1: Basic
Uses a combination of
logic, analysis, and
experience to make
decisions and solve
problems
Level 2: Intermediate
Basic level + wisdom,
and methods to make
sound,
timely
decisions and to solve
problems
Level 3: Advanced
Intermediate level +
Demonstrates
the
ability
to
solve
difficult
problems;
creates
effective
solutions
Seeks
relevant Basic
level
+ Intermediate level +
information
and Understands levels of Identifies and manages
answers
to
key inclusion necessary for the appropriate level of
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Level 4: Expert
Advanced level +
creates effective and
innovative solutions
Advanced level +
builds
and
leads
coalitions and teams to
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questions from several
sources.
Understands
levels of inclusion in
decision making
Has
solutions
and
suggestions that are
effective in addressing
the problem at hand
ownership
effective action
and inclusion indicated by facilitate the
the situation
when indicated
Basic level + turn out Intermediate level +
to be correct and constructively impact
accurate when judged the whole organization
over time
Involves others in the Is sought out by others Is well respected and
thinking and decision- for input and process sought out often by
making process
support
others
for
input,
process support, and
direction
work
Delivers solutions and
decisions that have a
positive, far-reaching,
and
comprehensive
organizational impact,
influencing
future
events and directions
Is
well
respected
inside and outside the
organization; is often
pursued as a consultant
for input, analysis,
process support, and
direction
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/training-and-events/educationcompetencies/problem_solving.aspx#fbid=WSbzihrQcVw
Decision making process includes four phases and steps of the decision-making process: [16]
1. Intelligence: Observe reality; gain problem/opportunity understanding; acquire
needed information.
2. Design: Develop decision criteria; develop decision alternatives; identify restrictions;
+1.
3. Choice: Logically evaluate the decision alternatives; develop recommended actions
that meet the decision criteria; +2.
4. Implementation: Ponder the decision analyses and evaluations; Weight the
consequences and recommendations; Gain confidence in the decision; Design an
implementation plan; Secure needed resources; Put implementation plan into action.
III. CONCLUSION
The study of decision problems in a Civil engineering projects is often based on uncertainties
resulting from unplanned and frequent irregular site conditions or modifications made about
construction activity. A Quality Decision is a practical and systematic approach that
methodologically breaks down barriers and improves the quality and timeliness of important
decisions.TQM attempts to have maximum customer satisfaction through providing quality
maintenance and services by quality decisions. Effective leadership starts with the
development of a mission statement, followed by a strategy, which is translated into action
plans down through the organization. These combined with a TQM approach, will result in a
quality decision, with satisfied customers and good business results.
IV. REFERENCES
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Document was formulated by the Work Package Leader Thomas Flüeler (co-authored by
Andrew Blowers in the section “Insights”).
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[02] Abu Hassan Bin Abu Bakar, Khalid Bin Ali and Eziaku Onyeizu,” Total Quality
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[04] Article on Total Quality Management: A Continuous Improvement Process @1996
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[07] http://hr.od.nih.gov/workingatnih/competencies/leadership/decision.html
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