Supplier Quality Management Inside and Outside the Construction Industry

Abstract: Supplier quality management (SQM) inside the construction industry is complex given the one-off nature of projects and the enormity of project size and life cycle. The resultant supply chain that supports these projects is extremely broad and deep, creating unique challenges with managing a network of hundreds and even thousands of independent contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers that often span the globe. It is a continual challenge to ensure that the project equipment, products, and materials that are produced are not in need of rework. This article summarizes findings from the literature of diverse approaches for SQM in the construction industry, and from other industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace, and food and restaurant. The aim is to identify approaches that could be beneficial to the construction industry such as supplier partnerships, category captain management, and product life cycle management and to determine how these approaches might be adapted to the construction industry. Engineering managers are challenged to improve SQM within an environment of limited resources. By investigating effective practices of SQM inside and outside the construction industry, the engineering manager can leverage and apply these practices. The contribution of this article includes examining and identifying diverse practices for assuring supplier quality. These practices can be applied by engineering practitioners to improve the current management systems so that poor quality problems can be prevented.