A proactive plan-do-check-act approach to defect management based on a Swedish construction project

In order to continuously improve quality and avoid reoccurrence of defects, defect management (DM) in construction needs to take a more proactive approach. The classification of construction information is important for the efficient exchange and integration of data between the many roles and phases of construction and facility management, but it also provides a framework for standardization, which in turn is paramount for improvement. In order to better understand how defects can be managed proactively we conducted a case study on inspection practices at a large construction project in Sweden, using observation and analysis of inspection reports. We identified opportunities and obstacles in the classification of defect data. The project’s defect descriptions were often ambiguous and the records lacked important contextual information. We believe that this was because current practice is not designed with proactivity in mind, and there are only regulatory requirements on the data, making classification difficult. In addition, by viewing the project’s practices through the lenses of continuous improvement and plan-do-check-act theory to identify missing or inadequate steps, we propose a framework for a proactive version of the current defect management process that could potentially help to prioritize improvement work and reduce the incidence of defects.