Some empirical observations of service quality in construction

Architectural and engineering firms (design firms) have eschewed implementing quality assurance (QA) and other subsequent aspects of quality such as continuous improvement. Their reluctance to embrace QA has been found to be a contributing factor in the production of poor quality contract documentation. Missing, conflicting and erroneous information contained within contract documentation are major sources of rework and customer dissatisfaction in construction projects. If design firms are to significantly improve the quality of the service they provide, they should implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards. By implementing such standards, it is suggested that design firms will be able to contribute more effectively to the value adding process in the construction supply chain. It is argued that the service offered by design firms should be viewed as a key component of value that drives its success. Therefore, because rework is a major source of dissatisfaction in projects, a case study was used to determine how its occurrence inhibited value creation and thus the quality of service provided. From the case study findings, the need for design firms to implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards so as to improve their service quality is discussed.

[1]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Modelling the dynamics of design error induced rework in construction , 2000 .

[2]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Quantifying the causes and costs of rework in construction , 2000 .

[3]  Mike Hoxley,et al.  Measuring UK construction professional service quality: the what, how, when and who , 2000 .

[4]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Overcoming the problems associated with quality certification , 2000 .

[5]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Determining the causal structure of rework influences in construction , 1999 .

[6]  P. Love,et al.  Rework: a symptom of a dysfunctional supply-chain , 1999 .

[7]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Improving the competitiveness of manufacturing companies by continuous incremental change , 1998 .

[8]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Selecting a suitable procurement method for a building project , 1998 .

[9]  Andrew Edkins,et al.  Towards total project quality: a gap analysis approach , 1998 .

[10]  Brian Richardson,et al.  Marketing for Architects and Engineers: A new approach , 1996 .

[11]  John S. Oakland,et al.  Total Quality Management: Text with Cases , 1995 .

[12]  B. Donaldson.  Customer service as a competitive strategy , 1995 .

[13]  A. Smith,et al.  Measuring service quality: Is SERVQUAL now redundant? , 1995 .

[14]  John S. Oakland,et al.  Quality management in civil and structural engineering consulting , 1995 .

[15]  Thomas C. Powell,et al.  Total Quality Management as Competitive Advantage , 1995 .

[16]  Samuel K. M. Ho.  TQM : integrated approach : implementing total quality through Japanese 5-S and ISO 9000 , 1995 .

[17]  T. C. Powell.  Total Quality Management as Competitive Advantage , 1995 .

[18]  Mohammad Mahmoud Abolnour.  The relationship of fee structure in engineering offices and design deficiency , 1994 .

[19]  R. F. Blanchard,et al.  Quality in Retail Banking , 1994 .

[20]  Calum Webster,et al.  Measuring Service Quality and Promoting Decentring , 1994 .

[21]  I. Chen,et al.  A Study of Price and Quality in Service Operations , 1994 .

[22]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  Improving service quality in America: Lessons learned , 1994 .

[23]  John S. Oakland,et al.  Total Quality Management in Services , 1994 .

[24]  Steven A. Taylor,et al.  Servperf versus Servqual: Reconciling Performance-Based and Perceptions-Minus-Expectations Measurement of Service Quality , 1994 .

[25]  June M. Fernie,et al.  COSTS, DRAWBACKS AND BENEFITS ‐ THE CUSTOMER′S VIEW OF BS 5750 , 1993 .

[26]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service , 1993 .

[27]  Emin Babakus,et al.  An empirical assessment of the SERVQUAL scale , 1992 .

[28]  Ruth N. Bolton,et al.  A Multistage Model of Customers' Assessments of Service Quality and Value , 1991 .

[29]  Arthur A. Defraites.  Fee versus Quality , 1989 .

[30]  R. Janson.  Achieving service excellence in the financial services industry , 1989 .

[31]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. , 1988 .

[32]  John W. Creswell,et al.  Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches , 2010 .