Implementing TQM in Engineering and Construction

Abstract

Seventeen major companies involved in the engineering and construction (E&C) industry (eight owners and nine contractors) were interviewed. The companies were selected based on their known successful implementation of total quality management (TQM). The intent was to collect and describe the proven best practices in TQM implementation in the E&C industry. While there was no single universal, cookbook approach to E&C TQM implementation, a general sequence of four implementation phases emerged as offering the best opportunity for successful implementation. These phases include: exploration and commitment, planning and preparation, implementation, and sustaining. In the exploration and commitment phase, senior management becomes aware of the need for change and selects TQM as the change mechanism. In the planning and preparation phase, a strategic quality deployment process is developed and top‐down quality training is begun. In the implementation phase, training is expanded and teams are formed to implement pilot quality improvement projects. The sustaining phase is characterized by prevailing conditions in which TQM has been recognized as the way the company is managed.