Implementing Quality Management Systems in Small and Medium Construction Companies: A Contribution to a Road Map for Success

Abstract

This article focuses on the lessons learned while implementing ISO 9001:2000-compliant Quality Management Systems in small- and medium-sized construction companies in Portugal. It identifies the major difficulties to swift and successful implementation and proposes solutions. We make a comparison with equivalent issues in another unique industry and with cases described in the literature, and discuss how the solutions proposed in this article can be generalized to other industries and company sizes.