Higgins quality process improvement

Abstract

This report details a quality process improvement project undertaken for Higgins Group Holdings Limited (Higgins). Quality management at Higgins is a compliance-based activity at best, with variations between branch practices throughout the country. Interviews with current Higgins employees, clients and consulting engineers identified issues with current quality processes. Further consultation with other civil and construction companies in New Zea land , Australia and the United Kingdom combined with a review of academic literature, identified a best practice for construction quality management. Research was conducted into emerging software solutions in order to identify current and future technology enablers for quality process improvement within the construction sector. The recommendations made should result in a decrease in the amount of rework required, adding further improvements to the organisation’s bottom-line. This leads to increased competitiveness through the ability to bid lower due to reduced risk, and increased repeat business due to improved client satisfaction .