Exploring the level of knowledge and usage of the seven basic quality control tools by producers of precast concrete products in Ghana

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Date
November, 2014
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Abstract
For very small companies, the root cause of quality problems may be obvious but once we get beyond the very small business, most decision points and problem‟s root cause or the best-course decision will remain obscure until valid data are studied and analyzed. It is for these cases that quality management tools play an important role to improve the quality standards of the projects that the company undertakes. This research seek to explore the level of knowledge and the level of usage of the seven basic quality control tools by producers of precast concrete products and identify practical measures to improve quality control in the production of Precast concrete products in Ghana. The data was analyzed using gap and quadrant analysis and presented using tables and graphs. The findings indicated that the level of knowledge and usage of the seven basic quality control tools by these manufacturers is limited even though their perception about quality (Quality control) is very much on point. Again, the survey identified thirteen practical measures to improve and implement quality control namely, Process improvement guidelines and strategies, Incentives for good performance, Regular inspections and audits, Regular meetings between key stake holders i.e. design team, production team and users, Well defined roles and responsibilities, Customer involvement, Communication between management and production unit, Clearly defined goals and objectives, Training and Education of work force, a clear policy on quality control, Employee involvement- Frontline workers involvement in decision making on product quality, Skilled workforce (Production), Management commitment to quality. These measures are to be given attention for smooth improvement and ensure the successful implementation of total quality management in this industry. A proposed framework of quality control improvement and implementation has been derived from literature and the empirical study reported in this work. This frame work will contribute a lot to the Ghanaian iii construction industry and encourage producers of precast concrete products to adopt the seven basic quality control tools to ensure quality of their products
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy, Construction Management.
Keywords
Knowledge, usage, quality control, tools, precast concrete product, Ghana
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