Quality Managers play a key role in the battle to achieve optimal project performance. However, common challenges such as out-of-date documentation, slow transmission of project information and a lack of real-time data for accurate reporting remain key hurdles that can greatly hinder outcomes.
In this article, we’ll examine these everyday quality management challenges and propose easy-to-implement solutions that can help you resolve them.
Challenge #1: Timely transmission of documents
Timeliness is a key issue in project management – not just as it pertains to speed of work but, from a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) standpoint, ensuring that documents such as quality checklists, updated design drawings and other client-approved forms get distributed into the field as quickly as possible so crews can perform correctly. Failure to distribute up-to-date documents in a timely manner will not only result in errors, but can also significantly damage the client/contractor relationship.
Trying to manage all those incoming documents and revisions effectively in a point system such as SharePoint or Dropbox – or worse, via email – is a recipe for errors and rework. What’s needed is a single source of truth for project documentation that can keep track of the most current versions, ensure they’re reaching work crews quickly, and record “read” receipts to ensure that the data being distributed is also being consumed.
Fortunately, today’s leading document management solutions can automate this process, keeping track of relevant documents, making sure they are being transmitted quickly and ensuring that correct, client-approved forms are being utilized by crews. Compliance tools, such as those offered by InEight, can also help ensure the correct forms are being distributed, filled out and returned efficiently so work proceeds quickly and without any hitches.
Challenge #2: Capturing and relaying checklist data
Timeliness doesn’t just apply to documents being pushed out to the field, it’s also an issue with respect to information being collected and returned from the field to the back office.
The checklists being filled out by quality personnel are not only integral to receiving payment at the end of a project, they’re also used to monitor the ongoing health of that project and facilitate issue management. Completed forms from the field indicating when the work is occurring, when inspections are taking place and so on, need to be returned to management so they can ensure all the hold points and witness points were followed, confirm there were no issues, and collect this data for timely reporting.
In other words, the information loop – from timely documents being pushed out to field crews and the transmission of quality and progress documents back to the office– needs to be closed quickly and efficiently, without gaps.
Fortunately, today’s technology tools offer an easy-to-implement solution. Modern-day compliance tools such as those offered by InEight enable workers to be in the field, have their forms available when they need them, capture the required information, and submit that data back once they’re in a connected environment, ensuring the information loop comes full circle in a timely fashion, without delays.
Challenge #3: Real-time reporting and transparency
Lack of access to real-time data for reporting is another factor that too often negatively impacts project performance. Learning about problems after the fact and not spotting troubling trends as they develop will most assuredly lead to nonconformances, not to mention some very uncomfortable conversations with the client; it also puts crews in the position of being reactive rather than proactive.
So how can we reverse this? The solution hinges on our ability to receive and express real-time data, report it out in an easy-to-consume fashion, facilitate transparency, and use it to ensure that the right actions are being taken in the field.
Here again, today’s leading technology tools can be a great assist in assuring accurate information is being conveyed. Power BI-powered dashboard builders embedded in today’s top software solutions allow users to easily transform analytical project data into timely reports for use in decision-making.
Once armed with up-to-date, at-a-glance data, you can spot and track negative trends as they form and use the data to implement proactive measures such as additional trainings to ensure potential project missteps are mitigated before too much damage is done.
Conclusion
While single-use technology tools can help solve these common challenges, they’re even more effective when combined into a seamless, integrated system. For instance, quality and compliance documents can be automatically fed into a document management program to populate your turnover package, so you can submit that package and get payment more quickly and efficiently than ever before.
Interested in learning more about how today’s technology tools can help you conquer your biggest project challenges? Visit InEight.com today and schedule your free demo.
