Five Steps to Improving Quality Control on the Jobsite
John Lohan • Aug 17, 2021
The key to delivering the best results in a construction project is believing the work will last forever. When this belief is adopted by every crew member, they’ll attend to every detail and ensure everything is done to its highest quality. A motivated staff working with this belief also means supervisors and clients will have complete confidence in the workmanship on their project – that a commitment to excellence will be built into every step along the way.
Adopting a quality control mindset can be a challenge in the construction industry. Personnel change frequently, the work is difficult and tiring, the hours are long and deadlines short. Rushing to finish a job can lead to waste, shortcuts and lapses in judgement – with disastrous results.
Double Black Construction is different because it has built a culture that values quality control over everything else. It’s one of their primary principles and works due to the complete buy-in from every team member. Their culture has become the most important aspect in achieving high-quality work consistently. The company considers it an absolute, understood by all, all the time.
“Quality work and company culture are interconnected,” says company president, John Lohan. “When quality control is recognized as an integral part of the company’s values and becomes the expectation, it will be adopted readily and drive every aspect of daily effort, even down to the simplest task. Teams align their priorities to a higher standard and self-regulate their behaviour through team dynamics.”
How did Double Black Construction build their culture?
1. Management reinforces quality control throughout every aspect of culture.
Every leader supports and reinforces the quality control message without compromise. They constantly remind teams of their responsibility and demonstrate their own commitment to the principle on a consistent basis. Teams learn to adopt the culture when they observe their leaders living it reliably. It can be evidenced by the language teams use. Clients notice the company culture when they talk with every crewmember, from the salespeople down to the person riveting a steel beam or cleaning up the project site at the end of day.
2. Realistic and consistent deadlines and workloads.
Producing high-quality finished work without any surprises throughout the project life cycle builds trust within the team (and with clients). One key is to ensure work is allocated in a way crewmembers can reasonably attain when accounting for the time to do each task properly. Overloading employees with too many tasks or with too short deadlines are the first steps to compromising quality. Double Black Construction understands that delivering the work correctly is key to building trust.
3. Internal quality control by personnel.
Onsite management continually monitors the work and inspects the jobsite with their client’s perspective in mind. Double Black Construction uses a “four corners and four walls” approach to review the project in its entirety as well as from its component parts. Supervisors report on quality control continually. Recognition and incentives are delivered to top performing teams on a regular basis, so crewmembers know it’s a priority. Likewise, small issues can be caught early, and corrective measures can be taken before the problems get too large. Immediate feedback prevents delays. The gathered information is added to jobsite data to help measure performance over the long run. Running scores help senior leadership to monitor performance, recognize patterns and make adjustments. The culture rewards itself with teams monitoring their own work and holding themselves to a higher standard.
4. Offering incentives.
Individual and team incentive programs for quality control mirror the ones for safety issues. Goals are shared jointly to help reinforce positive group dynamics, to build trust and to encourage cooperative training among teams. Everyone contributes to success. Rewards, whether they be made in payments, time off or prizes, demonstrate that quality control is a company priority and not just talking points. Incentive programs are based on maintaining and exceeding quality performance through all aspects of work.
5. Individual recognition.
Reward publicly and punish in private. Outstanding performance is acknowledged frequently and in front of peers. By reviewing work often in person, communication is open, and teams feel free to share insight on who is performing well. Team members are motivated to be exceptional for both the team appreciation as much as any financial reward. The jobsite becomes a non-competitive atmosphere where people are comfortable to point out issues that will ensure a better overall quality job. Individual recognition also includes invitation to participate in decision-making on a larger scale and being given greater responsibilities.
A Journey of a Thousand Miles is Made by Millions of Single Steps
A completed project is made up of thousands of simple individual actions, a combined effort of every team member. The talent behind every hammer strike and weld needs to be driven by 100% focus on quality. The best finished projects require the team to be motivated, focused on the details and committed to contributing to company values. This is achieved through effective leadership and building a culture that places the customer’s best interests above everything else.
When you’re looking for a contractor to work on your next steel building or construction project, Double Black Construction’s dedicated team of skilled professionals is ready to bring their commitment to quality control to you. Contact us online or by telephone at
(833) 322-2722 when you're ready to get started.
(833) 322-2722 when you're ready to get started.
About the author:
John Lohan has over 15 years of experience designing, engineering and installing over 500 metal buildings for architects and clients across North America and the globe. He’s managed all aspects of steel building construction, including material logistics and managing local and foreign construction teams. John also has special expertise in concrete foundation and excavation. He can be contacted at Double Black Construction at (833) 322-2722, by email at john@DoubleBlackConstruction.com
or on LinkedIn.
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