As a means to reduce reworks spending on construction projects, construction company GVK-Siya Zama has implemented an integrated management system (IMS), which will reduce reworks spending by 25% and improve the group quality average to over 85%.
“Off site, the root causes of reworks include a lack of planning, poor human resource coordination, insufficient focus on quality and an absence of forward communication to the site staff of end-user requirements,” says GVK-Siya Zama quality coordinator Nicola Turner.
She adds that, on site, the causes involve weak site supervision, poor standards of workmanship, poor application of materials as well as the incorrect interpretation of information pertaining to the client’s needs and failure to inform management of problems being experienced.
Owing to this, the IMS influences the quality and health and safety, as well as environmental practices, of the company and is based on the ISO 9001 framework, Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services 18001 and ISO 14001.
“To achieve this, we conduct monthly audits of each of our clients’ projects, including office-based departments. This is because we believe that sites perform at their best when the support departments perform best as well,” notes Turner.
The audits, therefore, proactively monitor operational criteria, the applicable legislation and the regulations, as well as the quality of workmanship standards. Also, the quality of site works, documentation and management is monitored through the audit, while recording data in order to reveal trends.
GVK-Siya Zama mentions that, since implementing the system, the specialists in the construction, renovation, restoration and recycling of buildings and their clients have reaped numerous benefits. These have included saving costs and time, enhancing the company’s reputation, earning repeat clients and additional contracts.
Moreover, the system has had a positive effect on the health and safety of the companies’ employees, as a result of GVK-Siya Zama having a lost-time-injury frequency rate of 0.74.