Safety, quality, and production (SQP) are interdependent and must be integrated for construction project success. Treating them as separate standalone entities risks losing efficiency and client satisfaction. Large, complex projects especially require identifying the interdependencies between SQP and enacting support mechanisms for their unification. This is crucial for projects with off-site fabrication and when using lean construction methods, which demand clear collaborative roles and responsibilities across the project team. A value engineering review from an integrated SQP perspective and relational contracting can help manage risks by addressing stakeholder communication and issues collectively.

1. Safety, Quality & Production Paradigm (SQPP)
As construction firms focus their endeavors to foster an enhanced safety culture, they risk losing a more
integrated, team-based approach to their project needs. Granted worker safety is critical to employee
morale and a firm’s success, but we cannot forget quality and production requirements to achieve overall
client satisfaction as a sustainable business model. The sophistication required for a project’s safety
regiment is found in analyzing a project’s quality requirement, production methods, equipment
optimization and schedule sequencing. The more complexities involved, the more crucial to understand
the dynamic interdependence of safety, quality and production specifics necessary to control overall
project phases, off-site fabrication and overall success.
Assembling a list of SQPP interdependencies required for your project will enable more control of these
frequencies in different groups within the project team. The expectations for SQPP must be portrayed to
all shareholders along with weekly metrics and reporting measures.
Safety has taken over many larger projects with elaborate reporting requirements that do not integrate
the seamless working relationship needed with quality and production personnel requirements.
Combining a value engineering review from a safety, quality and production perspective will enhance all
aspects of a project’s goals, including lean construction pursuits.
Many studies reveal a downward trend in construction productivity over the last twenty years. An
interesting transition has occurred during that timeframe, safety and quality personnel on construction
projects were once former construction production personnel. For a variety of reasons these
construction personnel developed the skill-sets necessary to move into the quality and safety positions.
Their new skill-sets expanded their careers into new fields and they flourished at these positions. Over
the last twenty years, many learning institutions have developed degrees in safety and quality, combined
with OSHA training courses; these new safety personnel were accepted in great numbers into the
construction field. Their safety-specific education has made great strides in many areas of construction,
except one. The vast majority of these individuals do not have an underlying knowledge of construction
projects and day-to-day operations. Each encounters an initial, integration learning curve to understand
their safety or quality duties and responsibilities, especially the interactions required by the project
management team. Most develop daily regiments based on their specific, safety or quality training, this
focus doesn’t lend well to today’s interdependent requirements necessary for large-scale projects.
On large complex construction projects: safety, quality and production cannot be separate standalone
entities. There are distinct interdependencies that must be identified and enacted to provide the proper
support mechanisms necessary to assist the others. The proper unification of the interdependent
activities of these separate entities is managerial imperative to success. This is especially true when a
large portion of the project is fabricated or preassembled at off-site facilities. The interdependent
relationships for project participants are best handled using relational contracting which can mitigate the
project related risks. The communication systems must address relational aspects of participating
interests. Collectively, stakeholders identify the issues and develop the tasks necessary to manage them,
providing a greater emphasis on the process rather than the end product.
With clients calling for the implementation of lean construction to reduce project cost, it is critical that we
© 2015 Palmer Consulting Services, LLC
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2. establish all interdependence needs to properly collaborate with all parties. Leaner project teams need
the right team members with clear roles and responsibilities, plus all collaborative assignments and their
associated relationship requirements.
A deeper study is in progress . . .
Submitted by,
Arthur Palmer
© 2015 Palmer Consulting Services, LLC
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