What does the quality of construction mean in our everyday lives?
The quality of construction can be assessed in many ways. The Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT specifies three characteristics of good quality:
- Eliminating errors
- Smooth construction process
- Successful customer encounters
In this blog post, I contemplate what the quality of construction means to us. Where we have succeeded, and where there is still room for improvement. In many cases, quality is the result of not only successful activities by various parties but also seamless cooperation.
“Where special quality is required, things must be tip-top.”
Many kinds of errors to avoid
When it comes to eliminating errors, there are various types of hazards. All our components used in construction are cast in concrete, so excessive quality is not a good thing either. In that case, we would be wasting the customer’s time and money as well as our own. Unnecessary refinement in such steel parts is not needed, but where special quality is required, things must be tip-top. For example, there is a certain requirement for welds, and we ensure that we meet it.
Secondly, errors can be made in procurement. It is also important for us to be able to support the buyer in finding the right parts. Occasionally, a customer inadvertently tries to order incorrect parts. In such cases, it is important that our salespeople are able to check the matter and offer parts that may better suit the order. This is the type of expertise that our customers value.
“Sometimes it is best to raise your hand to admit your mistake and fix it as soon as possible with minor damage.”
Thirdly, there is the possibility of human errors. Sometimes we just send the wrong parts to the customer. In that case, it is best to raise your hand to admit your mistake and fix it as soon as possible with minor damage. I think we have been constantly improving in this area, and there have been hardly any incorrect deliveries in recent years.
Scheduling and communication ensure smooth construction
Of course, the key to smooth construction is that the right parts arrive at the right place at the right time. In this, both internal and external communication can make logistics run smoothly.
“Changes are communicated as soon as possible, so that other parties can react to the new schedules.”
There are bound to be delays every now and then, no matter how well the schedules are planned. For example, problems with the availability of materials may cause unwanted delays in production. Even then, it is important that changes are communicated as soon as possible, so that other parties can react to the new schedules.
Trust is built between people
In construction, human interaction and encounters at different stages are also important. In every construction project, there are numerous phases – the bidding, ordering and construction site phase as well as the final report – where communication is important for building trust, not only in business but also in personal relations. In addition to the actual construction, we also try to arrange factory visits and customer visits where knowledge, know-how and feelings are conveyed in both directions.
Tatu Heiskanen is an engineer (mechanical and production engineering), IWE and HSEQ Manager at Anstar. Tatu has seven years of experience at Anstar in steel structure manufacture, occupational safety and quality management. In the role of quality manager, Tatu naturally prioritises quality-related matters, but responsibility and the continuous development of the company into an even more responsible operator are also close to his heart.
Tatu Heiskanen
HSEQ Manager
+358 40 772 9519
tatu.heiskanen@anstar.fi
