Impact of Digitalization on Quality Management in Construction Projects

Strategic Quality and System Management

Abstract
Technologies are the key factor for the smooth running of the businesses because
technology reduces the time requirements and provide the adequate results. Digitalization has
entered in each sector such as infrastructure, education, retail, mining, construction etc. In this
context, modernization in construction enhances the value of the construction industry because it
improves the quality of buildings and creates the sustainability in context of economic,
environment and society. Here, use of new techniques in mining, financial and infrastructure
sector has contributed to a gross added value in the economy. However, construction industry
has a least participation around 1% in information and communication technologies as a share of
gross value added. However, construction industry is challenged by the characteristics of
digitalization process because it demands for the continuous communication, coordination and
adequate exchange of information between all connected parties. Nonetheless, digitalization is
the single significant change element for the construction sector as well as for society in general.
Additionally, use of digitalization brings the new opportunities for sustainable cities and
significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Digitalization enables continuous exchange of information in the entire construction
process. In this manner, digitalization includes the use of various techniques in the construction
like information technology, specific software to reduce the time, quality management modules
etc. which helps to improve the standard of the buildings. In this context, the current mixed
approach based- qualitative and quantitative report determines the importance of digitalization in
construction industry which has a significant impact on the quality management of the
construction. Here, for the purpose of the study, different digital tools have been analyzed to find
out the appropriateness for the construction buildings. Here, from the study, it has been found
that digitalization is important to improve the quality of the construction and further helps to
save the time, waste of material, smoothens the construction process and reduces the ratio of
hazardous chemicals in which releases from the constructions. Furthermore, it has also been
identified that use of new techniques in the construction is not an easy task because it occurs the
different issues such as resistance to change, legal requirements, demands for the highly
professional workers, huge implementation cost etc. In this manner, implementation of advanced
technologies is not affordable for the small construction firms because of the huge investments.

However, it has also been found from the study that use of digital technologies enhance the
quality of construction, increases the competitive advantages, reduces the operational issues etc.
Therefore, several recommendations such as has been provided to deal with the issues related to
digitalization recruitment of Information Technology (IT) professionals, use of digital software
with legal permission, render adequate training to existing skilled personals etc. Furthermore, it
has also been suggested that to build the positive relationships with suppliers for continuous flow
of materials, implement quality management tools to maintain the records and make available the
huge financial resources to implement digitalization in construction sector.

Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special thanks of appreciation to my teacher and tutor who
gave me a golden opportunity to do this marvelous project on the topic of Strategic Quality and
System Management, which also helped me in doing a lot of research on the study and I came to
know about new concepts and techniques. I would also like to thank my parents and friends who
supported me a lot to select the specific topic within a limited time period and to collect the data
from the relevant personnel. Hence, credit to all those who directly or indirectly helped me in
completion of the research within standard time frame.

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
1.1 Background............................................................................................................................1
1.2 Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................3
1.3 Rationale of the study............................................................................................................3
1.4 Structure of dissertation.........................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................6
2.1 Understanding the importance of quality management in construction projects..................6
2.2 Evaluating different digital tools for quality management in construction projects.............9
2.3 Analyzing different issues in implementing digitalization..................................................13
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................17
3.1 Type of the study.................................................................................................................17
3.2 Research philosophy............................................................................................................17
3.3 Research design...................................................................................................................18
3.4 Research approach...............................................................................................................19
3.5 Data collection.....................................................................................................................19
3.6 Sampling techniques............................................................................................................20
3.7 Data analysis........................................................................................................................20
3.8 Research limitations.............................................................................................................21
3.9 Ethical consideration...........................................................................................................21
CHAPTER 4: INVESTIIGATION AND ANALYSIS.................................................................23
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................34
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................34
5.2 Recommendations and implementation...............................................................................36
7.0 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................39

8.0 APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................48
List of figures
Figure 1: Total quality management approach in construction industry.......................................55

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Currently, digitalization is one of the important aspects for the construction projects
because it helps to bring the changes in the construction sector as well as beneficial for the
society (Andersson & Lessing, 2017; p.220; Liu & Chua, 2016). Digitalization helps to generate
new opportunities for the sustainable countries, supports to reduce the carbon discharge in the
environment and helps in management of available resources (Tulenheimo, 2015). However, to
plan for the use of technology in the construction projects leads to complexities with the
participants because it is based on the implementation of latest technologies, analysis of needed
resources, prospecting the completion time of the construction etc. (Liu & Chua, 2016). Apart
from this, digitalization is a supportive process which enables the exchange of integrated
information among the all relevant factors of the construction process. In this context, use of
digital tools in the construction industry makes an impact on the quality measurements of the
construction because technologies support for the improved information flow (Majid et al.,
2012). By considering the significance of Information Technology (IT) in each filed; hence,
construction industry also focuses on the inclusion of modern techniques in construction
buildings because the use of technologies is changing the face of competition in the globe. In this
manner, digitalization affecting the construction sectors by reducing the risks and offering the
high-quality buildings by using the efficient technical tools.
Use of digital technologies in the construction sector is changing the scenario of the
entire industry because it creates the different challenges, issues as well as opportunities for the
related construction parties. However, the digitalization in construction industry helps to
construct quality buildings and further supports to manage the data as per the requirements
(Akanmu, Anumba & Messner, 2013). Moreover, digitalization is not only offering the quality
buildings; nonetheless, modern tools has extensive effects on the monitoring of cost and time
elements in the projects which further helps to maintain progress in the construction.
Furthermore, application of new techniques in construction has a great support in maintaining the
budget and reduce the all kind of overruns in the construction so that the project can be
completed within decided time period (Raut, Pimplikar & Sawant, 2013). However, it is not
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necessary that use of digital technologies always offers the required outcomes in an effective
manner; however, it requires the professionals and skilled labors to use the latest applications.
Additionally, it enhances the overall cost for the construction projects because it demands for the
timely training for the workforce to operate the tools. On the contrary, there is a constructive and
positive relationship between use of digital tools, quality and performance of the employees
because it improves the speed of work and reduces the malfunction activities (Al-Tmeemy,
Abdul-Rahman & Harun, 2012).
Several studies notified that various digital tools such as RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification), Cyber physical systems, virtual models, Building Information Modeling (BIM),
Total Quality Management (TQM) etc. are used to improve the quality and management of the
construction procedure (Boland, Lyytinen & Yoo, 2007; Arayici, Egbu & Coates, 2012; Rossi &
Bhargav, 2015). In this context, TQM is supportive to provide the quality outcomes in the
construction because it focuses on the use of systematic approaches from inception to
finalization of the construction. Furthermore, the work is inspected on the basis of quality
standards which are associated with TQM. Nonetheless, large construction companies can easily
implement the advanced tools to derive the optimum outcomes in the industry and the losses
covers from another running projects. On the contrary, it is not affordable for the small
construction organizations to implement the digital technologies because it enhances the overall
cost of the construction (Rossi & Bhargav, 2015). Additionally, small companies already deal
with small construction projects; therefore, it is not appropriate for the small companies to
implement the digitalization. Moreover, the implementation of new technologies is get affected
by stakeholders because it requires the same confession level of all the connected people
otherwise issues might be occurred due to lack of collaboration (Travaglini, Radujković &
Mancini, 2014).
The use of additive construction has brought the revolutionary changes in the
construction industry because it depends on the whole construction industry which is ready to
tackle the challenges such as rational designs and a requirement for architectural paradigm
(Labonnote, Rønnquist, Manum & Rüther, 2016). However, the use of 3D digital reconstruction
is a challenge because of harmful effects of the outliers in the data range (Junior, Bellon, Silva &
Vrubel, 2011). Furthermore, the issues occur in the digitalization in construction because labors
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