Many in our industry clump Quality Assurance and Quality Control together to form the trendy term “QA/QC” (even sounds kinda cool). The reality is however, at least by our definition, that “QA/QC” have about as much in common as a ceiling does to a roof. True they are both found overhead – but – both serve dramatically different purposes and are comprised of very different materials
Here’s what we perpetrate as the “real” meaning of Quality Control and Quality Assurance:
Quality Control is REACTIVE and occurs after an assembly is put in place.
- QC is most commonly associated with a final Punch List, which although important and necessary, does not address vital assemblies that have been covered up such as window flashing, waterproofing membrane, proper lapping of the Water Resistant Barrier, interior wall assembly details, et al.
- QC occurs after the fact and if problems are found significant re-work is usually necessary and costly.
- QC addresses those things cosmetic, which is important, but it doesn’t address what is integral to the overall assembly.
Quality Assurance is PROACTIVE and occurs throughout a project.
- QA (in our experience) is often overlooked in the field but is becoming increasingly important with the current trend of construction defects.
- QA verifies at incremental stages that specific processes and assemblies are constructed properly.
- QA is necessary to reduce construction defects and create structures that are truly sustainable (i.e. stand the test of time)
- QA, most importantly, has tremendous cost benefits – one only needs to consider the cost of one deductible on a single claim to see that QA has a HUGE ROI.
As our industry has seen over the last few decades, QC is no longer enough to keep structures out of the courtroom and standing for years to come. We must adapt our processes and incorporate QA throughout the course of construction to truly know what is inside our wall structures, underneath our siding, and keeping water from infiltrating our windows.
The end result of a thorough Quality Assurance program is what we call Sustainable QualityTM – Beyond Green!
Give us a call or shoot us an e-mail. We’d be happy to give you a presentation on our nationally recognized QA program and share the cost benefits it can provide – won’t cost you a dime and could save you millions!