Blog
The most useful articles in regards to Quality Management in Construction and the implementation of ISO:9001 in the construction industry
ISO 9001 Quality Objectives: Requirements, Examples, KPIs and Template
By Pavlos Inglesis
ISO 9001 quality objectives turn an organisation’s general commitments into specific results that can be measured, monitored and reviewed. A Quality Policy may commit a business to reliable delivery, customer satisfaction, reduced defects and continual improvement. Those commitments provide direction, but they do not explain exactly what the organisation intends to achieve or how success … Read more
ISO 9001 Document Control: Procedure, Register and Best Practices
By Pavlos Inglesis
Document control is one of those Quality Management processes that looks simple until you try to make it work across a real organisation. Create a document. Review it. Approve it. Give it a revision number. Put it somewhere people can find it. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, unfortunately. People save uncontrolled copies … Read more
Construction Snag List: Process, Examples, Responsibilities and Template
By Pavlos Inglesis
A construction snag list is a structured record of incomplete, damaged or unacceptable work that must be corrected before an area or project can be accepted. Depending on where you work, you may hear it called a snag list, punch list, defects list, outstanding works list or completion list. The terminology varies, but the objective … Read more
Integrated Management Systems Explained: Combining ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001
By Pavlos Inglesis
Many organisations operate separate systems for quality, environmental management and health and safety. They have one policy for quality, another policy for the environment and another one for health and safety. They carry out separate audits, organise separate management review meetings and maintain several procedures covering almost exactly the same process. The result is usually … Read more
ISO 9001 Risks and Opportunities: How to Apply Risk-Based Thinking
By Pavlos Inglesis
Risks and opportunities are important parts of ISO 9001, but they are also widely misunderstood. Some organisations create a large risk register containing every possible problem they can imagine. Others complete a simple SWOT analysis before the certification audit and rarely look at it again. Some businesses treat risk-based thinking as the responsibility of the … Read more
Root Cause Analysis: Methods, Examples and a Practical Template
By Pavlos Inglesis
When something goes wrong, the first priority is normally to fix the immediate problem. A defective product may need to be replaced. Nonconforming construction work may need to be repaired. A customer may need a corrected document, refund or replacement service. A production line may need to be stopped until the affected equipment is made … Read more
ISO 9001:2026 Revision: Latest Update, Timeline and How to Prepare
By Pavlos Inglesis
ISO 9001 is currently going through its most significant revision since ISO 9001:2015 was published more than ten years ago. The revision has now reached the Final Draft International Standard stage, known as ISO/FDIS 9001. According to ISO, the new edition is expected to be published in September 2026 and will replace ISO 9001:2015. However, … Read more
Quality Assurance vs Quality Control: Differences, Examples and How They Work Together
By Pavlos Inglesis
Quality Assurance and Quality Control are two of the most important parts of any Quality Management System. However, they are also two of the most commonly confused terms in construction. People use QA and QC interchangeably, job titles are not always consistent and many construction companies simply combine everything under the heading of “QA/QC”. But … Read more
ISO 9001 Internal Audit: Complete Guide, Checklist and Example Questions
By Pavlos Inglesis
An ISO 9001 internal audit should help an organisation understand whether its Quality Management System is working as intended. It should not become a search for minor mistakes or a paperwork exercise completed shortly before a certification audit. A useful internal audit examines how work is actually performed, whether planned controls are being followed and … Read more
ISO 9001 Requirements Explained: Clauses 4 to 10 in Plain English
By Pavlos Inglesis
ISO 9001 can be a confusing Standard when you read it for the first time. The language is formal, some requirements appear in more than one place and the Standard tells organizations what they need to achieve without always telling them how to do it. This is intentional. ISO 9001 needs to work for a … Read more
ISO 9001 for Construction Companies: How to Build a QMS That Works on Site
By Pavlos Inglesis
ISO 9001 can provide an excellent framework for managing quality in a construction company. However, construction is not a controlled manufacturing process and it will never be. Every project has a different Client, design team, supply chain, programme, location and set of contractual requirements. Work is often completed by several layers of subcontractors, while designs … Read more
ISO 9001 Explained: A Practical Guide to Quality Management Systems
By Pavlos Inglesis
Revision update: ISO 9001:2015 remains the current published edition. A revised edition is expected in September 2026. This guide is based on the current requirements and will be updated when the new edition is published. ISO 9001 is the most widely recognised Quality Management System Standard in the world. However, it is also one of … Read more
Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) in Construction: Complete Guide
By Pavlos Inglesis
An Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) is a project quality-control document that defines the inspections and tests required during construction. It identifies what must be checked, when it must be checked, who is responsible, the applicable acceptance criteria, and the records needed to prove that the work complies with the specification. In practical terms, an … Read more
Best Apps for Construction Snagging
By Pavlos Inglesis
Managing construction snagging through an app is now standard practice on many projects. A good construction snagging app allows engineers, inspectors and subcontractors to record defects, attach photographs, identify their exact location, assign responsibility and track each item until it is properly closed. However, the products in this comparison are not all designed for the … Read more
5 Problems With Online Collaboration and Document Management Tools in Construction Industry
By Pavlos Inglesis
Online Collaboration and Document Management Cloud solutions for construction industry are everywhere these days. A quick look on Paul Wilkinson’s excellent Extranet Evolution Blog will probably tell you this is a booming and very dynamic market at the moment. However, there are still some major obstacles that, in my opinion hold this market back . … Read more
Use of tablets for Site Inspections
By Pavlos Inglesis
The use of tablets for Site inspections is probably the biggest revolution in the construction industry since the introduction of CAD about 30 years ago. On the other hand, tablets are probably the first computer that is being used on the field (excluding of course calculators and laptops for special uses). There are many solutions … Read more
5 Cloud-based collaborative solutions for the construction industry
By Pavlos Inglesis
Document Control management is probably one of the most fundamental and important processes of the Quality Management system of any construction project. This is not rocket science. Today’s large infrastructure Projects involve so many stakeholders, trades, people, companies and they have so many complicated processes that things can become far more complicated than they actually … Read more
Constructing Without Design. Yes, It Happens More Often Than You May Think…
By Pavlos Inglesis
There are sometimes that you may think an uncomfortable situation is only happening to you, whereas the reality may shock you. That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago when I asked a question on our Linkedin Group about starting construction without having the design in hand. I asked that in our LinkedIn Group … Read more
How to Measure Quality in Construction Projects
By Pavlos Inglesis
Measuring quality in construction is difficult because a construction project is not a controlled manufacturing line. The work changes from one location and trade to another, different subcontractors are involved, many activities are covered up by later work, and every project has its own drawings, specifications and contractual requirements. But construction quality can still be … Read more
How to Write an ITP (Inspection and Test Plan) in Construction
By Pavlos Inglesis
Inspection and Test Plans are probably the most important documents for the Quality Control of a construction project so knowing how to write an ITP is a skill that can help you a lot, as it’s not being taught in engineering schools these days. A clear, robust and concise ITP will make things on-site easy; … Read more
Non-Conformance Report (NCR) in Construction: Process, Examples and Template
By Pavlos Inglesis
An NCR in construction is a Non-Conformance Report, also written as a Nonconformity Report. It records work, materials, documents or processes that do not meet an approved requirement and controls the issue until it has been corrected, verified and properly closed. The requirement may come from an approved drawing, specification, contract, code, standard, Inspection and … Read more
Quality Toolbox Talk Topics in Construction
By Pavlos Inglesis
A Quality Toolbox Talk in Construction can be an essential tool, as these presentations are usually the best way to deliver a message in regards to quality management or quality control in construction and to brief the teams on and off site for something that occured, an NCR in construction or to prepare them for … Read more
RFI in Construction: Meaning, Process, Examples and Template
By Pavlos Inglesis
An RFI in construction is a Request for Information: a formal question used to obtain clarification when drawings, specifications, contract documents or other project information are incomplete, unclear or inconsistent. A well-written construction RFI identifies the exact information that is missing, explains why it is needed, shows the possible impact and gives the designer, consultant or client … Read more
How to Close an NCR in Construction: 7-Step Process, Evidence and Example
By Pavlos Inglesis
The best way to close an NCR in construction is to make sure that the agreed correction and corrective actions have been completed, supported by appropriate evidence and verified by the people authorised to approve the closure. This sounds relatively simple, but the reality can be very different. Several departments, contractors, designers, consultants and client … Read more
Construction Quality Audits: Types, Process, Checklist and Report
By Pavlos Inglesis
A construction quality audit helps a project team confirm that its quality management system is actually working—not simply that procedures, forms and registers exist. A construction audit examines whether the project’s processes comply with the contract, Project Quality Plan, company procedures, specifications and other applicable requirements. More importantly, it should determine whether those processes are … Read more
7 Quality Metrics in Construction Projects
By Pavlos Inglesis
There are lots of Quality Metrics in construction projects that can assist in monitoring the performance of a project or a company. Among the many types of statistics that are being kept and followed up during the construction of a Project, quality metrics are often overlooked or not given the importance they should have. In … Read more