No sense reinventing the wheel... Using a template is a good starting point to develop your quality control plan.

But... it's not good practice to buy a template and just stick your name on it.

Here are some tips for customizing a template to your specific company QA/QC program.

1.  Find a quality control plan template that is specifically designed to meet your contract requirements.

For example, if you do work on military construction projects, choose a template specifically designed to meet the USACE/NavFac specifications. 

The same holds true for other government agencies such as FTA-DOT and DOE.  State and local governments as well as industrial clients are best served with a template designed to meet ISO 9000 standards.

2. Make sure that the template you select has all the components you need including:

•    Project-specific Quality Plan
•    Quality Manual
•    Standard Operating Procedures

These three components work in concert with each other. The quality manual defines your company-wide quality methods. The project quality plans provides project-specific details, and the standard operating procedures provide instructions and forms for documentation and recordkeeping. 

3. Customize your Project-Specific Quality Plan to Your Clients’ Specifications

Contracting officers appreciate when it's easy for them to see that your plan follows their requirements.

I like to submit project-specific quality plans with headings that correspond with their QA/QC specifications. This usually involves rearranging sections and supplementing them with details that address each requirement. 

4.  Change general information into company-specific information.

Most quality manual templates use vague generalities to describe quality methods and policies. Below is an example of typical template wording that's vague, without specific detail.

All employees have the responsibility and authority for implementation of established QA/QC activities ... to: Initiate action to prevent the occurrence of work or service non-conformity; Identify and record any quality problems; Initiate, recommend, or provide solutions through designated channels; Verify the implementation of solutions; Control further processing, delivery, or installation of non-conforming work until the deficiency or unsatisfactory condition has been corrected.

Did you notice the general term "all employees"? I’d be very surprised if “all employees” in your company have the same quality responsibilities and authority.

So, change your template to include specific information about all key positions responsible for making sure that jobs are done right -- quality.

The example below shows clearly defined information for one such key position, the superintendent.

Caldeira Construction superintendents verify that work performed by sub­contractors and Caldeira Construction work crews conforms to Caldeira Construction quality standards. Caldeira Construction superintendents have specific responsibilities for: Ensuring that construction meets government regula­tory and code requirements, customer requirements, contract requirements, contract technical specifications, contract drawings, approved contract submittals, and company quality standards and specifications Ensuring that subcontractors begin work in accordance with Excel Construction start-work policies Ensuring that subcontractors receive a notice to work only when conditions will not adversely affect quality results Conducting inspections, tests, and recording findings Accurately assessing subcontractor quality and on-time performance Ensuring that quality standards are achieved before approving subcontractor or work crew completion of work Caldeira Construction superintendents have the authority to: Stop work when continuing work may adversely affect quality or cover up a defect Prevent the use of materials that may adversely affect quality Direct the removal or replacement of any non-conforming work or material Suspend work and/or supply of materials as deemed necessary to assure quality results

5.  Add details

Take the time to include details. Here is another typical template example of vague wording without specific detail.

The Project Manager shall establish and maintain procedures to ensure that any work that does not conform to specified requirements is prevented from inadvertent release to the client.

What procedures? After reading this example, will your client and company personnel know your nonconformance policy?

Here is an example that provides the needed detail.

When Caldeira Construction superintendents or inspectors identify nonconformances, they quickly mark the nonconformances with Caldeira Construction nonconformance tags to prevent inadvertent cover-ups.

In Conclusion

Evaluate several different quality control plan templates and choose the one that has the most detail. After all, the less you have to “reinvent the wheel” the better.

Thoroughly read over the document, and tailor it to include your company's quality methods and policies.

About the Author - Ed Caldeira is founder of First Time Quality, LLC, specializing in submittal-ready construction QA/QC plan templates and custom quality plans as well as construction quality inspection and punchlist software.