dc.description.abstract | The Norwegian construction industry is characterized by slim margins, and is, according to an
industry report from 2014 facing a big challenge with an inordinate amount of quality deviations
(Bygg21, 2014, p. 9). This despite widespread implementations of quality assurance systems,
based largely on the international certification standard ISO 9001:2015. This certification
demands among other things, documentation of quality deviations, and in its latest version, a
system for managing the organizations knowledge. (Standard Norge, 2015, p. 23 and 16).
The master thesis proposes a synthesis of these demands, and seeks to highlight the connection
between knowledge management, quality assurance, and continuous improvement, through
relevant theories. This is then compared to how construction companies deal with quality
deviations as of today, to answer the thesis question:
How can construction companies in the Norwegian AEC industry use knowledge from quality
deviations for continuous improvement of the building process and product deliverances?
A case study has been conducted in the handling of quality deviations in the AEC industry,
within two construction companies. The case study shows concurring descriptions of how
quality deviations are discovered and handled through dedicated quality assurance systems. By
comparing the findings to theoretical models, the thesis argues that the handling of quality
deviations can serve as an effective generator of knowledge. However, it is indicated that the
construction companies do not succeed in utilizing the knowledge acquired from quality
deviations to assure continuous improvement of the construction process. This is based on the
view of working with quality deviations as being mainly an administrative procedure; Not a
part of the companies knowledge management strategy.
Consequently, the master thesis proposes concrete measures to ensure that knowledge from
quality deviations are used for continuous improvement of the construction process, and further
research is suggested. | |