IGLC 22 · Oslo, Norway · 2014
Analysis of Supplier Quality Surveillance in EPC Projects
- Graduate student, J. R. Filanc Construction Eng. and Mgmt. Program, Dept. of Civil, Constr., and Env. Eng., San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, neumanyosh@gmail.com
- Assistant Professor, J.R. Filanc Construction Eng. and Mgmt. Program, Dept. of Civil, Constr., and Env. Eng., San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, talves@mail.sdsu.edu
- Professor and chair, J. R. Filanc Construction Eng. and Mgmt. Program, Dept. of Civil, Constr., and Env. Eng., San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, kwalsh@mail.sdsu.edu
- Department Head and 21st Century Professor, Dept. of Industrial Eng., University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, kneedy@uark.edu
- Ph.D. candidate, Dept. of Industrial Eng., University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA, ralmaian@email.uark.edu
Abstract
This paper reports on research conducted by a team of academics and practitioners supported by the Construction Industry Institute that investigated the relationship between rework and effective supplier quality surveillance practices (RT 308). Data confirmed findings from previous studies about project-based systems and the fact that the Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) industry and its suppliers share little to no lessons learned from one project to the next. A number of reasons for this behavior are discussed in the paper, including but not limited to lack of time to review past projects, fear of claims and litigation, and lack of structured methods to process and make lessons learned available to others. This becomes a systemic problem for the industry, which does not learn from past experiences accumulated from multiple contracts and continues to rely on lengthy specifications and hours of surveillance to assure that products conform to the design intent. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ways Lean concepts could be used to improve the current status of surveillance practices used in the EPC industry while addressing its peculiarities and the risk associated with different products and services acquired.
Keywords
- Supplier quality surveillance
- inspection
- lessons learned
- criticality
- engineer-procure-construct.
Cite this paper
APA 7th edition
Neuman, Y., Alves, T. C. L., Walsh, K. D., Needy, K. L., & Almaian, R. Y. (2014). Analysis of Supplier Quality Surveillance in EPC Projects. In B. T. Kalsaas, L. Koskela, & T. A. Saurin (Eds.), 22nd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (pp. 1083–1094).
Shortened reference for IGLC papers
Neuman, Y., Alves, T. C. L., Walsh, K. D., Needy, K. L., & Almaian, R. Y. (2014). Analysis of Supplier Quality Surveillance in EPC Projects. IGLC22.