Implementing Supply Chain Quality Management in Subcontracting System for Construction Quality

Achievement of high-quality performance can provide a potential competitive edge in construction industry. Subcontracting has been identified as a source of poor quality and overall poor business performance of projects. The aim of this paper is to shown that modern ideas in Supply Chain Quality Management (SCQM) can positively impact quality problems caused by subcontracting. SCQM integrates quality management into the construction supply chain and is considered an effective method to overcome quality problems in construction subcontracting systems. Based on two case studies, this paper shows that quality improvement can be achieved through adopting SCQM. The relationship between enhancement of quality and SCQM is not examined directly in this paper. However, it provides a perspective that SCQM could address the poor quality performance caused by subcontracting and should be adopted much more widely in construction industry.