The Struggle for Quality Assurance
As a construction company owner, I’ve been battling the never-ending quest for consistent quality control for as long as I can remember. We’re talking about a never-ending drumbeat of inspections, checklists, and rework that can drive even the most seasoned construction vet up the wall.
I’m sure you’ve been there – staring at those piles of clipboards with scribbled notes, hoping against hope that nothing got missed during the million and one quality checks. Meanwhile, that little voice in your head is whispering “What if we screwed something up again?”
Quality issues on the jobsite are like Death and Taxes – they’re inevitable. But that doesn’t mean we have to grin and bear it. Smart construction companies like Atchison Construction Inc. are turning to digital quality control tools to wage war on rework and costly mistakes.
Going Digital for Sanity’s Sake
Listen, we’ve all tried to get a handle on quality using old-school paper checklists. But did you ever stop to think about how ridiculous that is? We’re using dead trees to try and control critical processes on multi-million dollar construction projects.
I mean, do you even know where those clipboards end up half the time? Jimmy probably left them in the porta-potty again. And those coffee-stained checklists? Good luck making sense of Scratchy’s chicken scratch handwriting.
I’m being a little dramatic here, but hopefully you get my point. Using dinosaur technology on construction sites is just asking for trouble. That’s why Atchison Construction and other smart companies are going 100% digital with quality control.
Advantages of a QC App Over Paper
Making the switch to digital quality control checklists with an app has been a game-changer for us. Let me break down some of the biggest advantages:
👍 Easier access and use on the jobsite - Instead of lugging around stacks of paper, crews just pull up the checklists on their phones or tablets.
👍 Consistent and enforced processes - With digital checklists, you can standardize workflows and require that certain items are completed and reviewed.
👍 Better documentation - Photos, notes, signatures, and other data automatically gets attached to inspection records for a comprehensive audit trail.
👍 Real-time updates and collaboration - Checklists sync instantly so everyone works off the same live data, and teams can easily comment back and forth.
👍 Automated reporting and analytics - Getting insights on quality trends, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement is just a few clicks away.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Ditching those old paper checklists has been like finally upgrading from a rickety oxcart to a shiny new truck. Why did we wait so long?
How to Implement Digital Quality Control Checklists
If you’re sold on dragging your quality program into the 21st century, here’s a quick roadmap for getting started with a QC app:
1) Inventory existing processes - Gather up all those paper checklists and procedures you use today for quality inspections and audits. This will be the starting point.
2) Revisit and optimize - Now’s the perfect time to streamline those clunky processes and checklists. With a blank slate, simplify where you can.
3) Choose a platform - Do your research and select the right quality management software for your needs. I recommend one with a powerful mobile app.
4) Build out workflows - Work with the vendor to digitize those optimized checklists and map out all your quality control processes on the platform.
5) Roll it out - With everything configured, train your crews on the new system and start using digital QC on your active jobsites.
This is just a quick overview, but I can tell you from experience that the actual rollout process goes a lot smoother than you might think.
Change is Hard, But This One’s Worth It
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it - there’s always some grumbling and pushback whenever we roll out new technology on the jobsite. Our crews can be a cantankerous bunch sometimes.
“These newfangled computer gizmos are too dang complicated!”
“Just lemme use my pencil and clipboard like I’ve always done!”
But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Most of that pushback is just bluster. Once they see how much easier their lives become with digital QC, they actually embrace it...eventually.
The key is taking the time for proper
