Quality Management and Continuous Improvement

Question: Discuss about the Quality Management and Continuous Improvement. Answer: Introduction Business professionals examine continually their processes for eliminating and discovering problems for supporting continuous improvement (Allen 2014). Moreover, the continuous improvement means to strive consistently in terms of improving the services or products of the organizations as per the highest standard. The major aim of this study is to explain as well as illustrate the continuous improvement plan in the context of the engineering and construction domain. This study describes all the necessary and important components of continuous improvement plan in as a complete manner. On the other hand, a range of sample continuous improvement plan is also aimed to be recognized. Moreover, this study portrays a pictorial illustration of the continuous improvement plan. Apart from that, this study also aims to provide an in-depth overview of continuous improvement plan. In order to conduct the entire study, the case study on the Major Building and Construction Contract undertaken by Que ensland Rail Limited has been selected. In addition and most importantly, the continuous improvement plan is aimed to be implemented in this study in terms of meeting all the basic learning requirements of the unit like the knowledge regarding the basic concepts and performance of the fundamental skills. Furthermore, the continuous improvement plan is also aimed to be presented with the flair, originality or imagination depending in the proficiency in all the learning outcomes. Textual Overview of Continuous Improvement Plan - Continuous improvement is the ongoing effort for improving processes, services or products. These particular efforts are able to seek the breakthrough improvement all at once or incremental improvement over time (Fryer, Antony and Douglas 2015). The terms continual improvement as well as continuous improvement are utilized interchangeably and frequently. Plan-do-check-act cycle is a four-step quality model, which is one of the most widely utilized continuous improvement tools (Milnitz and Tubino 2016). It is such a process, which is able to achieve enhanced quality of service delivery, simplified procedures and processes, customer focus, attitudinal change and recognition of customers both internal and external in the long term. Continuous improvement has become a necessity (Milner et al. 2016). On the other hand, Total Quality Management, Lean Management and Six Sigma are the other very famous tools for implementing continuous improv ement in the business processes. These tools can significantly emphasize teamwork as well as employee involvement by systematizing and measuring processes; and minimizing cycle times, defects and variation. The continuous improvement plan can effectively satisfy the value of customer as well as eliminate waste in the business operations of an organization (Derrick-Mills et al. 2015). The most important as well as the simplest thing to do while starting a continuous improvement project is to interact properly with the clients and organization that an individual want to improve continually the services provided. This particular intention should be stated through the team briefings and strategy reviews. Therefore, the incorporation of an appropriate continuous plan can be very effective for the major building and construction contract undertaken by Queensland Rail Limited. According to the general conditions of this contract, this contract should follow an annexure list (Eaidgah et al. 2016). This annexure list incorporates the clauses, which should be added, amended or deleted to the Australian Standard General Conditions of Contract AS 2124-1992 and should be read as the component of the contract. These deletions and the amendments are mainly aimed to be made in terms of improving clauses of this contract. Moreover, a continuous improvement plan should be incorporated while making these deletions and amendments simply because of the fact that the minor items are not mentioned expressly (Gonzalez Aleu et al. 2016). However, these items are essential for the performance as well as satisfactory completion of the work under the contract. These should be executed as well as supplied by the contractor at the own cost of the contractor and are also deemed to be incorporated in the Sum of Contract. The continuous improvement plan would also be proven very important for removing the errors in the Bills of quantities. Purpose of the Incorporation of Continuous Improvement Plan - There are few significant purposes due to which the continuous improvement plan should be implemented for this contract. The contractor should comply with as well as assure that all and any of the subcontractors or the other persons are involved in performing the work under this contract complies with the entire safety requirements and legislation (Muthukumar et al. 2014). The proper safety programs and precautions are maintained so as for preventing the injury to persons as well as damaging property arising out of the work performance under this particular contract. On the other hand, the principal of any incident should promptly be notified, which is necessary to be reported towards any legislative authority and cooperated with the superintendent and the principal in regards to the incident (Colicchia, Creazza and Strozzi 2017). It should incorporate providing information or details and the documentation to the Superinte ndent and the Principal as requested in terms of the incident. The activities should be coordinated, consulted as well as cooperated with the Superintendent and the principal (Schneider 2015). Moreover, the contractor has to assure that all the subcontractors are involved for performing any segment of the work under the contract. In addition, the contractor should also comply with the Work Health and Safety Management Plan of the Principal. The contractor should undertake the Site specific Health and Safety Site Instructions. Continuous Improvement Plan Goal No Objective Target Related Procedures Action Target Date Status Date Completed Assigned Responsibility Required Additional Resources 1. Deletion of clauses from general conditions in AS2124-1992 Nominated Subcontractors direct payment N/A Removal of this clause 20th February, 2017 Satisfactory work performance and completion under the contract Contractor and Project Manager N/A Recourse for unpaid moneys N/A Clause Removal 20th February, 2017 Satisfactory work performance and completion under the contract Contractor and Project Manager N/A Indemnity by the Principal N/A Clause Removal 20th February, 2017 Satisfactory work performance and completion under the contract (Cameron 2015). Contractor and Project Manager N/A Continuous Improvement Plan by amending the clauses from general conditions in AS2124-1992 Goal No Objective Target Related Procedures Action Target Date Status Date Completed Assigned Responsibility Required Additional Resources 1. Contract Construction Replacing few inappropriate words to make an improvised contract Word replacement on the contract Deleting the words or territory stated in the Annexure 21st February, 2017 Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A Addition of the words of Queensland and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state of Queensland (Cohen-Vogel et al. 2015). 2. Recourse to Conversion of Security and Retention Money Recourse for the retention of cash security and moneys Conversion of principal into money security Security conversion and money retention Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 3. Minimization of Security and Retention moneys Insertion of the words or where there are Separable Portions upon issue of the last of the certificates of Practical Completion on the contract Word amendments in the contract for ensuring retention moneys and security Word amendment 22nd February, 2017 Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 4. Service of Notices Amendments of few words in the final paragraphs to improvise the tender (Kohlbacher 2013). Contractors Service of Payment on principal should be made. Superintendent may do issuing and signing of payment schedules to the contractor. Contractor would assure that within 24 hours after any notice under the BCIP Act is received or given by the contractor a copy of that notice Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 5. Nominated Subcontract termination No termination of subcontract for nominated subcontract work without the Superintendents approval Addition of a statement regarding not terminating subcontract is made by deleting the first sentence in the tender Subcontract termination without the superintendents approval would be prohibited 22nd February, 2017 Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 6. Time as well as cost extension Permitting time and cost extension for the project N/A Extending time and cost by amending the contract Ongoing scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 7. Protection of Property and People Ensuring the property and people protection by amending this law An item is to be provided where its provision is stated to be essential for normal safe working Protecting people and their property Ongoing scheduled N/A contractor N/A 8. Delay Costs Contractor should not be entitled for recovering monetary compensation for delay in reaching practical completion (Kovach 2016). Determining the component costs for actual delay. Insertion of a new clause regarding delay cost in place of clause 36 Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 9. Payment of Subcontractors and workers Improvising payment system for the workers and the subcontractors of this construction project Incorporation of Payment Recording System, Statement Naming Subcontractors, Record of Payment System, Payment on behalf of Contractor, Statutory Declaration and Documentary Evidence Clause amendment, which incorporate the implementation of these systems to improve the payment system Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 10. Workplace Health and Safety Improvising health and safety factors for workers in this construction project. Incorporation of the safety legislation in regards to occupational health and safety in order to meet the safety requirement. Amending this clause regarding workplace health and safety factors and requirement in the constructional site Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 11. Rail Safety Workers Complying with the Transport Requirement Act. Ensuring any rail safety work commences, person incorporating its workers performing the rail safety work. Making competent for carrying out the safety work and assessing competence. Undertaking a medical assessment. Ongoing scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 12. Training Policy Adding 50 clauses regarding improvising training system by accomplishing few significant purposes. Compliances should be accomplished associated with the clauses of training policy. Addition of 50 new clauses in order to establish an effective training system. Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A 13. Compliance with the Policies of Principal Complying with the necessities of all the specifications, standards and policies of principal whilst undertaking services, works or the goods supply It is not limited to the Code of conduct of Principal in force, amended or introduced during the term or any extended term of the contract Addition of the new clause by highlighting the compliance with the policies of principals. Ongoing Scheduled N/A Contractor N/A The above illustrated continuous improvement plans have mainly demonstrated the awareness as well as the understanding of the less obvious aspects as well as in-depth aspects of unit like the capability of identifying and debating the critical problems or issues (Reinhardt and Bockmhl 2013). Moreover, the continuous improvement plans portrayed above have tried to resolve the issues and the continuous improvement plans have become capable of evaluating as well as inventing new ideas in terms of adding or amending new clauses within the tender or the contract of Queensland rail project in engineering and construction domain. Conclusion The entire study has successfully enlightened the effectiveness as well as the significance of the continuous improvement plan. Hence, in this study, the continuous improvement plan on the engineering and construction domain has been portrayed in order to convey its significances. Therefore, it can be seen from this study that it has significantly reflected the capability of using as well as applying the basic concepts and skills of the unit by going beyond the mere replication of skill or content knowledge for showing the understanding the major ideas as well as the originality or insight. From the continuous improvement plan deployed in this study, it can also be noticed that there are few deletion and amendments have been made over the contract. These modifications have simply been made in terms of improvising the entire tender by removing few clauses and by adding some clauses. On the other hand, this study has implemented two charts individually for both the deletion and the add ition of the clauses in the tender in order to convey the areas of improvement within the tender. References Allen, B.B., 2014. 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