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Doing Quality Work

Quality is overrated as a marketplace distinctive. A/E firms routinely tout their "quality work" as a key attribute separating them from the competition. But client research indicates that the distinction is much less evident to clients. They expect quality work, not as a bonus, but as the norm. For this reason, poor quality is much more likely to distinguish your firm from competitors than good quality.

I'm convinced that superior service is the best opportunity for differentiation in our business. Where does quality fit in? You can't have great service with inferior quality. That's because service is defined by the client's overall experience working with your firm. Poor quality impairs that experience, and thus the client's perception of the level of service received.

So what defines quality? The answer is not as simple as many technical professionals assume. Indeed, the definition of quality is largely in the eye of the beholder. This makes it all the more important to avoid making assumptions about how the client defines quality. There really isn't an overall objective standard of quality out there. It requires meeting subjective client expectations. That means you need to identify those expectations up front.

Some other points to consider:

• Meeting requirements is the bare minimum. Some quality experts, especially from the manufacturing sector, simply define quality as "meeting requirements." But in professional services, satisfying the stated requirements (scope, schedule, budget, minimizing mistakes) forms only part of the client's perception of quality. It's the minimum expectation.

• Clients expect quality throughout the project, not just at the end. Most A/E firms still use the basic quality control process discarded by manufacturers years ago--that is, inspection of the completed product just before it is delivered to the customer. Clients expect better. They want quality built into the whole project process, from start to finish, including interim deliverables such as correspondence, status reports, draft documents, concept drawings, etc.

• Quality is ultimately defined by what the project accomplishes. It's easy to focus on the quality of our work products--drawings, specifications, studies, reports. But the true test of quality work is the results these achieve in meeting client needs and goals. Therefore, your quality process should be results-driven, not just product-driven.

The best quality assurance process prevents mistakes rather than merely catching them in the final review. This establishes expectations and secures buy-in early. Some key elements of such a preemptive quality process are:

Clarify client goals and expectations. Make sure you understand not only what the project is, but what it is supposed to accomplish. Identify not only technical performance objectives, but the human benefits the project should deliver.

Carefully plan project execution. Not just a list of tasks, but how the work will be resourced, coordinated, performed, and delivered. A good project management plan defines the best approach to meeting client needs, providing great service, and maximizing efficiency and deliverable quality.

Define deliverable content up front in detail. Not just a table of contents or plan sheet list, but a detailed outline or design basis memorandum (whichever applies). Secure buy-in at the start from the client, project team, internal reviewers, and other critical stakeholders. This can avert many difficulties later.

Religiously stick to internal milestones. One of the most common quality problems is the failure to adhere to internal deadlines. This often results in a mad rush at the end with greater opportunity for mistakes and shortened time for reviews.

Clearly define internal review roles. Reviewers should have distinct roles, avoiding unnecessary duplication or, worse still, gaps in the review process. As alluded to above, it's best to get reviewers involved early in defining expectations and helping prevent errors or misunderstandings.

Diligently check work products throughout. Third-party reviews are critically important, but every project contributor should be expected to check his or her own work before it is passed on--even in draft form. Quality assurance should never be viewed as primarily the responsibility of reviewers; it is shared by all.

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