QA vs. QC: What's the difference in construction?

In Construction, we’ve all heard of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). They sound similar but they are two distinct things, both crucial for ensuring that the projects we run meet the required standards.

Let’s break down the differences…

Quality Assurance (QA) - Planning

QA as prevention. It’s all about making sure the work is done right from the start, through setting up processes, creating the right checklists, and training the team to avoid mistakes before they happen. Following the right steps along the way goes a long way to ensure you avoid mistakes.

2. Quality Control (QC)- Inspecting

QC, on the other hand, starts once the work is done. It’s the inspection effort that checks if everything meets the required standards. QC checks for defects, mistakes, or non-compliance with project requirements and specifications and then ensures that the corrective actions are taken to fix them.

Key Difference

• QA focuses on preventing defects through processes and planning.
• QC focuses on identifying and correcting defects after the work is completed.

Both QA and QC are essential for delivering high-quality projects, but they operate at different stages of the construction process to ensure that the final product meets both safety and performance standards.

In any case you NEED both these pieces in quality management, and most importantly both QA and QC need to be simple! So simple that every member of your team takes part. 

Top 3 tips for making QA and QC easier for your team

1. Standardise your process - Having a clear standard approach across your teams means that everyone knows exactly what to do at every stage. Make sure that checklists and templates are easy to follow and straight forward - this way it will become second nature. 
   
   
2. Use the right tools - Digital tools reduce paper work making it easier for everyone to be a part of. Ensure you pick a tool  that can help you plan your QA process, track the inspections, manage your team's activity, and streamline reporting.
   
   
3. Train your team - Once you have the process and the tools set up (often the tools help with this step) make sure your team know how to use it, if people know things inside out they are more likely to follow it without feeling burdened.