INTEGRATING QLASSIC AND ISO 9001 FOR ENHANCED CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSESSMENT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Radzi Ismail, Afnan Anaqi Azahari, Ilias Said

Abstract


The construction industry in Malaysia continues to face challenges in ensuring consistent quality and workmanship across projects. Despite various efforts to improve quality control, problems such as poor workmanship, construction defects, and inconsistency remain prevalent. Malaysia currently uses two important systems, namely the Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) and the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS). However, the independent implementation of these two systems often results in gaps between process management and physical quality assessment. This study explores the benefits and challenges of integrating QLASSIC and ISO 9001 to enhance construction quality assessment in Malaysia. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five construction professionals who have experience in both systems. The findings reveal that integrating QLASSIC with ISO 9001 can provide a more comprehensive assessment framework, reduce defects and rework, and improve organisational competitiveness. Nonetheless, several challenges exist, such as a lack of understanding, insufficient training, high costs, and limited stakeholder support. The study concludes that integration offers significant potential for improving construction quality management and can serve as a reference for policymakers and industry stakeholders to strengthen Malaysia’s construction quality framework.

Keywords


Construction Quality Assessment; ISO 9001; Integration; QLASSIC; Quality Management

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References


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