The quality management role of the owner in different types of construction contract for process plant

Quality management in the process plant construction industry is about managing risk to ensure that expensive, complex projects are delivered on time and within budget and in conformance with engineering requirements. The approach to quality management and quality assurance by clients has not developed to reflect the different contractual formats (turnkey to cost reimbursable) which are now used to balance the risk and responsibilities between the client and contractor. An analysis of the required role of the client shows that his balance of activity and the structure of his quality policy and plans is dependent on the type of contract used. In all cases, though, defining the quality requirements as clearly as possible at the outset is of paramount importance. Another finding is that the presentday tendency for clients to step back from detailed involvement in projects and reduce their in-house construction engineering resources will not necessarily minimize quality risks even in turnkey contracts.