ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SITES IN OYO STATE

One of the major concerns of the construction industry in Nigeria is the increasing cases of collapsed buildings across the country in recent times. Another concern is that major construction projects contribute significantly to the economy, standard of living and welfare of the society and thus regarded as an issue of national public interest, Hence the study analysed quality management practices in building construction firms in Oyo State, with a view to suggest ways of improving quality management and service delivery in construction projects while the specific objectives are to: assess the factors affecting quality management in building construction firms in Oyo State, examine the effects of quality management practices of building construction firms in Oyo State, and suggest possible ways of improving quality management in building construction firms in Oyo State. Related literatures were reviewed and it tackled various concepts of quality management. The study population for the study are the stakeholders in construction industry. They include, Quantity Surveyors, Architects, Builders, Project managers and Contractors. A well-structured questionnaires was used as an instrument of data collection. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were distributed and seventy-four (74) were duly filled and returned for analysis. The retrieved data were analyzed using simple percentage and mean scores with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science software packages (SPSS) Version 25. The study revealed that adequacy of site personnel, quality of workmanship, adequacy of delivery, constructability of design, adequacy of site personnel, certification of materials, adequacy of project control, knowledge of project, supplier involvement, project quality are major factors affecting quality management in building construction firms which in turns leads to better cost management. The study concluded that proper site supervision, training of employees on the need for quality, and quality appraisal and compliance to quality standards can enhance quality management. The study recommended that firms should ensure all site personnel are adequately qualified to delivery on the tasks assigned to them, materials used on site should be properly certified before usage Also, firms need to invest more in the education and training of employees on quality management systems and the need to adhere to suitable quality management practices.