Quality Matters - 04/16/2008 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Seek and Find – Opportunities for Continuous Improvement are Everywhere
New National Option for Green Home Certification
Gaining an Appreciation for Documentation
NHQ Certifications for Residential Construction Service Providers
National Housing Quality Award Entries Due April 30
National Housing Quality Program Welcomes New Certified Trades and Suppliers
Quality Matters To Me

NHQ Certifications for Residential Construction Service Providers

A new certification for companies providing non-construction services to home builders...

The NAHB Research Center’s National Housing Quality (NHQ) Certification has introduced a new certification for residential construction service providers. This means that in addition to its builder, trade contractor, and supplier certifications, the Research Center has also developed a system based on ISO 9000 quality principles for those companies providing non-construction services to home builders. Non-construction services include architects, engineers, surveyors, third-party inspectors, and all site support services. This program evolved from the NHQ Certified Trade Contractor program but is tailored specifically to address the quality process needs of vendors not actively involved in physical construction of the home. The basic quality management tenets of plan, do, check, and act, are still key.

The NHQ certification will be presented to companies that have consistent, documented quality management processes and a customer-focused quality assurance system meeting the new program requirements. The NHQ certification requirements for quality are intended to cover original work as well as customer service work. This includes dealing with and resolving technical/ engineering or inspection issues, as well as changes by the clients. This may also include ongoing site support services such as security, recycling, and cleaning.

NHQ Certification of Residential Construction Service Providers will involve the entire provider organization. All employees within the organization are responsible for customer satisfaction and for adhering to the quality system policies and procedures. Key senior management will set, implement, and evaluate all quality and safety expectations and benchmarks. Certified providers will also appoint a quality representative who will be responsible for the overall operation, effectiveness, and continual improvement of the quality system.

Below is an overview of some quality management practices that NHQ Certified Residential Construction Service Providers must incorporate into their businesses. This is just a sample of the requirement details, but it reveals what makes NHQ Certified service providers the best choice for home builders.

Mandatory written quality plan including quality and safety statements for each area of the business
Ongoing training to ensure continual improvement for all personnel
Documented customer feedback procedures and performance measures where results help identify areas for improvement and necessary changes in the system
Documented inspections of work product to verify conformance with the job completion policy
Documented, regular internal company audits of quality and safety systems
Annual third-party audits by NAHB Research Center quality experts of provider’s quality and safety systems in order to maintain certification

For more information on the NHQ Certified Residential Construction Services Provider program, visit www.nahbrc.org/qualitycontractor .