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The Need for Quality Metrics in Green Construction Companies

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The Need for Quality Metrics in Green Construction Companies
The Need for Quality Metrics in Green Construction Companies:
Analysis of Quality Differences in Traditional and Sustainable Building Practices

Susie Williamson susangwilliamson@hotmail.com 9470 N. Little Cottonwood Rd. Sandy, Utah 84092
Dr. Leo Shelton
PM 588
Fall Session 2, 2010
Introduction
Conrad Construction Industries is a residential and commercial contracting firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah consisting of 100 employees, in addition to governing a board of directors and multiple subcontractors. The organization has maintained a competive advantage in the construction industry for several years. However, in 2006 the board of directors recognized an industry trend towards sustainable building driven by the increasing demand for LEED certified general contractors, and initiated the shift from a cost-based strategy to a value-based focus. Thus, CCI began to transform itself from a traditional construction company to a green building firm, investing heavily in high-tech machinery, equipment and latest innovative building materials to support the processes of sustainable design. “Sustainable design is the practice of creating healthier and more resource efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition (Hassan, 2006). LEED, or Leadership in Energy Efficient Design, is the accreditation awarded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to projects meeting the extensive criteria based on the building’s efficient performance, low waste production. Today, there are over 138,170 LEED professionals working in the United States, and approximately 891 LEED professionals in Utah (GBCI, 2010). LEED is currently the highest level validation for quality standards in the green building market. Analysts also confirm that this market is on the rise, speculating that the industry will triple in growth over the next five years (Rock Products, 2010).

Problem Statement Despite their long-standing



Bibliography: Costa et al. (2006). Benchmarking Initiatives in the Construction Industry: Lessons Learned and Improvement Opportunities. Journal of Management in Engineering , 22 (4), 158-167. Forbes, L. (2001). Building Customer Loyalty- The New Paradigm for Construction Performance. Leadership and Management in Engineering , 1 (2), 53-55. Gack, J., & Greene, J. (2003). A Guide to Cost-Effective Green Design for Public Building Owners. Environmental Design and Construction , 6 (6), 62-63. GBCI. (2010, July 1). LEED Professionals by State. Retrieved from Green Building Certification Institute: www.gbci.org/main-nav/professional/crudentials Hassan, O Maturana, S., Alarcon, L., Gazmuri, P., & Vrsalovic, M. (2009). On-Site Subcontractor Evaluation Method Based on Lean Principles and Partnering Practices. Journal of Management in Engineering , 23 (2), 67-74. Ngwoli, A. (1999). What is the Competitive Advantage in the Construction Industry. Cost Engineering , 44 (2). Pheng, L. S., & Hui, M. S. (2004). Implementing and Applying Six Sigma in Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management , 130 (4), 482-490. Rock Products. (2010, January). Green Buiding Market Pacing Three-Fold Gains in 2013. Cement Americas Supply , 8. Salem, O., Solomon, J., Genaidy, A., & Minkarah, I. (2006). Lean Construction: From Theory to Implementation. Journal of Management in Engineering , 22 (4), 168-175. Seung, Heon Hui. (2008). SIx Sigma-Based Approach to Improve Performance in Construction Operations. Journal of Management in Engineering , 24 (1), 21-31. Soltero, C. (2007). Hoshin Kanri for Improved Environmental Performance. Environmental Quality Management , 16 (4), 35-54. Wagner, J. (2009, November). The Future is Green. Residential Design and Build Magazine . Yu, H., Tweed, T., Al Hussein, M., & Nasseri, R. (2009). Development of Lean Model for House Construction Using Value Stream Mapping. Journal of Construction and Engineering Management , 135 (8), 782-790. | First run studies | Plan Do Check Act | Actions on the job site Team effort Knowledge Communication Relation with other tools | (Salem, Solomon, Genaidly, & Minkarah, 2006)

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