Quality Assurance for Designers

Author(s): David B. Lantz

Source: The Military Engineer, Vol. 78, No. 506 (MARCH/APRIL 1986), pp. 102-105
Published by: Society of American Military Engineers
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44607634
Accessed: 17-05-2020 01:43 UTC

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 Quality Assurance for Designers
By David B. Lantz

Painstakingly, two mill- These processes were in place to

client review, preliminary use, and
wrights raise a 36-inch-diameter checking) as long as they had a
varying degrees in early 1984 when
duct into position among the truss- we started the emphasis on QA;
qualifying stamp on them which
es of a major industrial plant. As since then, they have been better
prohibited them from being inter-
the duct is placed, an alarming dis- defined and therefore better im-
preted as a final, complete docu-
covery is made: a concrete column ment. plemented by our people. When
stands directly in the intended This first step had an impact.
we first began to work on QA, we
path. Surprise turns to disgust as started
Before QA, people had been ac- out with the last three
the extent of changes are contem- customed to getting prints at any
steps. After improving that process
plated. The design firm's night- time and delivering them to thefor about six months, we evaluated
mare - costly and embarrassing - client. They now had to be re-it in the light of what we had
has become a reality. viewed by a partner before they learned from conducting QA re-
In the fall of 1983, SSOE's quality were sent out of the office. This views. We felt that more emphasis
assurance (QA) program began at a caused some consternation within needed to be added earlier in the
goal-setting project between the process to avoid the rework and
our design staff at first, until they
principals and other key staff mem- got used to the idea that we were changes that were developing later
bers. Everyone agreed that improv- serious about QA and that review on in the projects. At this point, we
ing the quality of our "product" decided to add some impetus to
would be required before plans
(design services) was the most im- up-front planning to ensure that
were delivered as a final product to
portant thing that we wanted to we got our concepts started prop-
the client. Slowly but surely, the
emphasize in the coming year. erly. We felt that better planning
value of this procedure became ac-
A consultant had told us that cepted, for we were finding and and co-ordination for the project at
selecting and implementing only eliminating errors. QA was work-the beginning would benefit the
one goal instead of many would ing!be job up to its completion.
critical to the success of the pro-
gram. He also said that we had to
Staff Acceptance
do two things if we were to achieve QA Start-up
our objective. The first was to ap-
One of the most exciting aspects QA begins with the project start-
point a principal in charge ofofthe the project so far has been the up meeting (Figure 1, "Project
program. (Up to this point, there
attitude of the people in the office. Start-up Form"). There, we expect
was some concern that manage- Everybody has accepted the idea of the project manager, the job cap-
ment had not shown enough com- QA with considerable enthusiasm, tains, and the QA officer to be
mitment to quality in the officealthough
and some people were rather present. If the job is large, the
was only interested in profit. nervous
This the first or second time department heads and the project
was a false notion that we, as man- sponsor are also asked to attend. In
they came in for a review. Eventual-
agement, wanted to dispel.) Our ly, they realized that the QA proc-this meeting, we address, as a mini-
second task was to do something ess was looked upon favorably mum, by the following:
our clients because the reduction
dramatic to get and keep the atten- • The scope of services to be
tion of our staff. of errors and omissions leads to a performed;
The QA program began with better
a working relationship. No • The budget for A/E services
memo from the CEO designating one could argue the merits of elim- and construction;
me as the partner in charge of the phone call from an un- •
inating Time schedule;
happy client, bringing to light an •
quality assurance. We decided that Milestones in the project
the first step was to require thatembarrassing
all error. and various submission
final plans be reviewed and ini-
In the two years since it began, dates - 15, 35, 65, and 95 per-
QA has developed into a five-step cent reviews;
tialed by the QA officer before they
left the office. The print room process
was at SSOE and includes pro- • Client requirements for the
instructed not to print any draw-ject planning and start-up, moni- facility to be designed;
ings for distribution to clients as
toring
a document production, inter- • Method of drawing produc-
finished product without the discipline
QA co-ordination check, tion - whether CADD, over-
officer's initials. The plans couldtechnical
be check by various disci- lay drafting, or conventional
printed for other purposes (suchplines,
as and QA review. drafting;

102 THE MILITARY ENGINEER, MARCH-APRIL, 1986

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 decisions made by call it), each discipline gets into a
these people are little more detail on their part of
also transmitted to the project. The buildings begin to
others within SSOE have space laid out, room dimen-
and the client's orga- sions are established, and some
nization. elevations are sketched. The struc-
Procedures for re- tural group provides an initial fram-
cording telephone ing plan, verifies their system for
contacts and meet- handling lateral loads, and gives an
ings are discussed.estimate based, at this point, only
Requirements foron a takeoff of major components.
the concept, designThe mechanical staff works on sin-
development, and gle-line layouts of HVAC and pip-
construction draw- ing distribution systems, sizes of
ing phases are re- the major ducts, preliminary layout
viewed, to the ex- in the mechanical room, and ele-
tent that they are ments of this nature. The electrical
known at that time. group is developing the foot-can-
Checking proce- dle requirements, the type of light-
dures for the design, ing, fixture selections, and power
drawings, and speci- load estimates. The group also asks
fications are out- the utility company to confirm the
lined; project service voltage available. At this
change order meth-
point, we still are not making hard
ods are reviewed. line or finished drawings for con-
Again, changes are
struction.
Figure 1. This is the Project Start-up Form at SSOE; critical, time-con- When these elements are estab-
QA begins with the project start-up meeting. suming, and can lished, we review them with all the
cause many prob- departments and the owner. The
• Size of the mylar drawing, lems if they are not properly co- owner has a chance to review
scale, title block, north ar- ordinated. where we stand on the project,
row orientation, and wheth- An attachment to the project give his input, and either concur
er or not we can reuse the 15 start-up form addresses the scope with what we are proposing or indi
and 35 percent sketches for of work in the various design cate the changes he would like
final documents; phases. We discuss those elements made before we proceed. By the
• Procedure for distributing that are expected on the drawings time of the 35 percent review, th
project design information by each discipline at the 15 percent owner has had two opportunities
among the disciplines, the or schematic design phase in a pro- to evaluate the preliminary input
project manager, and the cli- ject. Requirements are sketchy at and to make any changes. Since we
ent. this point and should not involve have not done any hard line draw
any final drafting. These are more ing, we've avoided past problems
apt to be verbal descriptions of which involved starting too soon
The three-way flow of informa- code reviews, framing description with final or construction-type
tion (the last item mentioned for example in structural; descrip- prints, only to find that we were
above) is critical to the successful tions of system options, recom- not following the project the way
production of a set of drawings. mendations, and square foot costs the owner envisioned it.
With as many as six disciplines in mechanical; power supply, sug-
working on a project, the flow of gested systems, square foot esti-
information among the disciplines, mates, and code reviews in electri- Monitoring Production
as well as the people in them, has cal; and similar information. No The next step involves monitor-
to be co-ordinated by the project "hard drawings" are prepared at ing the production of the docu-
manager. this point. When this information is ments, which include plans and
Information between the client
complete, it is reviewed by the job specifications, as well as other pa-
and our staff must also flowcaptains in the 15 percent review. perwork that's prepared as part of
smoothly. The client often hasthe client to participate and the contract package. During this
We ask
technical "counterparts" in his or-
either concur or change any rec- process, we feel that the job cap-
ganization. His mechanicalommendations
engi- established at this tain who gives assignments to the
neers interface with SSOE me- review. drafters should look at their draw-
chanical engineers, electrical engi- ings at least once a day. The job
neers with electrical, and so on, captain would normally see them
talking to each other as part ofDesign Development more just in the course of ques-
the ongoing development of the In the next step (35 percent, or tions being asked. In the absence
project. It is important that design development phase as we of questions, however, we request

THE MILITARY ENGINEER, NO. 506 103

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 controls and power for all the mo-
tors installed by the mechanical
people on their various process
equipment.
The technical check occurs next
and is done by each department on
their own set of drawings in ac-
cordance with our internal memo
entitled "Procedures for Checking
Drawings" (Figure 2). This is basi-
cally a four-color checking system
where an initial checker marks out
anything on the drawing that is
correct in yellow. Anything that he
deems wrong or needing correc-
tion is marked in red and the cor-
rection instructions are also written
in red. Before any changes are
made, the drawings go to a second
person called the back-checker.
The checker is generally not the
The Quality Assurance process depends heavily on the use of CADD systems as designer on the project. But, he is
an aid to checking the many drawings of a typical project someone who has similar or equal
capabilities as the designer, yet has
that he or she check the drawings this is done on a light table. It's
not worked on the project. Ideally,
once a day. We feel the depart- easy to place the overlay sheets of the back-checker is the designer
ment manager needs to see the several disciplines together on and a he reviews the drawings that
drawings on the boards once a light table and determine if the the checker has marked up to en-
week or more often as requested mechanical group has put a fire sure that no requested changes
by the job captain or project man- protection sprinkler nozzle or anwould violate the original design
ager. air diffuser in the middle of a light
intent of the drawings or otherwise
The project manager must look that the electrical group has locat-
change them in a way not intend-
at the drawings at least once a ed on their reflected ceiling plans.ed. The back-checker's color is
week, and this probably would be A quick check can be made to seepurple, and he can use it to either
done at the weekly job meeting that electrical has supplied properanswer questions asked by the
that he schedules. Discipline co- checker or to indicate disagree-
ordination information, as received PROCEDURES FOR CHECKING DRAWINGS ment with the checker and get
through project change orders Coordination Check those things resolved before the
from anyone involved in a change 1 . A detailed review of the interfaces between disciplines to reveal
any work omitted or duplicated, interferences, conflicts or inconsis-drawings are sent to the drafter for
or other written communications, tencies, either in design or standard details. This can be done in
a round table setting where size of job permits.
correction.
is distributed within one day by the The fixer is the third person to
2. On larger jobs, Q/A person will meet with each discipline whose
documents are being checked, along with interfacing disciplines
project manager to all those who one at a time, marking documents similarly to checking procedure.work on the drawings. He or she
need it. The project sponsor is ex- who
This is a critical check by the many disciplines involved, by peoplemakes the corrections indicated on
are unfamiliar with the project to see that the documents are
pected to attend a regular jobsound understandable, "complete," and technically correct to producethe a
structure, one that will go together smoothly and logically, one
drawings and circles that cor-
meeting at least once a month and will
that will not leak and have good thermal/vapor properties, one that rection with a green pencil to indi-
reasonably fulfill its function for the Owner.
be generally aware of what is going Q/A Check cate that it has been made. The
on in the project. He is also re- Final review before printing of bid or construction sets to see that
checking procedures and signatures are complete and signed. fixer picks up the corrections that
quired to review the budget hours CHECK PRINT STAMP were either in red and approved by
on the project every week to know rCHECKER
Red: Checker's color to indicate
the back-checker or the ones the
whether it is on target. back-checker made in purple.
changes/corrections.
Yelow: Checker's color to indi-
cate item is OK.
The final checker, then, is the
Orange - Penci: Checker's color
to ask questions.
last person in the process to work
Co-ordination Check
CHECK .uc. PRINT # J answer on the drawings.
questions Heorreviews them
indicate
date printed M disagreement with checker (re-
Step three is the interdiscipline cHKo _ to see that all of the changes have
co-ordination check, which is con- ex CHK . date
FixEo
been made and ticks each drawing
ducted by the project manager justIREMARKS t'Wr with a black grease pencil, placing
fw. e»«

prior to the final technical checks

1 Green: Drafter's color to indi-
' cate corrections/changes have a small black check mark on those
I been made.
of the project. It involves, normally drawings which have been com-
Final
in a stand-up session, having the checker's color to indicate cor- pletely and finally checked.
rections/changes have been
job captains of all the disciplines go made.

through the sheets of each disci-

pline and look for instances where
Figure 2. Procedures for checking
QA Review
the work needs to be co-ordinated. drawings is a four-color system . This When all these elements are
When we're using overlay drafting, is a black & white copy. completed, the QA review is set. At
104 THE MILITARY ENGINEER, MARCH^APRIL, 1986

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that time, either the project manag- are proper. North arrows, scales, gram. It allows them to present a
er or job captain brings their draw- and titles under drawings are better job to the client and to re-
ings in for a final review by the QA checked to ensure that the num- ceive increased recognition for
officer. The major element of the bers are all filled in on the detail their work from the client. The ulti-
QA review's success is the simple and section bubbles showing the
mate benefit is mutual: a better
requirement that they bring the detail numbers and the sheets product for a satisfied client, lead-
check prints in their final form ing to an ongoing business rela-
where they're either cut or shown.
along with the originals. It would These simple elements are easily
tionship. V
be impossible for one person to do missed by someone who has been
a detailed check on all drawings looking at the job for a long time.
leaving the office. Spot checks are made to see that
During this review, the QA offi- the standards of SSOE and the cli-
David B. Lantz is
cer compares the department ent are being followed on the Executive Vice Presi-
check prints with the final mylars to drawings. The construction se- dent at SSOE , Inc. of
make sure the corrections have quence is discussed with the pro- Michigan , where he
been made and to ensure that the ject manager to see if the drawings oversees the Manu-
final check has occurred. He also facturing Engineering
are easily understood without a Division and the
looks at the co-ordination checkverbal explanation. Quality Assurance
prints briefly to ensure that theyThe process has been enthusias- program which he
have been prepared and co-ordina-
tically received by our clients whenhelped to create. Before this, he was a
tion elements taken care of. He they've had the opportunity to par- principal in a civil/surveying firm, Lantz -
Griggs, for 11 years until a merger was made
verifies the overlay menu if it's ticipate
an in the reviews at the 15, 35,
with SSOE, Inc. He holds a B.S. degree in
overlay job to see that the audit and 65 percent phases of the draw-agricultural engineering from Michigan State
blocks are complete and that the ings' completion. They seem very University and worked for several years for
drawings will work when they're pleased with the chance to inputthe Department of Agriculture's Soil Conser-
sent up for final printing. vation Service as surveyor, designer ; and
earlier instead of having the draw-
The title block is checked for construction inspector on flood control pro-
ings presented to them at the end jects. Mr. Lantz is a registered professional
signatures and to make sure that of the job. Our employees are alsoengineer in Michigan, Ohio, and Colorado
the revision blocks and issue dates enthusiastic about the entire pro-and a registered land surveyor in Michigan.

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THE MILITARY ENGINEER, NO. 506 105

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