Quality Control in Modular Construction Manufacturing During COVID-19: Process and Management Standardization

With the renaissance of modular construction, quality control (QC) in the manufacturing stage warrants more attention as an important management process. However, many project managers are not familiar with the QC in the manufacturing stage, and the transportation limitation caused by the COVID-19 further increases the problem complexity. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of QC using popular QC tools in the manufacturing and discussing its effeteness on the process and management standardization. The evaluation and analysis were based on a real life modular construction project and an e-inspection application used in the manufacturing factory. The results showed that there were several out-of-control QC problems in the factory when the modules in progress and project complexity increased. More quality problems emerged after the 3D assembly of the module, especially during production works related to ceiling and wall installation. The results further proved the poor performance of the current QC in the factory and the importance of the process and management standardization. This paper pinpoints the importance of QC in modular construction manufacturing and its reference to improve the process and management standardization.