An integrated production and quality control model supported by mobile computing

Abstract A number of studies have pointed out that making-do is a frequent type of waste in the construction industry and is the root cause of other wastes, such as accidents, quality failures, rework and work in progress. Making-do waste refers to a situation in which a task starts or continues without having available all the inputs required for its completion. There are evidences that making-do waste is strongly related to unfinished work and the execution of informal work packages. The literature suggests that the integration between production and quality control is a means for reducing the incidence of informal packages and, consequently, making-do. The use of mobile devices in construction sites is considered an efficient alternative to collect and manage information, providing opportunities to innovate in production control. The aim of this study is to devise a production and quality control model, linked to the Last Planner System, using the support of mobile computing. An empirical study was conducted in two low-cost housing projects, in which the proposed model was evaluated. The implementation of the model allowed the collection of data related to work package completions, execution of informal packages, unfinished work, making-do wastes and quality checks.