Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med en ökad förståelse för hur kvalitetsförbättringsarbete används för att eliminera brister och fel inom byggbranschen. Metod:  Studien utfördes genom kvalitativ metod med hermeneutiskt synsätt samt tolkning. Fallstudien omfattar fyra intervjurespondenter varav en pilotstudie samt 42 enkäter till samtliga tjänstemän och medarbetare med ledaransvar på olika nivåer inom kvalitetsförbättringsarbetet. Insamlad data bearbetades med hjälp av tematisk analys för att sedan analyseras och tolkas. Slutligen drogs slutsatser från resultat och analysmaterialet. Resultat & Slutsats: Med hjälp av litteraturgenomgången och resultatet av det undersökta fallföretaget har studien kommit fram till att det är utmanande och svårt men inte omöjligt att implementera kvalitetsförbättringsmetoder och tekniker i byggbranschen utifrån de unika förutsättningar som råder i byggbranschen. Det råder samsyn bland de tillfrågade gällande vad de upplever är de vanligast förekommande kvalitetsbrister och fel vid slutbesiktning. Några av de enkla och kortsiktiga steg som framkommit i studien som kan ha positiva och långsiktiga effekter är främst att se fel och brister som ett resultat av alla delar i processen, fokusera på kvalitet lika mycket under hela processen, att involvera utförandenivån även i planering och målsättning, att i större utsträckning driva kvalitetsförbättringsarbetet i team på arbetsplatserna, att träna och utbilda samtliga ledare för kvalitetsförbättringsarbete och kanske även medarbetarna för ökad delaktighet och kunskap, att utveckla systematik för faktabaserad kunskapsåterföring och att ge tillräckligt uppmärksamhet och erkännande till medarbetare för prestationer kanske genom att låta dem själva få redovisa och utvärdera sitt eget och varandras arbete.

With the ongoing transformation of modern manufacturing systems in an industry 4.0 environment, industrial actors may see great improvements with respect to quality towards a state of near zero defects. For the aerospace industry, where increased quality and reduced risk is strongly related, new technologies may be used in manufacturing to see to the increasing demands on products. The safety, as well as the manufacturing complexity of products and processes, make the collected measurement data an integral asset for enterprises within the aerospace industry. Collected data may be analysed using statistical tools and methods to improve process capability and, in extension, product quality. Communicating the need for zero defects, original equipment manufacturers demand increased capability from product and component manufacturers. Hence, zero defects are typically operationalised through exhibiting a process capability of Cpk= 2.0. In response to the challenge, GKN Aerospace need to raise the traditional process capability targets of Cpk=1.33. By employing an exploratory research strategy with a deductive approach, the thesis combines theoretical knowledge from the literature with empirical findings in a thematic analysis. The thematic analysis was conducted by employing six phases as suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006) and resulted in the identification of 50 codes from a total of 459 data extracts. Based on the empirical interview data, a framework for how zero defects is interpreted at GKN Aerospace was developed, which describes zero defects as a cycle. Taking into account that zero defects is operationalised through Cpk= 2.0, the cycle consists of six phases that start with a vision and is completed by delivering a true and reliable Cpk of 2.0. In addition, the codes from the thematic analysis were collated into a thematic mind map, focusing on key aspects of working with statistical process control (SPC) to support zero defects. Two main themes are presented in the mind map, statistical approach to improvement work; highlighting necessary aspects of statistical process control and measurability, and removing barriers for improvement; highlighting fundamental organisational barriers that impede proactive quality improvement. To support the findings and give a practical example of how process data may be presented and analysed using tools and methods within statistical process control, an SPC study was conducted on a set of data. In the SPC study, the construction and analysis of individuals Shewhart control charts and moving range charts were described in detail. These procedures provide better insights about process behaviour through statistical thinking and thus better knowledge on how to approach more proactive process improvements.

With the world economy becoming unpredictable, it has become a necessity for businesses to relook at the way they do business. The world has become competitive and companies that aim to become profitable have seen the need to find ways to improve efficiencies and increase productivity to stay relevant. There has been an adoption of strategies that are aimed at improving the efficiencies in companies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The strategy is aimed at improving equipment efficiencies and increase productivity through the transfer of certain skills from maintenance personnel to operators. The aim is that the operators perform some of the activities that the maintenance people used to do and they do the more complex tasks. By transferring these skills to operators there is constant cleaning, inspections and lubricating of equipment. This frees up time for maintenance people to do planning and other jobs that require time and higher skills levels. The implementation of these activities allows companies to tap into unused capacity that was always hidden by breakdowns and unplanned stops. The process however requires commitment from management and all stakeholders involved in the organisation. There are prescribed implementation processes that can be followed or companies can follow their own processes but the fundamentals of involving people from the onset must be followed. The involvement of stakeholders creates commitment at all levels and in order to sustain this initiative people must be committed to it. The inclusion of the activities transferred from maintenance people to operators, will reinforce the knowledge and habits required from operators and perhaps sustain the initiative. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

With the world economy becoming unpredictable, it has become a necessity for businesses to relook at the way they do business. The world has become competitive and companies that aim to become profitable have seen the need to find ways to improve efficiencies and increase productivity to stay relevant. There has been an adoption of strategies that are aimed at improving the efficiencies in companies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The strategy is aimed at improving equipment efficiencies and increase productivity through the transfer of certain skills from maintenance personnel to operators. The aim is that the operators perform some of the activities that the maintenance people used to do and they do the more complex tasks. By transferring these skills to operators there is constant cleaning, inspections and lubricating of equipment. This frees up time for maintenance people to do planning and other jobs that require time and higher skills levels. The implementation of these activities allows companies to tap into unused capacity that was always hidden by breakdowns and unplanned stops. The process however requires commitment from management and all stakeholders involved in the organisation. There are prescribed implementation processes that can be followed or companies can follow their own processes but the fundamentals of involving people from the onset must be followed. The involvement of stakeholders creates commitment at all levels and in order to sustain this initiative people must be committed to it. The inclusion of the activities transferred from maintenance people to operators, will reinforce the knowledge and habits required from operators and perhaps sustain the initiative. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015