Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology. / The global consulting industry has become a significant contributor to economies worldwide due to the growing requirement for specialised skills, but the industry encounters tense flaws and pitfalls. These pitfalls are related to the increasing amount of consulting engagements that fall short of their desired goal. The inability to fully achieve the goals agreed upon yields questions regarding the quality of service provided within the industry. It is believed that this inability to perform and to meet goals is due to gaps that occur within the consulting process. This research aims to determine whether there is a lack of quality in the full spectrum of the consulting process, which ultimately hampers the success of the consulting engagement. A non-empirical and qualitative research method was used to investigate the nature of the gaps and the main reasons for these gaps within the consulting process. A framework was developed in order to assist the researcher in understanding whether quality methods can successfully address or narrow the gaps in the consulting process that inhibit the success of consulting engagements or the ability to meet all requirements of consulting engagements. Validation was carried out through interviews with experts in the consulting industry. After a study of current literature it was clear that the fields of project management, change management and knowledge management are imperative when running a consulting engagement. Results of this study indicated that the framework is a viable quality methodology that can indeed be applied to address gaps in the consulting process. This is acquired through an interaction of fields such as systems thinking, audits, customer focus, corrective action and quality awareness. The framework was designed to add value and attempt to assure that the goals of consulting engagements can be fully achieved. Suggested further research includes the implementation of the framework in small consulting firms to investigate its practical usability and feasibility.

Engineering Consultants is a kind of knowledge-intensive services, needed to establish knowledge management mechanism in order to pile personal and company¡¦s property, increase employee¡¦s knowledge development and lift up everyone¡¦s ability to use knowledge property. Finally, providing the owner satisfy service and reach company¡¦s goal. At present, only a few of projects need foreign engineering consultants to guide the planning in Taiwan. Engineering consultancy services can be seen in the past few decades of human resource and technology training, and indeed hard work over the years. This study used depth-interview method, through observation and interviewed staff¡¦s experience, to explore the case company¡¦s current knowledge management structure, and we could understood knowledge acquisition, creation, accumulation and diffusion of the actual situation. List the following five recommendations for improvement, including 1.Organizational culture of mutual trust: implementation of knowledge-sharing needs the guidance of enterprise culture. 2.Emphasis on leadership: the establishment of a specialized management positions is very necessary, This position is called CKO in the West. 3.Perfect information systems: establish a sound information network is to achieve knowledge sharing knowledge management platform. 4.Human resource development: enterprises are to achieve knowledge sharing, must establish a contract similar to the market economy mechanism. 5.The right strategy: knowledge sharing is the premise and foundation of knowledge management.

The detailed design phase of construction projects marks a critical moment when conceptual ideas andmethods are developed into precise technical specifications, crucial for project execution. Existingresearch shows that insufficient and incomplete construction documents lead to poor integrationbetween design and production, resulting in conflicts and communication barriers. These shortcomingscompromise the integrity of the project and lead to rising costs for clients. Thus, there is a need forincreased commitment from both the client and the design consultant to ensure the quality of theconstruction documents provided to the contractor. This study identified the factors affecting the quality of construction documents in the context ofdesign-bid-build contracts, focusing specifically on the perceptions of clients and consultants in theSwedish infrastructure sector. Furthermore, the study evaluated the responsibilities of clients andconsultants, assessed compliance with governing guidelines and requirements, and suggestedopportunities for their development. Garvin’s eight dimensions of quality, ISO 9001:2015 andorganisational culture were applied as theoretical frameworks. The study employed both qualitativeand quantitative approaches, conducted through questionnaires, document analysis, and semistructured interviews. The results revealed several interrelated factors that influence the quality of construction documents,including competence and experience; quality processes and quality assurance; communication,coordination, and collaboration; budget and form of remuneration; clear documents from the client;and time schedules. Furthermore, the study showed a shared responsibility between clients andconsultants in ensuring the quality of construction documents. Inconsistent compliance with governingguidelines and requirements has been demonstrated. Factors challenging adherence to the guidelinesand requirements include time constraints, high workload, unclear instructions, communication gaps,and reliance on verbal agreements. Regarding the development of guidelines and requirements forpractical and realistic implementation, the study showed that guidelines should outline solutions andsteps for meeting the requirements, but also that the processes must be adapted to specific projects.Based on the conclusions, it is established that the factors influencing quality should be consideredfrom the beginning of the detailed design phase. Clients and consultants should be aware of theirresponsibilities. The focus should be on clear communication and documentation, realistic timeschedules, and adaptable processes to improve compliance with guidelines and the overall quality ofconstruction documents. / Detaljprojekteringsfasen i byggprojekt är en kritisk tidpunkt där konceptuella idéer och metoderutvecklas till tekniska specifikationer och är avgörande för projektutförandet. Befintlig forskning visaratt otillräckliga och bristfälliga bygghandlingar leder till dålig integration mellan design ochproduktion. Detta kan leda till konflikter och hindra kommunikation, vilket äventyrar projektetsintegritet och bidrar till tidsförseningar och stigande kostnader för beställaren. Således finns det ettbehov av ökat engagemang från både beställare och projekterande konsulter för att säkerställakvaliteten på bygghandlingarna som tillhandahålls entreprenören. Denna studie fördjupade sig i faktorer som påverkar kvaliteten på bygghandlingar inom ramen förutförandeentreprenader, med ett specifikt fokus på upplevelsen hos beställare och konsulter i densvenska infrastruktursektorn. Studien identifierade nyckelfaktorer som påverkar kvaliteten påbygghandlingar, utvärderade beställarens och konsulternas ansvar för kvalitet, bedömde efterlevnadenav styrande riktlinjer och krav samt utforskade möjligheter till utveckling av dessa. Garvins åttakvalitetsdimensioner, ISO 9001:2015 och organisationskultur användes som teoretiska ramverk.Studien utfördes genom kvalitativ och kvantitativ metodik via enkäter, semistrukturerade intervjueroch dokumentanalys. Resultatet visade flera sammankopplade faktorer som påverkar kvaliteten på bygghandlingar, blandannat kompetens och erfarenhet, kvalitetsprocess och kvalitetssäkring, kommunikation och samarbete,budget och ersättningsform, tydliga dokument från beställaren och tidplaner. Vidare visade studien attdet är ett delat ansvar mellan beställare och konsulter att säkerställa kvaliteten på bygghandlingar. Eninkonsekvent efterlevnad av styrande riktlinjer och krav har påvisats. Faktorer som utmanarefterlevnaden av riktlinjer och krav är tidsbegränsningar, hög arbetsbelastning, otydliga instruktioner,kommunikationsbrist och att förlita sig på muntliga överenskommelser. Gällande utveckling avriktlinjer och krav för praktisk och realistisk implementering, visade studien bland annat att riktlinjerbör beskriva lösningar och steg för hur kraven kan uppnås, men även att processerna ska varaanpassade till det specifika projektet. Utifrån slutsatserna konstaterades att hänsyn bör tas till depåverkande faktorerna redan i början av projekteringsfasen. Beställare och konsulter ska varamedvetna om sitt ansvar. Fokus ska ligga på tydlig kommunikation och dokumentation, realistiskatidsramar samt anpassningsbara processer för att förbättra efterlevnaden av riktlinjer och denövergripande kvaliteten på bygghandlingar.