A large Graycor contingent was in attendance at the 2014 Builder’s Quality Summit held in Chicago on June 26th. The summit was hosted by American Contractors Insurance Group (ACIG) and attended by Graycor’s peers in the construction industry from all across the U.S. The Summit brought together some of the most innovative quality professionals in the industry, allowing collaboration and learning focused on consistent delivery and continuous improvement-the Quality goals that Graycor strives for every day.
During the summit, presentations were made on a variety of topics related to quality management. Representatives from leading companies demonstrated ways that technology can enhance construction quality and improve risk management on projects. Applications for using Augmented SmartReality (3D computer technology applications for visualizing construction details) were discussed by one company that had experienced success with this tool. Other companies explained how Lean Manufacturing techniques and other quality initiatives can have a significant impact on the outcome of projects, including the potential for reduced project schedules and significant cost savings for clients.
At this year’s conference, representatives from Graycor were featured in two key presentations. Brian Boseo, Manager of Quality Systems for Graycor Services outlined the company’s Electronic Quality Training Module Platform and fielded numerous questions from attendees. Brent Genseke, Lift Engineer at Graycor Industrial Constructors, wowed the crowd by showing real life examples of 3D printing applications and how Graycor uses this tool for design and marketing purposes. These presentations helped to demonstrate some of the ways that Graycor is using technology and innovation to transform quality management in the industry today.
Throughout its history, Graycor has been a leader in Quality initiatives, as evidenced by being one of the few U.S. construction companies to have achieved ISO 9001 registration.
The ACIG staff at the Builder’s Quality Summit presented a number of case studies that involved construction quality failures and the challenges of dealing with claims arising from construction defects. One topic that is always at the forefront amongst construction Quality professionals is building envelope, since it is an essential component for preventing the weather-related issues that can occur with buildings. Leading professionals at the summit demonstrated their constructability review process and best practices and briefed the group on experiences with using the learning tools available from the Building Envelope Science Institute (BESI).
Quality is no longer a task that is simply left to the project teams to sort out during construction. The environment of today is much different than it was just years ago and is influenced by many factors. These include new building materials, delivery methods, project complexity and increased use of technology in design and construction. The market continues to seek differentiation in architectural design and the consumers continue to increase the bar on the functionality and quality of new structures. This creates greater competition for the companies competing for new projects and greatly enhances the need to consistently deliver a quality product, safely, on time and under budget.
The partnership between Graycor and ACIG dates back to 1986. American Contractors Insurance Group Ltd. (ACIG) is a fully licensed insurance carrier providing a variety of insurance coverage and risk management support to a select group of large U.S. based construction companies. Quality is one of several initiatives that support the ACIG mission statement: “Save lives, prevent injuries and reduce the overall cost of risk for our Members.”