Service operations management: case studies of architectural firms' commitment to quality assurance

Alan D. Smith and O. Felix Offodile

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2011, vol. 9, issue 2, 141-161

Abstract: The field of architecture, as with many professional service-oriented industries, is strongly influenced by the current recession and is experiencing cutthroat competition at all levels. Quality assurance measures were investigated within the architecture industry in two firms. There are many ways that an architecture firm can establish a quality management program, such as the American Institute of Architects' recommended RISMI (review, identify, standardise/stabilise, measure, and improve) feedback cycle to create a self-improving quality. It was found that both firms can increase efficiencies, reduce redundancies, and eliminate unnecessary costs from errors and mistakes. From a positive perspective, the current economic downturn has forced many service firms to self-evaluate their quality assurance programs and provided them the opportunity for self-correction in light of the new realities of the business environment.

Keywords: architectural firms; competitive strategies; operational effectiveness; project management; team integration; USA; United States; service operations; quality assurance; QA; architecture; professional services; service industries; recessions; competition; quality management; American Institute of Architects; RISMI; feedback cycles; review identify standardise stabilise measure improve; self-improvement; efficiencies; redundancies; costs elimination; errors; mistakes; economic downturns; self-correction; Mann Architects; Ohio; Gerald Rembowski; services management; operations management. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=40705 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijsoma:v:9:y:2011:i:2:p:141-161

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Services and Operations Management from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().