Module 8: QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM (QCS) and RESIDENT

Module 8: QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM (QCS) and

RESIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (RMS)

Submodule 1: Introduction and Overview

(Module 8 is mandatory for Contractors having Corps of Engineer contracts. It

is optional for Contractors having NAVFAC contracts since some QCS - QC

functions may be similar to NAVFAC jobs. Module 8 serves as an overview of

a typical computer based construction information management.)

Objectives: After completing this submodule, you will be able to:

• List the benefits of the RMS and QCS applications for controlling Contract

Administration and Construction Quality Management.

• List major output products of the QCS and RMS applications.

A. Introduction and Background:

Resident Management System (RMS) is a construction information management

(CIM) system the Corps of Engineers developed to control construction quality

management and contract administration. It has two modules; “RMS” used by

Contracting Officer and “QCS” used by Contractor. RMS started in late 1980s

developed by a Resident Engineer, Mr. Haskell Barker, Los Angeles District.

Early DOS based RMS used a simple database to provide simple automated

methods to use desk top PCs for Resident Office construction quality

management and contract administration. As computers became more powerful

and “windows” made construction applications more “user friendly,” RMS

transformed to an integrated Construction Management Information system used

at Resident Office, Contractor Offices and Corps District-level Management. In

2001 RMS was mandated by USACE for use Corps-wide.

RMS is maintained by the RMS Center and has become a powerful CIM

application. RMS uses an inter-relational database that feeds project construction

phase data into Corps financial (CEFMS) and project management (Promise 2

(P2)) applications. RMS can import contractor generated CPM schedules and

resource data from a commercial application like P3 using the Standard Data

Exchange Format.

"RMS” has a network-based module, used by Corps Resident Engineer and

“QCS” module used by Contractor. Both are simple to learn and use. When QCS

and RMS are used from the very start of the contract and maintained current,

users have found it to be an outstanding tool to increase productivity, improve

8-1

contract administration and help document construction quality.

Corps Software System

8-2

Data Flow

CEFMS – Corps of

Engineers Financial

Management System

(accounting software)

PD2 – contract

acquisition software

(Contracting Officer)

Resident Management

System (RMS) CIM

(District and Resident

Office network database)

QCS Contractor CIM

stand alone PC at site and

com

network

Commercial CPM

CIM software

Standard Date Exchange

Format

(

SDEF

)

SpecsIntact- design

specification software

(A/Es & Corps Design

Teams )

Promise (P2) Project

Management Software

(

District and USACE

)

Construction management functions QCS Supports - QCS module of RMS

supports following:

Project Construction Activity Planning and Scheduling

Quality Control

• QC and Production Reports

• Procurement Reports

• Submittal and RFI Management

• Contract Administration

• Progress Payments

• Correspondence Tracking

• Safety Administration and Accident Reporting

• Contract Modification Processing

• Management Reporting

• Single-Entry Data Communications with CEFMS and P2

QCS IN CONTRACTS - Quality Control System (QCS) is the Contractor’s Quality

Control module of the Government’s Resident Management System (RMS). This

software has been implemented as Corps’ standard worldwide. QCS is to be used

on a daily basis by Contractor while performing his normal duties. QCS is specified

in Corps contracts in Section 01312 where required computer hardware and detailed

execution instructions are described. QCS has templates of most required forms

and required reports. Data entry for these are described in detail in the QCS and

RMS User’s Guides. Two primary screens of QCS, “ADMINISTRATION” and

“QUALITY CONTROL” show major QCS functions.

8-3

• Correspondence Management – QCS / RMS indexes and tracks all

incoming and outgoing correspondence related to a contract. This feature

allows Contractor and Contracting Officer to maintain a complete historical

record of correspondence and effectively relate it to contract and

construction management activities over the life of the contract.

• Submittal Register and Transmittal Control - A powerful feature of

QCS/RMS is it imports the submittal register data file generated by designers

from SpecsIntact specifications software. After contract award Contractor can

import this data file for the start of his procurement and submittal planning.

Once QCS submittal register is completed by Contractor it is exported to the

Government RMS database and submittal status can be tracked by

Contractor QC Staff, Submittal Reviewers, Contractor and Contracting

Officer’s Management. Used correctly it ensures more timely review and

transmittal turn around.

• Construction Schedules - QCS facilitates schedule analysis showing

proposed schedule and effect of logic changes. QCS makes maintaining a

current schedule and analysis cross-reference among past schedules for

delay analysis much easier. RMS contains a Standard Data Exchange

(SDEF) module and a Schedule Analysis module. The SDEF provides a

capability to import and export scheduling and work activity data with

several commercial scheduling systems such as Primavera and Open

Plan. It is an independent piece of software, which also enables

conforming commercial system to communicate with each other. Use of

this feature will not only speed up a complex task, but will also help reduce

number and size of construction-related disputes and claims.

• Quality Control Data - Contractor QC Staff can easily input data for

Quality Control daily reports, Phase Checklists, Subcontractor List,

Testing Schedules, On-site Equipment Lists, Deficiency Tracking List,

Request For Information. Formats built in and once input are available for

Contractor management use. Export of updated quality control data on a

daily basis to the Government provides Area Engineer and District-level

managers with construction-related data for decisions and monitoring at

levels above Resident Office.

• Cost Control and Payment - Contractor can use QCS payment item

features for cost control, and tracking of invoices and progress payment

requests. Since QCS integrates with RMS and CEFMs, it allows faster

quality assurance and contract administration activities by Corps field

construction personnel to facilitate prompt payment.

8-4

• Contract Administration – QCS supports construction contract

administration by importing government furnished RMS start data. This

allows Contractor and Contracting Officer field construction staffs input

construction contract payment and modification data. RMS allows contract

change requests and contract modifications tracking during the contract.

Construction Management Uses - QCS payment, schedule and QC data

exported to RMS is standardized for integration with CEFMs and P2 and allows

higher levels of Contractor and Corps Management to track a contract’s status

and allows earlier identification of project-related issues. Contract status data

consists of budget and schedule information plus a field report.

INFORMATION FOR FIELD USE OF QCS

(Note - This portion can be used by QC Managers to train Staff using the QCS

software.)

QCS is Government furnished to Contractors without cost. Contractor needs to

access http

://216.86.193.60/qcs. User’s Guides and installation instructions

available on Internet website maintained by the RMS Center. Training

necessary to learn QCS program usually requires ½ day of instruction and

demonstration. QCS setup file is available from the website

(

http://216.86.193.60/qcs)

QCS program directly benefits Contractor QC Staff in:

• Daily QC Report. Provides fully integrated Daily Reporting for Quality

Control personnel as required by the contract.

• Punch List Items. Provides the mandated Deficiency Tracking System

required by the contract.

• Scheduling. Provides an easy means to import schedule Activities by

importing from commercial scheduling packages (e.g., Primavera).

• Submittals. Provides a comprehensive program to submit, process and

track Transmittal of Submittal items required by the contract (e.g., ENG

Forms 4288 and 4025).

• Payment. Automates the Payment Request Process (ENG Form 93) for

monthly progress updates.

• Subcontractors. Provides comprehensive information on items requiring

action by Subcontractors, including work items not yet complete,

outstanding submittal actions required, status of Insurances and payrolls,

etc.

8-5

• QC Requirements. Provides complete tracking for Transfer Property,

Installed Property, Quality Control Testing, and User Schooling as

required by contract.

• Three-Phase Inspection. Provides a tool to alert the contractor of prior

similar difficulties and challenges from current and previous contracts for

use in the Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-up inspection process (Lessons

Learned, Safety Checks, Inspection techniques, etc.).

• Action Items. Provides a comprehensive report mechanism itemizing

outstanding items or items requiring attention covering all area of the

contract administration process.

• Reports. The QCS reports are available in each major area and many can

be sorted or tailored for desired output.

B. Approach to Data Management:

Corps and Contractor fully integrate QCS/RMS by update data exchanges.

Corps provides QCS software package and RMS start data to Contractor’s

jobsite field office and company office for contract administration and quality

control uses. Contractor exports data updates to Corps Resident office on a

regular basis by E-mail or on disk.

C. Benefits:

• Reduces input. Once data is entered one time on easy to use input

screens, the computer draws on that data for a wide variety of input-output

products. Many items are either drawn from other databases (such as

Network Analysis data), or selected through “look-up tables" eliminating

the need to completely type them.

• Merges data drawn from the RMS and QCS databases to produce useful

tools to perform QC and QA functions.

• Provides reports for key suspense items and data.

D. Major CQM Output Products of QCS and RMS:

• Preconstruction Conference and Coordination Meeting minutes and

agenda.

• Submittal Registers, submittal tracking, and completed (filled in)

Transmittal Forms.

• Three-Phase Control checklists, agenda, and meeting minutes.

8-6

• A deficiency tracking system.

• Daily QC Reports and QA Reports.

• Various closeout documents (including Installed Property, Transfer

Property, User Schooling, etc.).

E. Other QCS and RMS Features:

• Tracks pay estimate data, and generates pay requests. Carries scheduling

activities and resource data input from commercial scheduling packages

(i.e., Primavera©).

• Track variety of personnel data, subcontractor listings, correspondence,

RFI, and safety items.

• Once start data is input, QCS / RMS automatically prints heading data

onto numerous reports and forms at correct place. Most contracts will

include some CQM forms but as QCS versions are updated forms may

slightly change. Current forms and reports are available from Resident

Office office.

• Because data is being entered and a contract QCS/RMS data base is built

early in a job, software allows QC and QA staff to effectively manage an

assortment of QC/QA items.

8-7

EXERCISE

Submodule 8.1

1. What is the Corps’ standard software package used on construction

projects?

2. What are the benefits of RMS and QCS?

3. What are the major output products of QCS?

8-8

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

FOR CONTRACTORS

8-9

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

FOR CONTRACTORS

8-10

Module 8: QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM (QCS)

AND RESIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (RMS)

Submodule 2: Quality Control Components

Objective: After completing this submodule, you will be able to:

• Describe three major QC components included in QCS.

A. Preparatory and Initial Phase Meeting Agendas and “Check” Databases:

• Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-up Control phases provide common

structure for CQM System in Corps contracts. Included in QCS and RMS

is a large database (+/- 12,000 items) of useful quality control data:

(1) Repetitive deficiencies list developed from lessons learned on past

similar Corps contracts

(2) “Checks,” requirements that are “flagged” as being worth special

attention.

Past deficiencies and Checks are linked to definable features of work or

specification section number. Once Definable Features of Work are

agreed to by QC and QA, a feature of work is selected by Contractor

from an available list; QCS then generates an agenda for preparatory or

initial control phase meetings. This agenda includes a comprehensive

checklist on the definable feature of work to review at the meetings.

• In addition, QC and QA staffs can review contract drawings and

specifications to make additions to the special interest “Checks” on any

definable feature of work. QCS application will generate information on

appropriate form or meeting agenda.

• For QC Manager’s use, QCS also automatically generates on meeting

agenda forms required applicable tests, submittal status, and relevant

contract data, such as schedule activities.

8-11

8-12

B. Submittal Process in QCS and RMS:

Using QCS linked with RMS makes transmittal tracking and submittal item

managing easier. Once data for a submittal item is entered in the system, it

never needs to be re-described. By entering dates and action codes

promptly, QCS output documents make procurement, submittal tracking and

material control easy for QC personnel. QCS integrates important submittal

dates to corresponding work break down activities in the construction

schedule. Submittal items not yet approved or materials not yet received can

be easily identified during Preparatory Phase reports generated by QCS.

Outstanding submittal items will be reflected as Outstanding on Pay Estimate

Worksheets. QCS automatically generates and numbers transmittal forms

ENG 4025, complete with contract data and items selected for transmittal.

C. QC/QA Deficiency Tracking System:

QCS includes Punch List Items that represent a data management feature

for entering and keeping track of deficiencies found on the project.

Deficiencies can be sorted by various categories for managing correction

status. Corps’ RMS software has a similar function for tracking government

Punch List Items during the contract. Contractor by contract requirements

and Corps QA Staff (by Engineering Regulation) must maintain formal

deficiency tracking. QCS fulfills this by using software tools. Punch list

process involves using entering data in easy to understand input screens

and offers a variety of output reports.

D. Summary:

The submodules only provide Contractor and Corps management level

overview of QCS and RMS software with general descriptions of major QCS

components. QCS and RMS are like any commercial CIM application, data

must be entered daily and maintained current. As new users learn QCS and

work with it they will find ways that QCS makes their job easier. To be

successfully used to best advantage QCS and RMS requires a partnering

effort between Contractor and Corps’ field office staffs and may require

District level support. Each District is responsible for training Corps

employees in RMS and to assist Contractor staff use QCS at Corps jobsites.

EXERCISE

Submodule 8.2

What are three major QC components included in RMS?

8-13

8-14

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

FOR CONTRACTORS

8-15

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

FOR CONTRACTORS