A PDA and wireless web-integrated system for quality inspection and defect management of apartment housing projects

In general, quality inspection and defect management in apartment housing construction are one of the major factors that general contractors have to consider for improving customer satisfaction and raising their images in the industry. However, many cases show that prompt and efficient actions are not made due to lack of the number of on-site quality managers, excessive workload for crews to meet deadlines, and inefficient communications among project participants. The primary objective of this research is to propose a computerized Quality Inspection and Defect Management System (QIDMS) which can collect defect data at a site in real time using Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and wireless internet, and effectively manage statuses and results of the corrective works performed. Authors expect that the effective use of the proposed QIDMS would significantly improve communication efficiency among the related participants and help quality managers systematically manage and accumulate useful data that would be utilized as a reference in future construction projects.