Quality Management System Implementation and Timely Completion of Building Projects: Evidence from Rwanda
Main Article Content
Keywords
Quality Management System (QMS), Project Timeliness, Construction Performance, Logistic Regression, Rwanda Construction Industr
Abstract
The construction industry in rapidly developing economies is expanding in scale and complexity, placing greater pressure on contractors to deliver projects efficiently while maintaining quality standards. Where quality control systems are weak, defects and rework frequently translate into schedule overruns and reduced performance. Rwanda’s fast-growing construction sector faces similar challenges, raising questions about whether structured Quality Management System (QMS) implementation can improve project timeliness. This study investigates the relationship between QMS implementation and the timely completion of building projects in Rwanda. A quantitative correlational design was used, from a dataset of 45 building projects executed by 15 construction firms between 2013 and 2024. QMS implementation was classified into four levels—full compliance, near compliance, minimal compliance, and non-compliance—based on documented quality control practices. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and binary logistic regression to assess associations and predictive effects. Projects with full QMS compliance achieved the highest on-time completion rate (87%), compared with 50% among non-compliant projects. The Pearson correlation showed a weak positive relationship between QMS implementation and timely completion (r = 0.286, p = 0.057). However, logistic regression identified QMS level as a significant predictor of schedule performance (β = 0.92, p = 0.048), with higher compliance increasing the likelihood of on-time completion by approximately 2.51 times. Frequent inspections and continuous material testing were also linked to lower defect rates and shorter project durations. The findings indicate that systematic quality control practices—particularly inspections, documentation, and staff training—enhance schedule reliability and support staged QMS adoption in emerging construction environments.
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Eric Ndayizeye , Kampala International University ,Western Campus, Ishaka
Post-Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda.
Assoc. Prof. Nnadi Ezekiel Ejiofor, INES-Ruhengeri, Rwanda
Department of Civil Engineering, INES-Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
Dr. Olaoluwa George Fadugba , Kabale University, Uganda
Department of Civil Engineering, Kabale University, Uganda
Dr. Chikadibia Kalu Awa Uche, Kampala International University ,Western Campus, Ishaka
Department of Civil Engineering, Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda.