Lab tests, non-conformances and the quality gate on billing
Track every sample from the pour to the lab result: cubes at 7 and 28 days, steel, soil, brick and water. Each is due on its date and passed or failed against its limits. A failed test raises a non-conformance by itself; a closed one charged to a subcontractor comes off their next running bill. With the quality gate on, work is certified for billing only when its hold points have passed.
PLANSFrom Growth
Why it matters
Cube results come back 28 days after the pour. By then the subcontractor's bill for that slab has often been certified and paid. A failed result goes into a register, the rework is argued over, and its cost is rarely recovered. SmartMy Construction makes the 7 and 28 day tests from the pour itself and shows overdue results in red. It raises a non-conformance the moment a result fails. A closed non-conformance charged to the subcontractor goes onto their next running bill as a deduction. With the quality gate on, a measurement at a place whose hold point is waiting or rejected is not certified.
The problem it solves
- Cube samples are taken, the lab result comes back weeks later, and nobody checks it against the grade.
- A failed test is noted in a register and never followed up.
- Rework caused by a subcontractor is done at your cost because the deduction was never put on their bill.
- A floor is billed and paid while its hold point is still rejected.
How it works
- Lab test types sit under Construction > Site > Configuration > Lab Test Types. Each has a standard, unit, at least and at most, and days to the result. Seven come ready, from M25 cubes at 7 days to the pH of water.
- When a pour is marked done as a key event, its cube follow-ups make the lab tests at 7 and 28 days. They are due on the follow-up dates. Other samples are added under Site > Quality > Lab Tests > New: test, what was sampled, sample number, date and lab.
- Overdue results show in red. When the result arrives, enter the value, the date tested and the lab report, and press Result In. The test is Passed or Failed against its limits and is locked; the pour's follow-up is ticked done.
- A failed test raises a Major non-conformance with the result, the limits, the sample and the lab. Non-conformances from inspections, audits or the client are raised by hand under Site > Quality > Non-conformances.
- Decide how it is dealt with (Rework, Repair, Accept as It Is, Reject and Replace) and the action, then press Start Action. A Construction Manager closes it with the photo proof of close-out.
- If the cost is charged to the subcontractor and their work order is set, it becomes a deduction. It is added when their next running bill is filled.
Everything it does
Lab test types
- Name, standard, unit, At Least, At Most (empty: no upper limit), Result Due after (days); per entity or for every entity
- Ready to use: Concrete cube M25 at 7 days (16.25 N/mm²) and 28 days (25), Concrete cube M30 at 28 days (30). Also Steel tensile Fe 500 (500 N/mm², 3 days). Also Soil compaction (95 %, 1 day), Brick compressive strength (3.5 N/mm², 7 days), Water for concrete pH (6.0 to 8.5, 3 days)
Lab tests
- Numbered; project, place, test, what was sampled, sample number, date sampled, result due (from the type, can be changed), lab
- Result, date tested, lab report file; Result In needs the date tested
- Passed when the result is at least the lowest and not above the highest; the test is then locked except for notes and the report
- From a key event: the pour it was sampled at, and the follow-up done with the result
- Filters: Waiting for Results, Overdue, Failed; group by project, test, result
Non-conformances
- Numbered; what is wrong, project, place, date, source (Inspection, Lab Test, Audit, Client / Consultant, Other), severity (Minor, Major, Critical), raised by
- Responsible: the subcontractor, or empty for your own team; description, root cause
- Dealt With By: Rework, Repair, Accept as It Is, Reject and Replace. Then Action to Take, Action By date, Cost of Putting It Right, Charge to the Responsible
- Open, Being Put Right, Closed; Start Action needs the disposition and the action
- Close is for Construction Managers and needs the close-out photo, unless it is accepted as it is; a closed one is locked
- Filters: Not Closed, Charged to Subcontractor; group by project, responsible, found by
Back-charge to the subcontractor
- Set the work order on the non-conformance and tick Charge to the Responsible
- Once closed with a cost, Fill on that work order's next running bill adds a deduction line naming the non-conformance
- The bill it went on is shown on the non-conformance; releasing the bill's measurements takes the deduction off again
Quality gate on billing
- Quality Gate on Billing per project, off to start with
- When on, a measurement is certified only when no hold-point inspection request at its places is waiting or rejected
- A hold point never requested does not stop it
Reports
- Quality Dashboard: lab results overdue, lab tests failed, open non-conformances, cost of rework
- Site Dashboard: lab results overdue; Projects Dashboard: open non-conformances
Who uses it
Quality engineerLogs samples, enters lab results and raises non-conformances.
Site engineerMarks the pour done so its cube tests are made, and carries out the corrective action.
Construction ManagerCloses non-conformances with proof and switches on the quality gate.
QS or billing engineerFills the subcontractor's running bill, where back-charges appear, and certifies measurements.
AdministratorKeeps the lab test types and their limits.
Where you use it
- Web: Construction > Site > Quality (Lab Tests, Non-conformances); Lab Test Types under Site > Configuration
- Project form: Quality Gate on Billing
- Not in the SmartMy Construction app and not on the portal; labs do not enter results online
What you control
Settings
- Lab test types: limits, unit, standard and days to the result
- Lab test per cube follow-up of a key event type: M25 at 7 and 28 days on Foundation Pour and Slab Casting to start with
- Quality Gate on Billing per project: off to start with
Notifications
- No messages are sent for overdue results or new non-conformances; they show in red in the lists and on the dashboards
Questions
Are cube tests made by themselves after a pour?
Yes, when the pour is a key event whose cube follow-ups name a lab test. Foundation Pour and Slab Casting come set with M25 cubes at 7 and 28 days; change the test type for other grades.What happens when a result fails?
The test is marked Failed and a Major non-conformance is raised. It carries the result, the limits, the sample number and the lab, ready for the action to be decided.How is the rework cost recovered from the subcontractor?
Set their work order on the non-conformance, enter the cost and tick Charge to the Responsible. Once it is closed, their next running bill takes it as a deduction when it is filled.Can a non-conformance be closed without proof?
Only when it is accepted as it is. Every other close needs the close-out photo, and only a Construction Manager can close.Does the system remind us of results that are due?
Overdue results show in red on the list, under the Overdue filter and on the dashboards. No email or message is sent for them.Related features
PLANT, SCHEDULE, QUALITY, SAFETYInspection and test plans with hold pointsSet the inspection and test plan for each kind of work, with hold points, witness points, document reviews and your own checks. Inspection requests go by email to the client's engineer, the consultant or a third-party inspector. They record the result on a link, without a login. A later step at a place cannot be asked for while an earlier hold point there is not approved.PLANT, SCHEDULE, QUALITY, SAFETYChecklists, inspections and snagsInspect work at its place with your own checklists: pass or fail, measurements against tolerances, photos and the engineer's signature. Failed points become snags with a photo before and after, fixed by the crew or subcontractor and closed by your engineer. Material received at a site store gets its own receipt check.PROJECTS AND SET-UPKey events: slab casting, handoverBhoomi pooja, foundation pour, slab casting, topping out and handover run as key events. Each has readiness checks counted back from the day, bookings for ready-mix and pump, and invitations the client answers from a link. Curing and cube results follow by themselves.MONEYWork orders and subcontractor billsA work order to each subcontractor with items, rates and terms, approved before work starts. Running bills come from certified measurements. They take off retention, advance, back-charges and TDS, and become the vendor bill.MONEYMeasurement book, retention and advancesSite staff measure each item's work by place, as Nos. x length x breadth x depth with photos; a manager certifies it, and only certified quantities reach the running bill. Retention is kept from every bill and released in one step, and the mobilisation advance is recovered bill by bill.PROJECTS AND SET-UPDashboards: Site, Projects, QualityReady dashboards open first in Construction: Site for every site engineer, Projects and Quality for managers, and Sales for the sales team. Every number counts only what the viewer may open, and a click shows the records behind it.
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