JOHN Kilbane, a senior associate at Thomson Gray Construction Consultants, has revealed that construction quality management (CQM) is becoming increasingly important within the sector, following high-profile quality and compliance failures in recent years, including the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
John joined Thomson Gray last year to lead the firm’s new CQM division, bringing over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry to the role. He said clients are more willing than ever before to employ CQM specialist services on projects, aiding the delivery of a ‘right-first-time, defect-free’ philosophy.
CQM is described as an essential, yet often overlooked aspect of the qualitative construction process, frequently viewed as an ‘add-on’ to other consultancy services. John emphasised the critical importance of having highly knowledgeable and experienced independent quality management and checking in construction projects, for both health and safety, and the client’s contractual requirements.
Starting his career as a building control officer for South Lanarkshire Council in the early 2000s, John transitioned into the private sector and has played a key role in the delivery projects across a variety of sectors. He has particular experience in healthcare and educational infrastructure, having led over 80 projects, with a contribution to capital projects that stands at over £3 billion in value throughout the UK and Ireland.
John revealed the core objectives in quality management are to ensure that the principal contractor’s delivery matches the agreed design, regulatory standards, and legal and contractual obligations.
His role is centred on being site-based and working cooperatively with the principal contractor and design teams. He warns against over-reliance on remote working in a field that ultimately thrives on first-hand observation, inspection, and learning from others.
An advocate for stronger representation of the discipline across the construction industry, John states that CQM is critical for public safety and value delivery on projects.
“Previously, it was a very light-touch role,” he explained. “Now it’s more advanced, in-depth, and crucial, especially after high-profile construction failures.”
John noted that CQM delivery has evolved from a perceived contractual ‘add-on’ to now being a critical component of the construction delivery process. This is partly thanks to better understanding from clients who are willing to actively engage and adequately resource and fund these roles.
In the evolving landscape of the construction industry, the emphasis on quality, compliance, and statutory adherence has never been more critical. CQM assures clients that a project meets legal, safety and design expectations.
“Ultimately, you’re working on, for example, a hospital whose main goal is to make people better and save people’s lives,” John added. “You’re ensuring that the ultimate patient experience is better because of what you do; it’s essential.”
John aims for the CQM offering at Thomson Gray to expand into a pan-Scottish and selective north of England service, offering these bespoke and niche services throughout mainland Scotland and the surrounding islands, and then the north of England. This will be done by the strategic hiring of additional staff, in the right locations, who meet the strict criteria for knowledge and experience in delivering CQM roles such as NEC supervisor, independent tester/certifier, clerk of works, and quality monitoring.
John’s ambition is for Thomson Gray to become the leading provider of this service across its operating regions. However, expansion must happen organically to ensure the quality of CQM implementation is never compromised.
Wider to the core construction consultancy services, the introduction of CQM means Thomson Gray now delivers a range of multi-disciplinary services including quantity surveying, project management, building surveying, and CDM regulation. The firm employs over 80 construction professionals and prides itself on offering a ‘one-stop shop’ consultancy for services across the multi-disciplinary service spectrum.
