In construction methods, what comes first quality control or quality assurance?

Quality Assurance is the top most priority in the construction work to be assure that the material, items, equipment, tools, methods, procedures, system and all the required technologies must be according to the project design specification, standard and quality to be hire, purchase, transport, properly stored, placed and finished up to final stage with the desired standard and expectation of the client and customers.

On the other hand Quality Control is the procedure that we control items with ongoing process, tests, methodology, revisions, inspections, re-submittals to find, remove the defects items and to  bring down the defects at minimum level, hide the defects with an alternate solution and deliver the work quality with the required standard.

So Quality assurance comes first to be in safe position with the running work rather to control quality for already purchased, transported, fixed, placed and finished items.

But it doesn’t mean that we assure quality at the beginning and then we forget quality control with the running project. QA/QC procedures running both till the end of project to maintain the high standards and demands, expectation of the client and customers. Like for producing clapping sound both hands hitting is required.

I think in any project, QA comes first, actually this is the case in general in life (Prevention is better than Cure). Normally prevention time, cost and effort is much less than curing, especially in Construction industry where some contracting companies live behind change in orders! 

Thank You, 

Wallaho Aalam.