On a design-bid-build project with a large private owner who has its own QA program and pays higher wages, but struggles to attract inspectors, what is the best recommendation to the owner?

On a design-bid-build project with a large private owner who has its own QA program and pays higher wages, but struggles to attract inspectors, what is the best recommendation to the owner?

• A. Invest in automated technology to increase inspectors' efficiency
• B. Increase starting pay for the owner's inspectors
• C. Rely on the contractor's quality assurance and quality control program
• D. Install 5G towers near the project jobsite

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to boost the inspectors’ effectiveness by using automated technology. When a large private owner has its own QA program but struggles to attract enough inspectors, technology can multiply the impact of the people who are working. Automated QA tools and data capture create consistent, auditable records, speed up inspection tasks, and reduce manual workload. For example, digital checklists on mobile devices ensure standardized procedures, sensors and field measurement tools provide objective data, and tools like drones or 3D scanning can verify progress and quality without requiring a large number of on-site personnel. BIM-integrated quality checks help catch clashes or tolerance issues early, lowering rework and keeping the project on schedule. Raising starting pay might help attract talent, but it doesn’t solve the throughput problem or provide the same scale of efficiency gains, especially given a broader labor market shortage. Relying entirely on the contractor’s QA/QC program could lessen the owner’s control over quality and accountability. The notion of installing 5G towers near the site doesn’t target QA or inspection efficiency. So investing in automated technology to increase inspectors’ efficiency directly addresses the owner’s QA needs and project constraints.

The main idea is to boost the inspectors’ effectiveness by using automated technology. When a large private owner has its own QA program but struggles to attract enough inspectors, technology can multiply the impact of the people who are working. Automated QA tools and data capture create consistent, auditable records, speed up inspection tasks, and reduce manual workload. For example, digital checklists on mobile devices ensure standardized procedures, sensors and field measurement tools provide objective data, and tools like drones or 3D scanning can verify progress and quality without requiring a large number of on-site personnel. BIM-integrated quality checks help catch clashes or tolerance issues early, lowering rework and keeping the project on schedule.

Raising starting pay might help attract talent, but it doesn’t solve the throughput problem or provide the same scale of efficiency gains, especially given a broader labor market shortage. Relying entirely on the contractor’s QA/QC program could lessen the owner’s control over quality and accountability. The notion of installing 5G towers near the site doesn’t target QA or inspection efficiency. So investing in automated technology to increase inspectors’ efficiency directly addresses the owner’s QA needs and project constraints.