The Role of Quality Management Practices in Optimising Project Execution

Several studies have been conducted on how quality management can influence project success. Limited studies have focused on how quality management practices influence specific project management phases. This study aimed to evaluate the role of quality management practices on project execution. The study adopted a quantitative methodology and used data from n = 49 projects conducted and completed by a South African multinational company in the manufacturing automation industry over a period of five years. The study revealed that quality management practices significantly influenced project execution duration and project execution costs. The implication of this study is that project managers can enhance quality execution through embedding quality management practices in their respective project management systems. It should be noted that this study focused on two of the three triple project management constraints, duration, and cost/budget, and excluded project scope due to limited data within the organisation studied. Future studies can enhance the findings of the current study by including this variable. Nonetheless, this study provides a foundation for evaluating the influence of quality management practices on project execution. Future studies may also need to evaluate how quality management practices influence other phases of project management.