Advanced quality system (AQS) is a total quality management approach thatfocuses on quality as the top priority. This article discusses how AQS can be applied in the transportation industry to improve pavement quality while helping agencies finish paving projects on time and within budget. In the highway industry, the target quality level is the one that provides the optimal balance between project cost and a satisfactory level of performance throughout a pavement's life cycle. There are four major elements to AQS: top management commitment, resource management, product realization, and assessment and improvement. One of the most important improvements that an agency can make is to adopt a comprehensive, integrated construction-quality database that allows analysis of design, quality, time, cost and performance. By providing accurate immediate and long-term feedback, this database can help top mangers and designers make the necessary refinements in quality-related policies, objectives and targets. The Federal Highway Administration is using courses, workshops and software tools to expand the benefits of AQS across the United States.
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