GESTIONE DEI SISTEMI DI QUALITA'
Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: GIOVANNI CELANOExpected Learning Outcomes
The course provides students with content related to quantitative concepts and methods used to implement a quality management system. Particular emphasis is placed on quality systems management according to the ISO 9001 standard, as well as its application within civil engineering. The principles of managing improvement projects according to the Six Sigma approach are also described. Furthermore, the course aims to provide students with basic statistical skills for quality control in business processes. In particular, case studies for data analysis in the field of quality are presented and solved using Microsoft Excel and Minitab® software. Furthermore, the course aims to provide students with basic statistical skills for quality control in business processes. In particular, case studies for data analysis in the field of quality are presented and solved using Microsoft Excel and Minitab® software.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding:
- Know the principles of quality and their related definitions;
- Know the structure, principles, and contents of the ISO 9000 standards for quality management systems;
- Know the field of application of ISO 9000 standards within civil engineering;
- Know the basic principles of the Six Sigma philosophy;
- Know how to implement an exploratory data analysis based on supporting statistical techniques in order to make evidence-based decisions within quality control;
- Possess basic skills in quality control for construction materials in accordance with the reference standards.
Applying Knowledge and Understanding:
- Adopt a process-oriented problem-solving approach aimed at continuous improvement according to a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) logic;
- Use and interpret the basic tools of exploratory data analysis available within Microsoft Excel® and Minitab® software;
- Participate as part of a working team in the implementation of a quality management system according to ISO 9000 standards, particularly in companies operating in the civil engineering sector;
- Participate as part of a working team in the implementation of an improvement project following the DMAIC methodology approach and Six Sigma principles.
Course Structure
Direct Teaching:
Activities focus on the delivery of theoretical knowledge and reference regulatory frameworks through:
- Presentation, analysis, and discussion of theoretical and methodological content.
- Critical review and guided commentary on reference standards and technical regulations (ISO 9000 and industry-specific standards).
- Weekly guided tutorials dedicated to solving quantitative problems and applying statistical formulas and models.
Interactive Learning:
Activities are designed to stimulate active learning, analytical skills, and teamwork through:
- Resolution and discussion of real-world scenarios applied to civil engineering, utilizing Microsoft Excel and Minitab® software.
- Collaborative group activities (composed of 2–3 students) to complete in-class practical exercises. This format is structured to enhance process-oriented problem-solving skills and develop soft skills in teamwork.
If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above, in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Understanding basic mathematical concepts for calculating derivatives and integrals is important.
Attendance of Lessons
Class attendance is mandatory. A roll call is done at the beginning of each class.
Students should attend at least 70% of scheduled classes, Point. 3.3, Regolamento Didattico CL Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Gestionale. Reduced attendance is considered for students enrolled into categories described by Art.30 of “Regolamento Didattico di AteneoDetailed Course Content
The course consists of 93 hours delivered over approximately 11 weeks of classes. Each week includes 9 hours of lectures, divided into 3-hour sessions. The course syllabus is divided into the following modules:
- INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY
- ISO 9000 STANDARDS
- INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY THEORY
- QUANTITATIVE TOOLS FOR QUALITY CONTROL
- QUALITY CONTROL OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Detailed content and reference materials for each module are available in the "Course Schedule" section.
Textbook Information
1. D.C. Montgomery, “Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers”, 6edn o successive, International Student Version, 2014, Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-118-74412-3.
2. D.C. Montgomery, “Statistical Quality Control”, 6th edn o successiva, Wiley.
3. Norme ISO 9000-2015 e ISO 9001-2015
4. Norme Tecniche per le Costruzioni, aggiornamento 2018, DM del 17 gennaio 2018
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY. The definition of quality and its dimensions. The quality cycle. From expected to perceived quality. Quality engineering terminology. Quality characteristics and service performance indicators. History of quality control and continuous improvement. The engineering method and statistical thinking. Random variables. Engineering data collection. Monitoring processes over time. Mechanistic and empirical models. Statistical methods for quality control. Deming's PDCA cycle. Quality costs. First-pass yield (FPY) and First-time or throughput yield (FTY). | Text 1: Ch.1, 1.1-1.3. Text 2: Ch.1, Sec. 1.1 to 1.3, 1.4.2 |
| 2 | 2. ISO 9000 STANDARDS. Definition of management systems. ISO standards for management systems. Integration between ISO standards for management systems: Harmonized Structure. Conformity assessment bodies/Certification bodies. Accreditation procedure and reference standards. Accredia. International accreditation system. Certification procedure. Audits. IAF certification/accreditation sectors. Quality management. The four dimensions of quality management: quality planning, quality assurance, quality control, and quality improvement. Quality Management Systems (QMS). The ISO 9000 series standards for quality management systems. The ISO 9001 certification procedure for a QMS. ISO 9001 audits. The ISO 9000:2015 standard: Fundamentals and vocabulary. Fundamental concepts and quality management principles. Terms and definitions. Definitions of: processes and procedures; quality plan; specification; non-conformity and defectiveness; rework, repair, scrap; documented information. The ISO 9001:2015 standard: Requirements. Historical evolution. The 2024 amendment. ISO 9001 – 2026 version: the role of sustainability. Structure of the standard. The PDCA Cycle in ISO 9001. Process approach: SIPOC diagram. Risk-based thinking. Structure of the ISO 9001 standard. Context of the organization and interested parties. SWOT Analysis. Leadership: quality policy and objectives. Planning. Support. Operational activities (Operations). Performance evaluation. Improvement. The ISO 10017:2021 standard on statistical techniques for ISO 9001. Quality management in the construction sector. Design validation and ISO 9001 certification of professional bodies. References to mandatory regulations. ISO 9001 certification in the construction sector. SOA qualification. References to mandatory regulations. IAFCERTSEARCH database. | ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 Standards |
| 3 | 3. INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY THEORY. Random experiments. Definition of sample space and event. Combinatorics: permutations and combinations. Probability of an event. Axioms of probability. Addition rule for probability. Conditional probability. Multiplication rule. Tree diagram representation. Independence between events. Bayes' theorem. Application for calculating the specificity and sensitivity of an inspection procedure. Random variables. | Text 1: Ch.2 |
| 4 | 4. QUANTITATIVE TOOLS FOR QUALITY CONTROL. Quality characteristics, Key Performance Indicators and specifications. The Six Sigma Philosophy. The Six Sigma Roles and hierarchy, Meaning of Six Sigma*. Statistical tools for quality control: Sampling from a population. Exploratory Data Analysis. Data summarization. The summary statistics: mean sample standard deviation, quantiles. Describing variation with histograms, box and whiskers plots and individual value plots. Data Visualization with Excel and Minitab. Feature relationships and correlation. Distribution Analysis. Discrete distributions: Hypergeometric and binomial distributions with application to quality control. The normal distribution. Probability Plots. The Anderson Darling test. Specifications and fraction nonconforming calculation. Quality control and process monitoring. Short term and long term variability. The DMAIC Process Steps for improvement projects. ISO technical documents about statistical techniques for quality: ISO/TR 10017-2021 e ISO/TR 18532:2009 | Text 1:Ch.4, 4.1-4.4, 4.6 (Normal Distrib).Text 2: Ch.3, from 3.1.2 to 3.2.2, 3.3.1, 3.4.Text 2(Six Sigma):Ch. 1, 1.4.1 p.28-32 |
| 5 | 5. QUALITY CONTROL OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. The "Norme Tecniche delle Costruzioni" document. Materials for structural use. European Union's Construction Products Regulation. Identification and qualification through CE marking of materials: the different assessment routes. Assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP). The declaration of performance (DoP). Specifications for concrete. Characteristic compressive strength and strength classes. Concrete quality control. Preliminary assessment and production control. Sampling and testing of specimens. Acceptance testing: Type A and Type B controls. Compressive strength of a sample. Statistical aspects of Type B acceptance testing. | CE marking of materials: EU reference guidelines. Tecniche per le Costruzioni 2018, Ch. 11, Sec. 11.1, 11.2.1, 11.2.2,11.2.3,11.2.4, 11.2.5 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Student assessment is based exclusively on a written exam, which consists of multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and quantitative exercises.
The multiple-choice and open-ended questions account for 50% of the final exam grade. These questions primarily cover the content presented in modules 1, 2, and 5 of the course schedule. The exam is administered through the online platform exam.net. The objective is to assess students' knowledge of the quality management topics discussed in class, with particular reference to standards and regulations. The open-ended questions aim to verify the student's ability to describe key concepts of quality management clearly and with a proper command of the terminology.
The quantitative exercises account for the remaining 50% of the final exam grade. Solving these exercises requires the implementation of basic statistical methods for quality control in the construction sector and acceptance sampling for concrete. The exercises primarily cover the content presented in modules 3, 4, and 5 of the course schedule. The exercises are designed to present students with scenarios similar to real-world cases, where they must apply the skills they have acquired by choosing the correct tool to solve the problem.
During the teaching period, exclusively for students attending the course, two mid-term exams will be held (mid-semester and at the end of the semester) using the same format as the final exam. Passing both mid-term exams entitles the student to pass the course; the final grade will be the sum of the scores obtained in each test.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it.
To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’Integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).