Diversity between building projects and construction methods is such that it is not possible to
evoke a single phrase, commissioning, directly or conceptually and assume all building
performance problems are solved. Commissioning has been defined as everything from a testing
phase that concludes construction, to a quality management technique applied to a project from
concept to turnover and beyond. Therefore, simply purchasing commissioning may not yield
desired performance. A link is needed that ties managing performance to the process that
verifies achievement of defined performance goals. That link may be certification.
TQM (total quality management) was developed by W. Edwards Deming to assist in creating a
management environment that would yield consistent performance. International Standards
Organization (ISO) applies discipline to that concept requiring a structured well-documented
management environment capable of withstanding an audit. One could quickly build a library in
the study of management techniques devoted to achieving performance: Peter Drucker
(Management by Objectives), Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence) and Stephen Covey (7
Habits) just to name a few. This may be the path to certification.
This presentation is intended to provide an overview of the relationship between recognized
quality management techniques and commissioning. Specifically it will deal with tying the
quality certification process defined by ISO to commissioning as defined in ASHRAE GPC1-
1996. Questions that will be raised are: 1) Is it possible to certify a construction project to ISO standards? 2) Is it practical to certify a construction project to ISO standards? 3) Will a fully commissioned, ISO certified facility guarantee desired performance? It is the belief of this author that design-build projects are gaining momentum in the industry,
battling only barriers of price versus performance. Imagine the power of an ISO certified
Design-build Corporation that guaranteed not only price and schedule but also performance;
specifically performance that exceeds traditional codes or standards