OFFERING quality and affordable homes to purchasers is essential in today’s dynamic market. More developers are looking at innovative ways to sell their products, especially during a financial meltdown.
Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd, the property development arm of the Naza group, is among key developers in Malaysia that focus strongly on quality, safety, innovation, workmanship and value.
In ensuring the delivery of quality products and its construction process, the company has adopted the Quality Assessment System for Building Construction Works (QLASSIC).
“We adopt construction quality initiatives from CIDB such as Green Card and QLASSIC, which complies with other national and international health, safety and environment (HSE) and green initiatives such as Green Building Index (GBI) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to enhancing quality standard,” said Naza TTDI head of quality assurance Punithan Vathanan Govinda Raju.
He said Naza TTDI hires contractors with QLASSIC certification and training for its projects.
“This is to ensure the highest quality and safety standards are met during construction, so, the finished product is complete. The QLASSIC principle is to encourage contractors to ‘Do Things Right the First Time and Every Time’. We have several quality checks on projects to ensure they are developed according to the required standards.
“For instance, we insist on good contractors for excellent plastering and flooring- tiling workmanship,” Punithan said.
Among Naza TTDI’s developments that have been assessed using QLASSIC are Menara Felda and Tabung Haji Tower of Platinum Park KL, TTDI Grove in Kajang, as well as TTDI Alam Impian in Seksyen 35 and TTDI Adina in Seksyen 13, Shah Alam.
According to Punithan, Naza TTDI’s quality assurance department reports directly to its top management as an independent department, separated from the project management’s team, to ensure that quality issues and updates are informed to top management and to fast-track decision-making.
For property buyers, he said, personalised hand-over kits or manuals, with floor plans and fitting information, and personalised briefings are provided during the handing-over of keys.
Meeting and maintaining quality standards do not come easy. As a developer, one will have to face limited supply of skilled and experience workforce and contractors.
“It is important to determine the workmanship and finishing of every product that we develop. Skilled workforce will ensure approved architecture drawings meet the development and hand-over manual specifications,” he said.
He added that ensuring durability of mechanical and electrical fittings, for example, are also some of the common challenges faced by developers.
Naza TTDI is in the midst of planning a memorandum of understanding with CIDB next year for an overall adoption of QLASSIC, SHASSIC and training.
Punithan said to support the development of skilled workers and quality local talent, Naza TTDI is participating in the Teraju-CIBD Construction Fellow Program, where 25 selected talents have undergone a 10-month job training programme.
“This is a positive and sustainable initiative that will boost the industry as a whole.”
In meeting high standards, Naza TTDI also includes the awareness on quality assurance, QLASSIC and HSE in its New Employees Induction Program for new employees, he added.