Certifying your interior architectural woodworking project with QCP streamlines the build, ensures a high degree of compliance, and protects you with unbeatable risk assurance. But even though you understand the benefits of QCP, they might not be so clear to your project team. So when they reject QCP or target it for removal to cut costs, it’s important that you’re prepared to win them over.
Below, you’ll find some of the most common arguments against QCP certification, as well as foolproof responses that will help you get buy-in from your project team.
“All we need is a good woodworker”
The outcome of your woodworking project depends on the knowledge, skills, and work ethic of your chosen woodwork contractor. While it’s easy to find a firm with plenty of experience and a positive reputation, it can be hard to know if their success comes from great products or great PR.
On the other hand, QCP-licensed firms hold objective proof from a reputable industry body that shows they’re true masters of their craft. Not only can they produce exceptional woodwork, but their familiarity with AWI Standards also ensures high levels of compliance. QCP certification makes it easy to find a talented contractor that your team can rely upon to deliver quality woodwork that meets project specifications.
But there’s actually another major benefit that many project teams miss. In a non-certified project, woodworkers may cut as many corners as possible to reduce the cost of their bid. After all, the cheaper they are to hire, the more likely they are to get work. But this fear of losing bids also pressures them to lower the quality of their materials and products. So even if you contract a firm with outstanding skill, they might not have the incentive they need to produce their best work.
By including QCP in your specifications, you show prospective firms that you value quality over getting the cheapest price. That encourages them to present bids that focus on manufacturing high-caliber woodwork using the materials you have specified or the AWI Standards require, allowing your team to select the most capable firm and elevate the project.
“We don’t need risk assurance”
The greatest advantage of project certification is that it gives you access to quality verification inspections from trained QCP representatives. They check that the woodwork meets project specifications, and highlight any non-conformities for correction. These inspections are then documented, providing evidence against disputes.
When your project team agrees to specify QCP, they can proceed knowing that any flaws or non-conformities will be caught early on while they’re easy to resolve. This makes the project much more likely to meet the projected timeline and budget, and lets you avoid arguments and accusations that interfere with smooth construction.
“It adds too much time to the project”
The suggestion that QCP adds time to a project can be averted with three simple words: That’s not true.
To begin, you can register your project online in just a few minutes by completing a short and convenient form. This puts your project on QCP’s radar, and your team will receive updates on the project status to keep everything on track. The woodworker can also order certification labels and close out the project online just as quickly, making QCP a simple process from start to finish.
When it comes to finding a QCP-licensed firm, you can use the QCP Quick Search tool or AWI Member Directory to see a curated list of licensed firms in your local area. This is significantly faster than sorting through dozens of bids from underqualified firms, letting you start (and therefore complete) the project much sooner.
As for the project itself, QCP inspectors take great care not to delay construction with their inspections. Even if these are requested at short notice, the option for remote video inspections ensures the project never slows down. And while woodworkers may need to take a little extra time to fix non-conformities, it prevents the huge delays and costs of doing so post-installation.
“It’s too expensive”
Since QCP is often removed from or left out of project bids to minimize costs, this is without a doubt the most common argument that you’ll encounter. But while QCP does admittedly increase the cost of a project, it’s actually a lot cheaper than contractors and project owners seem to think.
QCP certification costs a mere 0.5% of the total woodworking contract. Although there’s a minimum cost of $500, very few construction projects cost less than $100,000, so there’s little risk of wasting money. And even if a project reaches tens of millions of dollars, the maximum cost limit of $10,000 keeps QCP expenses from getting out of hand.
The question to ask your project team is this: Considering the cost of our project, will an additional 0.5% actually make a big difference?
The answer, of course, is no. But then comes the follow-up question: Considering the cost of our project, is it wise to sacrifice streamlining, quality verification, and risk assurance to save 0.5% on total expenses?
Depending on the answer, you can expect either a very simple project or a very tough one.
Still need more proof? Explore AWI/QCP’s extensive resources
Getting buy-in from your project team on QCP can be as simple as explaining how the program enhances project outcomes, saves time, and removes obstacles at minimal cost. But if they’re particularly stubborn and need even more proof of QCP’s value, we have plenty of other resources you can use to persuade them.
Start by reading The Architect’s Complete Guide to Woodworking’s Quality Certification Program. It’s a 10-page ebook that provides you with:
- An explanation of QCP and AWI Standards
- Information on which projects QCP is best for
- A real case study from an architect who uses QCP
Whether you’re a project manager, an architect yourself, or another member of the project team, download the guide today to build a powerful argument for specifying QCP.