Commitment to quality

We believe quality is more than a standard - it’s a shared commitment to designing, building and renewing our network to rigorous standards. It underpins everything we do, ensuring safety, meeting customer needs and delivering assets that stand the test of time.

Why we need a quality division

Ensuring high standards of quality is an integral part of how we manage, maintain, and improve the strategic road network to make our customers' journeys safer, smoother, and more reliable.

Industry-led research shows that the cost of poor quality for the construction sector is around 20% - and we hope to tackle that cost by driving quality and improving processes right across our planning, design and construction work. A cross-company team, we're working with directorates and our suppliers to make sure we deliver our best - saving carbon, time and money in the process.

What do we mean by Quality in Construction?

'Quality means doing the right thing, the right way, every time’. If we can get our approach right it will open more opportunities for efficiencies, safety improvements, and better customer experience. If we can do the work right first time, we won’t need to go back to correct things; if we can design and construct assets that last longer, we won’t need to renew them as often – this offers potential for huge savings, reduced disruption to those who use our network and, of course, the associated carbon reductions. Find out more from our Quality Charter.

What we're hoping to achieve

We aim to always to do ‘the right thing, the right way, every time’ to reduce roadworks and build assets that last longer and require less intervention. To achieve this, we must:

• establish clear measures to improve quality
• build the right structure and skills
• understand why assets may not be lasting as expected
• embed a strong quality culture
• implement end-to-end quality processes