A new study by PlanRadar, a leading platform for digital documentation, communication, and reporting in construction, facility management, and real estate projects, reveals a clear contradiction at the heart of quality management.

More than seven in ten construction companies across global markets, including the GCC, begin QA/QC processes from day one — yet over three-quarters (77%) still report inconsistencies between sites and trades. The result: profit margins shrink, disputes rise, and warranty risks climb.

Ibrahim Imam, Co-Founder and CEO of PlanRadar, commented, “QA/QC is a top priority in the construction industry — but the challenge is consistency. Our research shows that when every site and trade follow a different playbook, quality outcomes become a matter of chance and costs become unpredictable. The path forward is clear: unified, enforceable QA/QC standards that create visibility, reduce disputes, and protect margins.”

Key Findings

• 77% of respondents report inconsistent QA/QC documentation across projects.
• Companies with consistent QA/QC are 28% more likely to achieve profit margins above 3%.
• 67% of firms link QA/QC failures to project delays.
• Organisations without defined QA/QC standards are 50% more likely to face warranty exposure and 23% more likely to encounter subcontractor disputes.
• In the GCC, Saudi Arabia respondents ranked meeting compliance as their top QA/QC priority, while UAE companies highlighted documentation quality and subcontractor management.

The GCC perspective

Across the GCC, these findings mirror real-world industry conditions.

In Saudi Arabia, strict compliance under the Saudi Building Code continues to drive construction reform, with respondents ranking regulatory requirements as their top QA/QC focus.

Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, where large-scale urban developments demand seamless cross-trade coordination, companies identified documentation quality and subcontractor management as major challenges.

Despite ongoing regulatory progress, inconsistency still costs the region millions. Firms without QA/QC standards are over 50% more likely to face warranty exposure (54% vs. 35%) and 23% more likely to encounter subcontractor disputes (43% vs. 35%). The report confirms that improving QA/QC consistency could significantly strengthen profitability and accountability in GCC construction projects.

Profitability through consistency

The data underscores the financial benefits of standardisation. Companies that apply QA/QC systematically are 28% more likely to report profit margins above 3% (60% vs. 47%) and almost twice as likely to keep rework below 5% of total project budgets (56% vs. 37%).

This advantage often comes from eliminating variability: when approvals, documentation, and evidence are captured consistently across every site, leaders gain clearer oversight and can prevent small issues from escalating into major setbacks.

Quality gaps also trigger widespread disruption — two in three companies (67%) report project delays due to QA/QC failures. Among those able to measure the impact, six in ten said quality issues add more than two weeks to schedules, while nearly one in four face delays exceeding a month.

When QA/QC processes fail, 76% of firms absorb higher labour and overtime costs, 50% experience strained client relationships, and nearly one-third incur direct contractual penalties.

From Compliance to Profit Strategy

The report shows that QA/QC consistency is no longer just a compliance requirement — it is a profit strategy. Firms that establish standardised, enforceable processes across all trades achieve greater cost visibility, reduce rework, and deliver more predictable outcomes.

However, enforcement remains a major challenge. More than half of surveyed companies admit to lacking a clear or enforceable subcontractor QA/QC framework, while the use of a single, purpose-built digital platform remains uncommon.

Enabling Consistency Through Technology

QA/QC workflows directly into daily operations. Using SiteView 360° reality capture, teams can conduct simple site walks with helmet-mounted cameras to record 360° visual progress while QA/QC data is captured simultaneously — ensuring every build stage is backed by both structured documentation and visual proof.

This integration gives project leaders in the GCC and beyond a practical, scalable way to reduce rework, accelerate approvals, and enhance accountability across all project phases.