Striving for excellence in quality when delivering projects in a new country to exceed client expectations and increase client satisfaction : A case study at Jacobs Engineering Group

Sammanfattning: When entering a new market and working for a new client, delivery of consistent and high quality is of great importance for future opportunities. Studies have shown that from having a good internal quality control and quality assurance for client deliveries leads to increased client satisfaction and consequently more successful projects. To study this connection and how to meet client expectations when working in a new country, this thesis outlines a case study performed at Jacobs Engineering Group (Jacobs) in Stockholm. Quality is defined as the processes used to strive for a degree of perceived client satisfaction. These processes differ across different countries. This thesis has compared cultural differences identified in the case study between Sweden and the UK and assessed Jacobs’ internal methods (Project Delivery Workflow) of assuring quality to meet and exceed client expectations. The findings from this study can probably help Jacobs adapt their practices and ways of conducting business for ongoing and future projects in Sweden. Furthermore, the report will give a basis on how Jacobs should prepare their projects prior to further expansion into new markets. To fulfil the purpose of this thesis, literature was compiled with a focus of quality, culture and client satisfaction to provide a basis for the assessment. The methodology consisted of assessing Jacobs’ internal Quality Management System to identify potential areas of improvement. Following, interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative responses on how Jacobs should adapt to cultural differences within the Swedish market to meet client expectations and expand their businesses. The interviews included a quantitative segment to visualise cultural differences and identify areas where Jacobs should preferably develop to meet client expectations. The interviews were then presented and analysed using a thematic analysis to identify the most significant themes of this study. This thesis suggested that Jacobs should adapt their Project Delivery Workflow for projects of different magnitudes and improve connections between project phases and disciplines. Other suggestions were to reconfigure their organisational structure when embarking upon a project in Sweden. From the findings in this study, further recommendations were given to Jacobs on how to conduct business in Sweden from comparing cultural differences for continued cooperation with Trafikverket and what project aspects Jacobs should focus on. Lastly, this thesis concluded how Jacobs should conduct further studies to assess the importance of project aspects across borders and cultures when entering a new market to deliver projects successfully.