Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Strategic Analysis - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that technological intervention has broken all geographical barriers thereby shrinking the world into a small global village. This has increased the level of competition in the markets since companies have to compete with local, as well as foreign brands. In such competitive times, information bears great relevance for any organization since it provides the basis for effective decision making and strategic analysis. It is a thing of the past when managers developed long terms goals and relied on their luck to attain success. The modern competitive times require proactive strategic analysis that caters the changes in the internal as well as external environments. The domain of strategic analysis provides the guiding principles and approaches to survive in the competitive world and attain success. Earlier, organizations developed a source of competitive advantage and simply had to defend the respective product or service against any probable replacements. In the modern markets, there exists no such thing as finding a competitive advantage and sticking to it. Dynamism tends to benefit more than rigidity. Kathwala stated that companies need to ensure that they perform comprehensive strategic analysis and adopt strategic flexibility so that they are able to reallocate their focus from one domain to the other to cater to the frequent changes in customers’ demands.

DQ3_07 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ3_07 - Assignment Example began in 1948 and conducted among 5209 adult participants in Framingham, Massachusetts, has assisted to provide much of the now known knowledge in regard to heart disease. The Framingham Heart Study has proven as an outstanding work in regard to its scope, duration, and information. The study helped to provide understanding on the influence of lifestyle, environmental factors and inheritance on cardiac health. The study provided the origin of the term ‘risk factor’ (FHS, 2015). The study helped to identify major CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and physical inactivity. Prior to the start of the study, medics had little knowledge in relation to the prevention of heart diseases. The study helped to show the necessity of weight management, a healthy diet, and regular exercise in preventing heart diseases. The study also assisted to reveal the differences in the risk of heart diseases between men and women. The study has expanded to encompass research on the role of genetics in contributing to

Risk Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Analysis - Essay Example As Wrona (2010, p. 1) states, â€Å"companies that do perform a risk management process on a fairly typical multi-month project (no longer than 12 months) will identify and manage possibly five to ten easily recognized project risks†. According to this statement, risk analysis can reduce the occurrence of some main types of risks, as well as makes companies able to respond effectively to the risks. In this paper, we will discuss two of the main risks that can occur for Ashton Wood Homes which is a Toronto based construction company. The company deals in the construction of homes and buildings and is serving the nation since 1975. According to Zou, Zhang and Wang (n.d.), some of the main risks associated with the business of construction companies are listed in the table below. Ashton Wood Homes Potential Risks Significant Index Scores Design variations 0.49 Occurrence of disputes 0.42 Variations by the client 0.46 Tight project schedule 0.67 Incomplete approval of documents 0. 39 Price Inflation 0.41 Inadequate programming schedule 0.38 General safety accident occurrence 0.30 The company considers risk management necessary to conduct to ensure completion of construction projects within available time and budget. As Flanagan and Norman (1993, p. 45) state, â€Å"attention to risk is essential to ensure good performance†. It is the job of the risk management authorities to undergo risk management and analysis to save time and budget. As Akintoye and MacLeod (1997, p. 31) state, â€Å"risk management is essential to construction activities in minimizing losses and enhancing profitability†. This statement proves the aim of the company to do proper risk analysis in order to minimize the probability of potential risks, as well as to bring improvements in performance and level of revenue. Risk management is imperative for construction companies (Schieg 2006, p. 77; Zu, Liu, & Lu 2012). According to Sharp (2009), proper identification of the risks a nd assessment of their potential impac

Personal Competency Essay Example for Free

Personal Competency Essay Personal competencies represent a person’s ability, skill, character, and knowledge that develop through life experiences. Competencies are required to perform efficiently in any professional organization. The ability to fully understand his or her personal competencies and using it as a resourceful tool for improvement constructs the foundation of highly effective management department. Poor communication is often the biggest barrier in organizational effectiveness. In a managerial position, development of communication skills is an integral part for managers to build and maintain relationships by employee‘s self-concept. When expectations are known, uncertainties are reduced, outcomes can then be better predicted allowing the organization to run smoothly. To overcome conflicts and effectively communicate with different areas of the business, management uses communication technique to have a pleasant and productive work atmosphere. Clearly defining each position’s roles and responsibilities sets a foundation and reduces tension in the workplace. Employees feel valued when managers actively listen to concerns and allow workers to participate in any decision-making process. This helps build a positive, parallel relationship between the manager and employee. Keeping an open mind and knowing that disagreements can occur help contribute to advancement of a business by realizing that management may not always be right. Innovating and strategizing are the essential competencies to focus on in order to adapt strong communication skills. A successful innovative organization clearly explains to each employee the organization’s vision, mission, purpose and each position’s responsibilities. Making sure the vision is understood, trusting staff members and prioritizing meetings is a guiding light for an innovative organization. Strategizing also is another critical element that allows better communication. Reflecting on the previous year, and current year and planning for future years allows the organization to expand through the use of communication. Communication is the key to the success of many objectives and goals set by individuals and upper management. Recognizing each individual’s personality and finding various ways to communicate is an integral part of management in any organization.

Origin And Applications Of Formwork Construction Essay

Origin And Applications Of Formwork Construction Essay Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the false work supports the shuttering moulds. Most of the buildings which are made to stand for a long time are made of concrete and mortar. These building materials are strongest and most suitable but at the same time they are a bit tedious to deal with. They do not acquire the desired shape and need help of some sort of support or any frame which can be detached as the concrete solidifies. Actually concrete is a material without any shape. For most applications the shape matters, and concrete has to be molded or formed. ORIGIN Concrete has been in use for the thousands of years. The dome of Pantheon in Rome is made of lightweight concrete, and the under face shows the moulding effect of formwork used two millennia ago. But it was only at the end of nineteenth century that the use of concrete became common, with the invention of reinforced concrete. Some of the earliest examples of concrete slabs were built by roman engineers. Because concrete is quite strong in resisting compressive loads, but has relatively poor Tensile strength, these early structures consisted of arches, vaults and domes. To mold these structures, temporary scaffolding and formwork built in the future shape of the structure. These building techniques were not isolated to pouring concrete, but were and are widely used in Masonry. Because of the complexity and the limited production capacity of the building material, concretes rise as a favored building material did not occur until the invention of Portland cement and reinforced concrete. Pantheon Dome SIGNIFICANCE The construction industry forms the largest single sector in any economy. In the USA for example the construction sector is responsible for 14% of the GDP (US National Statistics Bureau). Formwork is the single largest cost component of concrete buildings structural frame. The cost of formwork exceeds the cost of concrete or steel and in some situations the formwork costs more than the concrete and steel combined. For some structures, placing priority on the formwork design for a project can reduce the total frame cost by as much as 25%. This saving includes both direct and indirect costs. Formwork efficiencies accelerate the construction schedule, which can result in reduced interest costs during construction and early occupancy for the structure. Other benefits of formwork efficiency include increased job site productivity, improved safety, and reduced potential for error. Concrete is a material without shape. For most applications the shape maters and the concrete has to be molded or formed. Formwork is one of the integral parts of construction industry. This is the basic of any architectural structures on which the whole building is made. The formwork is basically used to hold the whole structure until the whole building is capable to stand on its own. Even we use some solid iron rods in buildings but the concrete need some time to bind with that for a firm structure to stand as and in the desired shape. CLASSIFICATION OF FORMWORKS Under this section of the study we will get in depth of four aspects of each and every type of the form work. These four aspects would be: Analysis of various components of formwork. Safety aspects of formwork. Economy aspects of formwork. Selection process of the material of formwork. The formworks are broadly divided in four categories based on the material, of which it is made. This categorization is as follows: Timber Formwork. Metal Formwork. Plastic Formwork. Fiber Formwork. TIMBER FORMWORK This is the oldest kind and most basic formwork used in the construction industry. Its moisture resistant property makes it utilizable in this industry. Though it is easy to manufacture the timber formwork but it is time consuming when formwork is to be prepared for big structures. It is relatively cheap and easy to shape as required. It is relatively light in weight for handling, but it is of limited durability. ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS: Sheathing is supported by horizontal members called joists or runners. Joists are made from dimension lumber spaced at constant intervals that are a function of applied loads and type of lumber. It is a recommended practice to round down the calculated joist spacing to the lower modular value. Joists are supported by another set of horizontal members perpendicular to the joists, called stringers. The stringers are supported by the vertical members called shores. In all wood conventional formwork [ i.e. 4 4 in. or 6 6 in.]. Shores are rested on heavy timbers called mudsills, to transfer the vertical loads to ground. In case where a slab on grade exits, shores are directly rested on them. Once the bottom of the beam is constructed and leveled, one side of the beam is erected first with the holes drilled in it for installing the tie roads. Tie rods are steel rods that hold the two sides of beam together. After the first side of beam form is erected, the reinforcement is placed inside the beam and then the other side of the beam is erected. Tie rods are then inserted into all holes on both side of the beam. The tie rods function is to resist horizontal pressure resulting from the freshly put concrete and thus keep the sides of the beams in their proper location. SAFETY ASPECTS FOR TIMBER FORMWORK: Though Timber formwork is the basic formwork but it has some drawbacks relating to the safety which prove to be harmful for the structure to be build and the laborers. The following safety aspects must be considered while dealing with the Timber Formwork. Care should be taken in presence of Moisture: The biggest disadvantage of Timber Formwork is that the timber get softens when it is wet. If the moist is too much then timber soften up to a extent that it can be poked with the help of nail tip. Though dry timber is hard enough to bear the stress developed by concrete but it is not the same when it get wet. When timber comes in contact with moisture, the methanol molecules get activated and are responsible for weak intermolecular bond and thus softening. This problem is commonly known as Wet Rot. Care should be taken in presence of mini organisms and micro organisms: Biggest threats to any wooden structure and article are Termite and Fungus. Both of these organisms live on almost every type of wood as parasite and cause damage to huge quantity of wood. As far as Timber formwork is considered the damage occurs mainly in damp and dark regions of storage. Termites eat the wood from the inner side making it hollow and weak within. The wood thus left is so weak that it can be broken with bare hands. The damage caused by fungus is known as Dry Rot. Dry-rot fungus is often thought of as a building cancer, rampaging through buildings and rapidly destroying any timber in its path. The fungus, which thrives in moist unventilated conditions, will penetrate brickwork to get to more timber and can cause widespread destruction of structural timbers, skirting boards and door frames, and wood flooring. In short, the fungus can be thought of as living in masonry and eating wood, and because t he fungus thrives in damp, unventilated conditions, it can occur in the areas of a property that are not often seen, such as floor voids, or behind timber paneling, so damage may be extensive before the attack is discovered. Fire Safety: We already know that wood is flammable and porn to fire if considerable precautions are not taken specially for those constructions sites which are near by to a gas station or any such location. Fires on construction sites have, for many years, been recognized as a serious problem for construction companies and insurers, but less of a public safety issue since there are relatively few fire deaths in such incidents. However, the trend for ever-taller buildings, particularly in the Gulf and Far East, has resulted in a number of significant fires during construction which have caused deaths and demonstrated the difficulties facing fire brigades when tackling such incidents. On several occasions, helicopters have had to be used for fire suppression and rescue. Insurers have long had concerns about the potential for loss on tall building projects, and these fires have demonstrated that their concerns are well founded. Causes can involve electrical risks, hot work, smoking, rubbish burning, overheating equipment and escapes of gases or flammable liquids all of which are well recognized and should be amenable to normal fire safety measures. DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIMBER FORMWORK Plywood: plywood has some strength in both directions, but because the outer veneers give greater strength in the direction of their grain, the sheet should always span that way. Plywood is a few millimeters thick used as lining material, which is fully supported from behind. With thickness of 12-19 mm the strength of plywood itself can be used, and the framing members spaced out the economical distances. There are three main types of poly wood: Finnish Birch American Softwood Tropical Hardwood Sheets are normally 8ft by 4ft except for Finnish Birch, the outer grain runs in the length of the board. The first two types are produced to appropriate national standards. Hardwood ply comes from a variety of tropical countries so obtaining reliable data about them is difficult. Block board: Stripes of timber are made into a panel with veneers on both sides. The glue should be of high quality else the surface may not be flat enough as the stripes tend to show through. Block board is made up of a core of softwood strips. These strips may be up to about 25mm wide. The strips are placed edge to edge and sandwiched between veneers of hardwood. The sandwich is then glued under high pressure. Block board is not suitable for outdoor use because the glues used are interior glues. It is important to ensure that the core runs lengthways in order to achieve maximum strength. The core can be joined by hands or by machine. There are only few small core gaps or even no core gaps in machine-made core. But core gaps are common in man-made cores. Machine-made core is much better than man-made core. Block board is sold in sheets of 2440 x 1220mm and are normally 30mm thick. Screws and nails may be used to attach block board but you have to ensure that you make contact with th e strips of softwood and not the gaps between the softwood strips. Chipboard: Small chippings are pressed into sheets. As with all boards depending significantly on plastic as the matrix, the stiffness is poor, and a greater thickness than plywood is frequently needed. It is heavier than plywood but give better finish. Gluing together wood particles with an adhesive, under heat and pressure makes chipboard. This creates a rigid board with a relatively smooth surface. Chipboard is available in a number of densities: -normal, medium and high-density. METAL FORMWORK This kind of Formwork is the most suitable formwork for high rise buildings. This system is eco friendly and proves to be more economical on long run due to good durability. In the conventional metal system, joists and stringers are made of aluminum or steel supported by scaffold-type aluminum or steel shoring. In todays construction practices, joists and stringers are made of aluminum and are supported by scaffold-type movable shoring system. This formwork is built out of prefabricated modules with a metal frame (usually steel or aluminum) and covered on the application side with material having the wanted surface structure (steel, aluminum, timber, etc.). ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS: In this system, steel joists and stringers have the advantage of supporting greater spans and fewer joists and stringers. The main problem with using steel as joists and stringers for forming concrete slabs is their heavy weight, which makes it difficult for one person to handle. A standard steel W-section is used because its wide flange makes it easy to connect stringers with shore legs. A composite action open-web steel joist, supporting beams and girders, and reinforced concrete slab interconnection. Upper apex portions of the steel joist webbing protrude through the upper chord members of the joist and through apertures provided in the sheet metal formwork placed over such joists prior to the pouring of the concrete slab. The improvement relates to a continuous round rod secured near the apex of each projecting web member parallel to the longitudinal axis of the joist and a reinforcing wire mesh draped between said rods, thus permitting greater spacing between said joists, whereb y said protruding apex portions, said rods and said draped wire mesh will be encased within the slab to act as shear interconnection and reinforcement devices therein, to secure the joist and formwork together, to enhance the locking of the concrete slab to the protruding joist apex portions, and to the supporting beams through the joist end connection welded to the beam or girder, and to reinforce said concrete slab. This improvement makes optional the use of wedge members forced between such protruding joist apex portions. SAFETY ASPECTS OF METAL FORMWORK Though there is no need worry for any fungal or organic decay to the metal formwork but still there are same issues which must be paid attention to, relating to corrosion and careless handling. Now lets discuss these issues one by one. Corrosion: the corrosion problem may occur to any formwork if it is not maintained in proper way. Any part of formwork may be corroded due to direct contact with moisture. This direct contact is either because of lack of proper oiling techniques or due to standing water. If even an inch or even a centimeter is left out of oiling then it proves to be dangerous for the formwork. Many times it happens that water is leaked out and left standing. This tends to corrode the dipped part of formwork. Rusting of formwork also leave stains over the concrete unit. These stains if thick, crystallize later and pose a threat to plater layer. Mishandling while assembling: There have been several cases causing accidents of laborers at the site due to mishandling of the formwork. These accidents occur while lifting, if the load is not properly tied or hydraulic jack is not applied properly. Other reason responsible for on site accidents is loose screws and bolts which lead to collapsing of the erected formwork. Electricity: If the site location is nearby any sort of electric network then the metal formwork should be handled with utmost care. A safe distance should be maintained and if possible any such network or device should be avoided in nearby vicinity of the site. DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAL FORMWORK Extruded Aluminum Joist: The first component of the conventional metal system is the aluminum joist. The extruded aluminum joist takes the shape of a modified beam with a formed channel in the top flange in which a wood nail strip 2 by 3 in. is inserted. Tha plywood deck is then nailed to the nail strip. Aluminum Beams (Stringers):The purpose of stringers is to transfer the loads of the surface panel to scaffold. Extruded aluminum joists can also be used as stringers unless the loading is too excessive, in fact it is good practice to avoid using a mixture different beam types. Aluminum beams are commercially available for the lengths ranging from 4 to 30 ft. Aluminum Scaffolding Shoring: The aluminum scaffolding shoring system has been available for several years as a substitute for the steel scaffolding shoring system. The system consists of several frames connected together by cross bracing. Aluminum shoring is lighter and has load carrying capacity equal to or greater than steel shoring. Load carrying capacity of aluminum shoring can reach up to 36,000 lb. Fig 10 Aluminum Scaffolding Shoring Post share: A Post Shore is a single member made of steel or aluminum and support stringers. Post shores can be used to replace, or in combination with, scaffold shoring. Post shores can also be used re-shoring after striping of formwork elements. ECONOMY OF FORMWORK The concrete subcontractor must achieve 3 goals in his formwork workmanship: Quality formwork must be designed and built so that the resulting cast concrete attains the desired size, shape, position and finish. Safety formwork must be designed built strong enough to support all dead and live loads without blowouts, collapse, danger to workers, and risk of damage to the structure. Economy formwork must be designed, built and re-used in an effort to save time and money for the general contractor and the owner. Now as far as the economical aspect of formwork is concerned let me make you aware of the fact that formwork share a considerable site budget. If we design the formwork intelligently and plan its use, then we can save a lot of money. As metal formwork is more durable and reusable as compared to the wooden formwork, it should be used. There are several advantages which make metal formwork a better option.

The system I am designing for MR Cork can be done by using many :: Computer Science

The system I am designing for MR Cork can be done by using many different solutions. The different solutions and both their good and bad points are mentioned below. Possible Solutions Solution for current system After reviewing the way in which the current system operates in the analysis section, I believe that by organising the current diary system and making it more organised would be a major benefit to Mr Cork. A folder of customer details can be implemented into the system and would store such information customer details, including phone numbers, addresses and any other relevant information required by Mr Cork. Information on bookings made by customers can also be stored in these files and the cost of the jobs as well in order for bills and receipts to be produced more efficiently and accurately. Advantages - · The system and the process of customer detail storage is more organised leading to it being more efficient. - · End user will not need to learn any special computer skills or go through any computer training in order to benefit form this solution. - · This solution would add minimal additional costs to the end user as no specific machinery is needed for it to be implemented. Disadvantages  · As documents are being stored in manual files and in the form of paper work and not stored on a computer database or spreadsheet then the end user may have an overload of paper documents especially if Mr. Cork holds many customer's details.  · This approach does not really modernise MR Corks approach to doing things more efficiently.  · Talking in terms of speed and organisation is still not as efficient as a computerised system.  · Computer system would give the company a better image. Solution using Microsoft Access Microsoft access is a form of relational database management system. A database can be defined as a collection of data which can be shared amongst different applications. As a result of this electronic data store relationships between data entities can be formed. When two different entities can be related to one another a link can be made. As a result of this data redundancy is minimalised, which involves repeating data. By using Microsoft access the user is able to produce reports forms and tables as well. Advantages . Developing or modifying the data stored in Microsoft Access can be done much easier than if database was conducted manually. - Reports can be also be added, modified, or new ones created based on already existing data. - The way in which data is added to the database is reasonably easy

Career Objectives Essay

My career objective is to develop and build-up manpower with practical knowledge and problem solving skills to expand small and medium agribusiness enterprises and improve the productivity of agribusiness value chain in agricultural industry and also in my country. Also I plan to apply acquired knowledge and practical skills from TAMU to up-scale agribusiness management, farmer producer organizations and groups, agribusiness supply chain management and improve agribusiness marketing of processed commodities and small business enterprise development. To be involved in international research, outreach programs and teaching in various aspects of agribusiness management and Enterprise Development. These activities inform our domestic efforts and enable me to address important problems and opportunities in my country’s (Nigeria) agribusiness supply chain and Enterprise Development. Also to help in the attainment of the national objective of poverty alleviation and food security in my country as envisage by the Agricultural Perspective Plan (APP) through assured and efficient agricultural marketing system. To create environment for incentive price of the farmers at the same time help the consumers in their access to agricultural produces at a comfortable price. To carry out relevant agriculture marketing research activities to support the future marketing policies and programs. To facilitate and support agro entrepreneur’s association for promoting agribusiness and export from Nigeria. To construct and strengthen agriculture marketing infrastructure. Commercialization of the agriculture has been my priority at the recent time which has increased substantial market surplus of various agricultural commodities, like vegetables, fruits, species, cash crops and other agricultural products within the country. With the increase in volume of marketable surplus, t he need for assured market outlet has become very necessary. This calls for improvement is the my overall interest.