Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Project Executions Planning and Management †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Project Executions Planning and Management. Answer: Introduction The existing Sydney motorway network project is undertaken by APIC CONSULT, which is an organization that works as a general contractor and project consultant for both the government and the private agencies. The project deals with the widening of the existing M4 Motorway as the current roads are insufficient for the growing demands. The new and the improved highway system that is proposed is expected to enhance the traffic management system by removing an estimated 4000 trucks a day from Parramatta road. These trucks will be routed underground that will in turn trigger the opportunity for the neighbourhood revitalization. As a consultant, EPIC CONSULT has taken up the project to advise the client about the best project delivery method and the financial contract type that will be suitable for this project. Since the project size is particularly huge, the project was undertaken by a joint venture company of all the three prime contractors associated with the project. The project is ex pected to be delivered by 2023. Since the size of the project is particularly huge, there are certain challenges associated with the project as well. . The following paragraphs discusses in detail, financial contract type, procurement method, the delivery method for the project (Akintoye, Goulding Zawdie, 2012). Since M4 widening is a construction project and is particularly complex, it is necessary to choose the proper project delivery system in order to ensure that the project is not delayed further. Choosing an accurate project delivery method is crucial as this method is used by the project or the contractor manager to organize and manage the different operations and services associated with the delivery of a project. The proposed project delivery method for the M$ widening projects includes Design Bid Built delivery system, Design build delivery system and CM at Risk project delivery system (Bilbo et al., 2015). In order understand which project delivery method will be suitable for the M4 Motorway Widening project, the characteristics of all the three project delivery methods and the evaluation criteria of the three project delivery method is represented in the following matrix. The project Delivery System Matrix Criteria/ Goals Criteria Weight Project delivery system Method 1: Design Build Method 2: Design bid Build Method 3: CM at Risk Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score 1. The Project is needed to be completed within 2023 20 3 60 4 80 8 160 2. More than 140000 vehicles should be kept moving through the project corridor during project implementation 30 5 150 6 240 3 180 3. A first track schedule is to be maintained 20 4 80 6 120 8 160 4. The project is to be implemented in a controlling cost environment 30 7 210 8 240 4 120 100 --- 500 ----- 680 -- 620 Table 1: Representing the Project delivery matrix By analysing the results of the project delivery matrix mentioned above, it is found out that the design bid build method will be appropriate for successful implementation of the project within the allocated time. The assumptions associated with the selection of the design bid contract are as follows- Assumptions: In design bid build project delivery system, different entities are responsible for designing and building the project, which is similar to the case of M4 motorway development. Therefore, it is assumed that this contract will be appropriate to consider for the project (Xia et al., 2014). It is assumed that the separate phase of designing and bidding will not take more than the expected time. It is assumed that the project progress report will be regularly communicated to the two consulting companies, which are Larson and Sons and McCartney Inc (Porwal Hewage, 2013). Since WestLINK has somehow became fairly detached from the project and is responsible for performing only the brief reviews associated with the project, it is assumed that the separate designer and the builder in the design bid build project delivery method will look after the quality of the project. In order to evaluate the best project delivery method for M4 Motorway Widening project, a project delivery matrix is prepared, where each of the three project delivery methods is evaluated on basis of certain criteria (Pishdad-Bozorgi de la Garza, 2012). The importance and the significance of each of the project delivery methods is analysed on basis of the weight and importance of the criteria on basis of which is judged. There are certain challenges associated with the project, which needs to be eliminated in order to successfully implement the project. The criteria for choosing the best project delivery method have been set on basis of the challenges that the project might encounter (Minchin Jr et al., 2013). The project delivery method that will be able to eliminate those risk and limitation associated with the project will be chosen. The first criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that the Project is needed to be completed within 2023. This criterion is assigned a weight of 20 as it is fairly important to finish the project in the given time and the motorway cannot be kept engaed for long time. The second criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that More than 140000 vehicles should be kept moving through the project corridor during project implementation. This is one of the most important criteria for selection of the project delivery method and is assigned a weight of 30. This criterion is important and has been assigned a higher weight since the project cannot disrupt the normal operation of the motorway. In the table the design bid build contract gets a score of 6 against this criterion as in the bid phase, WestLink can easily choose the builder who will assure normal operation of the motorway in the project implementation stage (Kerzner Kerzner, 2017). The third Criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that a first track schedule is to be maintained. This is again a major criterion of evaluation of the project as the project work will be performed in one of the vital parts of the city and is therefore expected to disrupt the normal operation of the project site to a great extent (Ilozor Kelly, 2012). Therefore, this criterion is allocated a weight of 20 and the design bid build project delivery method gets a score of 6 in this as in this project delivery method, the builder aims at finishing the project in the time allocated for a particular project. The last criterion, on basis of which the project delivery method is evaluated is that the project is to be implemented in a controlling cost environment. This is one of the most significant criteria for evaluating the best project delivery method and therefore is allocated a weight of 30. The design bid build contract gets a score of 8 against this criterion as separate contractors are responsible for managing the designing and the building phase of the project, which indicates that a proper control and monitoring procedure of the project will be implemented during the project execution. Table 1 represents the allocated score of design bid build contract against the criteria selected for evaluation of the best project delivery method. The design bid build project delivery system on an average gets a higher score in all the categories in comparison to design build and CM at risk Contract type and therefore, design bid build contract is chosen for the project. In criterion 1, the design bid built contract gets a considerably lower score than CM at risk since CM at risk type of project delivery system has the highest rate of timely completion of the project (Park et al., 2015). In criterion two, the design bid build type of project delivery system gets a greater score in comparison to the other two methods as in the bidding phase, the project owner can easily choose the builder that satisfies this project criteria. Similar is the case of the last two criteria since in the design bid build project delivery system, the project owner has the option to choose the best build er and project implementation technique for the project. The Financial Contract type Criteria/ Goals Criteria Weight Financial Contract Type Method 1: Lump Sum Contract Method 2: Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract Method 3: Cost Plus Free Contract Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score 1. The project needs to be completed within the allocated budget. There should be no or very little scope of budget revision or cost revision in the implementation of the project. 30 8 240 7 210 4 120 2. Ensuring proper safety is included in the budget 20 5 100 6 120 7 140 3. A concessional funding is committed to the project so that WestLINK can deliver the project in 2 stages. This funding cannot be revised in the later stage of the project 20 6 120 7 140 4 80 4. The project is to be implemented in a cost controlled environment 30 6 180 8 240 5 150 100 ---- 640 ----- 710 490 Table 2: Representing Financial Contract Type By analysing the data obtained from the financial contract type matrix, it is found out that the guaranteed maximum price contract will be best financial contract type for the Widening of the M4 Motorway project. The assumptions for choosing this type of financial contract is represented below- The financial contract type aligns with the chosen project delivery method. The financial contract chosen at the beginning of the project cannot be change in the later stages of the project. The project is expected to undergo no budget revision. Justification for the Criteria Chosen and the criterion weight allocated: The best financial contract type chosen for the M4 Motorway widening project is based on the certain criteria that are identified for the project (Gransberg, 2013). The first criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that the project needs to be completed within the allocated budget. There should be no or very little scope of budget revision or cost revision in the implementation of the project. This is an important criterion associated with the project and is therefore allocated a weight of 30. The second criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that workers safety is to be ensured and the safety requirements should be an important criterion for the contract. Therefore, this criterion is allocated a weight of 20 for identifying the best financial contract for the project. The third criterion, criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that the funding cannot be revised in the later stage of the project. This criterion is allocated a weight of 20 as financial contract to be chosen largely depends on the budget allocated. The last criterion is equally important and therefore allocated a weight of 30. In table 2, the guaranteed maximum price contract on an average gets higher score than the other two contract methods as in guaranteed maximum price contract; a contractor is responsible for the actual cost incurred for the project. Therefore, the contractor while taking the contract can be made to abide by the important criteria that are set for the project (Brook, 2012). Therefore, the guaranteed maximum price contract will be the accurate financial contract for the M4 motorway widening project. Conclusion Therefore, from the above the discussion it can be concluded that the M4 motorway widening project can be implemented within the time allocated by following a design bid build project delivery system. The delivery system is chosen for the project by evaluating certain important criteria for selection of the project delivery method. In order to choose the adequate financial contract type, certain important project criteria are evaluated. Use of a proper project delivery system and financial contract type is essential in order to ensure project success. References Akintoye, A., Goulding, J. S., Zawdie, G. (2012).Construction innovation and process improvement(pp. 1-17). Wiley?Blackwell. Bilbo, D., Bigelow, B., Escamilla, E., Lockwood, C. (2015). Comparison of construction manager at risk and integrated project delivery performance on healthcare projects: A comparative case study. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 11(1), 40-53. Brook, M. (2012).Estimating and tendering for construction work. Routledge. Gransberg, D. (2013). Early Contractor Design Involvement to Expedite Delivery of Emergency Highway Projects: Case Studies from Six States.Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2347), 19-26. Ilozor, B. D., Kelly, D. J. (2012). Building information modeling and integrated project delivery in the commercial construction industry: A conceptual study.Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management,2(1), 23. Kerzner, H., Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Minchin Jr, R. E., Li, X., Issa, R. R., Vargas, G. G. (2013). Comparison of cost and time performance of design-build and design-bid-build delivery systems in Florida.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,139(10), 04013007. Park, H. S., Lee, D., Kim, S., Kim, J. L. (2015). Comparing project performance of design-build and design-bid-build methods for large-sized public apartment housing projects in Korea.Journal of Chen, Q., Jin, Z., Xia, B., Wu, P., Skitmore, M. (2015). Time and cost performance of designbuild projects.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,142(2), 04015074.Architecture and Building Engineering,14(2), 323-330. Pishdad-Bozorgi, P., de la Garza, J. M. (2012). Comparative analysis of design-bid-build and design-build from the standpoint of claims. InConstruction Research Congress 2012: Construction Challenges in a Flat World(pp. 21-30). Porwal, A., Hewage, K. N. (2013). Building Information Modeling (BIM) partnering framework for public construction projects.Automation in Construction,31, 204-214. Xia, B., Chen, Q., Xu, Y., Li, M., Jin, X. (2014). Design-build contractor selection for public sustainable buildings.Journal of Management in Engineering,31(5), 04014070.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Star Wars The Plot Analysis Essay Example For Students

Star Wars The Plot Analysis Essay The plot is very easy to understand. Every event linked to another and there were no random actions. The characters are well thought up and the movie takes place in a cool place. The movie has the universal theme of good vs.. Bad. Each side has one main good guy and one main bad guy. The plot may not be very complex, but is very easy to understand. Having the said the plot isnt very complex, it still has some semi-dramatic parts. Like most movies this movie has the good side in some sort of problem and gets fÃ'›paved at the very last second with a victory shortly following, which would seem reasonable because most people would prefer the good side to win. Star wars has an ending that would satisfy most viewers. The last and very best part of the movie is the props and technology. It seems that Star Wars has more plopped props and stage setting than the movie itself. Which is important because the movie is mostly visual naively. The sound effects are also very well developed The plot for star wars may not be that great, but seeing Star Wars just for the visual is well worth while. Overall, Star Wars is a good movie and has done a good job for other movies to follow And even though there are movies now that are way better than Star Wars, Star Wars will always be the first and possibly it Will never be forgotten.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Sample Essay For Middle School

Sample Essay For Middle SchoolA sample essay for middle school is a great tool to use when you're writing your first college essay. It's important to have a plan, which will help you with the essay as you proceed.I've found that one of the most common situation that people begin with a sample essay for middle school is because it's an assignment. In order to do well on a college essay, you must get yourself organized and have a sense of where you want to go with your thoughts. Once you have your essay written down, it will be easier to follow, because you'll have a plan.You may even think about giving yourself some help, like a sample essay for middle school. Having a plan for your essay is essential. It's good to have a starting point and finish point, which you can reach before you get to the main part of the essay.Having a sample essay for middle school may sound very easy to do, but it's not. If you were to start writing right away, you would only make some mistakes, which would really throw your essays off track.In order to get something written, you must finish it first. Once you have everything written down, you can have a plan to finish it and move on. The next thing to remember is to follow your plan, because you won't know what the end result is until you've done all the steps of the process.Writing a sample essay for middle school can be easy if you can go through it, step by step. Make sure that you can write well, as well as have the writing skills necessary to capture your reader's attention. And then, create a plan that fits your college essays and finish it at the end of the process.When you have completed a sample essay for middle school, it's important to write the rest of your college essay the same way. You need to come up with a plan for it, as well as put it in writing. You need to follow through with it, so you'll know if you've mastered the process or not.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Midsummer Nights Dream Essays (852 words) - Fiction, Greek Mythology

Midsummer Night's Dream More strange than true. I never may believe These antic fables nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact. One sees more devils than vast hell can hold: That is the madman. The lover, all as frantic Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt. The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. Such tricks hath strong imagination That, if it would but apprehend some joy, It comprehends some bringer of that joy; Or in the night, imagining some fear, How easy is a bush supposed a bear! (V,i,2-22) Theseus, in Scene V of A Midsummer Night's Dream, expresses his doubt in the verisimilitude of the lover's recount of their night in the forest. He says that he has no faith in the ravings of lovers- or poets-, as they are as likely as madmen are to be divorced from reason. Coming, as it does, after the resolution of the lovers' dilemma, this monologue serves to dismiss most of the play a hallucinatory imaginings. Theseus is the voice of reason and authority but, he bows to the resulting change of affection brought about by the night's confused goings on, and allows Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius to marry where their hearts would have them. This place where the line between dream and reality blurs is an important theme of the play. Theseus is also a lover, but his affair with Hippolyta is based upon the cold reality of war, "Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries..."(I,i,16-17). He is eager to wed Hippolyta and marriage is the place where reason and judgement rule. He wins the hand of his bride through action not through flattery, kisses and sighs inspired by her beauty. In lines 4-6 of his monologue he dismisses the accounts of lovers and madmen on the grounds that they are both apt to imagine a false reality as being real. When, in I,i,56, Hermia tells Theseus, "I would my father looked but with my eyes", Theseus responds, "Rather your eyes must with his judgment look."(57). Theseus has a firm belief that the eyes of lovers are not to be trusted. That the eye of the lover "...Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt..."(11) is, to him, proof of this. It precisely by enchanting the eyes of the lovers that the faeries manage to create so much mayhem: "Flower of this purple dye, hit with cupid's archery, sink in apple of his eye! When his love he doth espy, let her shine as gloriously as the Venus of the sky."(III,ii,101-7) Puck doesn't change Helena's nature, nor does he change her features. When Lysander wakes, he beholds the same Helena that he's always despised and suddenly he is enthralled. For Theseus this is merely caprice and in no means grounded in reality. Theseus doubts even the existence of the faeries, believing the lovers have, at a loss to explain the inexplicable changes of heart they've experienced, dreamed them up: "And as imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them into shapes and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name."(14-17) A trick of the light, an abundance of shadows, lack of sleep, an overactive imagination or any one of these or million other causes are the most likely explanation. In equating lovers, poets and lunatics Theseus gets into interesting territory and serves to elevate lovers while he denounces them. The lunatic "...sees more devils than vast hell can hold.." while the poet's eye "...Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven..."(9-13); thus this same imagination is responsible for both mad ravings and great art. The concrete reality of earth co-exists with both heaven and hell as the Faerie world co-exists with the mortal world. A poet could, just as easily, be a lunatic depending on the nature of his visions. That lover's are often (bad) poets, is prime example of this interchangeability. "Such tricks hath strong imagination, that, if it would but apprehend a joy, it comprehends some bringer of that joy; or in the night imagining some fear, how easy is a bush supposed

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Reading for the Implied Main Idea

Reading for the Implied Main Idea Before getting into a discussion on how to find an implied main idea, you have to know what the main idea is in the first place. The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details. Its the big picture - the Solar System vs. the planets. The football game vs. the fans, cheerleaders, quarterback, and uniforms. The Oscars vs. actors, the red carpet, designer gowns, and films. Its the summary. What Is an Implied Main Idea? Sometimes, a reader will get lucky and the main idea will be a stated main idea, where the main idea is easy to find because its written directly in the text. However, many of the passages youll read on a standardized test like the SAT or GRE will have an implied main idea, which is a little trickier. If the author doesnt directly state the main idea of the text, its up to you to infer what the main idea is. Finding the implied main idea is easier if you think of the passage as a box. Inside the box, is a random group of stuff (the details of the passage). Pull each item from the box and try to figure out what they each have in common, kind of like the game Tri-Bond. Once youve figured out what the common bond is among each of the items, youll be able to summarize the passage in a snap. How to Find the Implied Main Idea Read the passage of text.Ask this question to yourself: What do each of the details of the passage have in common?In your own words, find the common bond among all the details of the passage and the authors point about this bond.Compose a short sentence stating the bond and what the author says about the bond. Step 1: Read the Implied Main Idea Example When youre with your friends, its okay to be loud and use slang. Theyll expect it and they arent grading you on your grammar. When youre standing in a boardroom or sitting for an interview, you should use your best English possible, and keep your tone suitable to the working environment. Try to gauge the personality of the interviewer and the setting of the workplace before cracking jokes or speaking out of turn. If youre ever in a position to speak publicly, always ask about your audience, and modify your language, tone, pitch and topic based on what you think the audiences preferences would be. Youd never give a lecture about atoms to third-graders! Step 2: Whats the Common Thread? In this case, the author is writing about hanging out with friends, going on an interview, and speaking publicly, which, at first glance, dont seem to relate to each other that much. If you find a common bond among all them, though, youll see that the author is giving you different situations and then telling us to speak differently in each setting (use slang with friends, be respectful and quiet in an interview, modify your tone publicly). The common bond is speaking, which will have to be part of the implied main idea. Step 3. Summarize the Passage A sentence like Different situations requires different kinds of speech would fit perfectly as the implied main idea of that passage. We had to infer that because the sentence doesnt appear anywhere in the paragraph, but it was easy enough to find this implied main idea when you looked at the common bond uniting each idea.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Case Study - Essay Example Therefore to cope up with this problem, the company decided to expands its market by distributing beer in clubs, bars, restaurants and cafes. There has been a growing trend of health awareness and Aitkin’s diet, people of Australia are becoming more conscious about the diet particularly related to food and beverages. Moreover, people are following different kind of diet plans not to reduce the weight but to maintain a good healthy body and their fitness in terms of physical appearance and personality. From the year 2000, people have started focusing on low carbohydrate products so businesses in the industry have started focusing towards low carbohydrate products. With this changing environment of market and changing of taste and preferences of consumer, The Fosters group has analyzed that this should also be considered in the today’s beer market because a large number of people drinks beer regularly. However, some are diet conscious and are always thinking about the dis advantages of drinking beer particularly because of high carbohydrates. This concept was first identified and capitalized in 1960’s when Cooper launched a diet beer in the market. Bond Brewery then launched Swan Gold in 1980’s. However, both these products were struggling with their diet beers in the market and were losing their market share. Finally both these brand stopped selling the products in 1990’s because of the continuous decline in the sales. The Foster group has already identified that the image of their premium beer in the mind of their consumers and customers from a long period. So with this advantage of brand equity, the Fosters has conducted research to identify the wants and desires of that particular segment who wants the low carbohydrate beer

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

How successful is Rolex's current marketing strategy Research Paper

How successful is Rolex's current marketing strategy - Research Paper Example In order to reach the right target market, Rolex has made a drastic change in its marketing strategy by moving from traditional mediums such as Television Advertisements and advertisements in newspapers and magazines to celebrity endorsements such as Roger Federer and events sponsorships; both of these elements have created a new image in the market. As people are willing to invest in those brands that will enhance their relationship with their favorite personalities, Rolex has capitalized on this aspect. The primary research conducted among the college students revealed that they are willing to own Rolex brand as it helps them in developing an association with their favorite star. Hence, Rolex is doing aggressive marketing so that it can capture the attention of its target market, enhance its distinctive image worldwide and keep on making valuable contribution in the wristwatch industry. Introduction In luxury wristwatch industry, Rolex is the leading name, and it has become a statu s symbol worldwide. Since Rolex has been meeting the demands of its customers for so many years and has been given top ranking in the world’s best brands list, it is of great interest to know the secret of the success of Rolex. One of the important aspects of every brand is its marketing strategy because it gives it a sense of direction about the efforts that need to be done so that it can capture the attention of its target market and convey positive message to its customers (Key Note, 2011). Research Objectives and Questions The main research objectives of this study are: 1. To gather information about top brands of wristwatch industry. 2. To identify the marketing activities conducted by Rolex to attract the customers. 3. To evaluate the image held by the customers about Rolex brand. In order to understand the current marketing strategy employed by Rolex, following research questions will be addressed to achieve the objectives of the study: 1. Why is Rolex a successful bra nd? 2. What is the marketing strategy followed by Rolex to maintain its position in the market? 3. Why are the customers of Rolex satisfied with its wristwatches? Importance of the Study The study will help in understanding the importance of marketing strategy in creating a right positioning in the market. When the marketing strategies of top ranked brands are studied, an in-depth understanding about the relevant topic can be developed. Rolex’s current marketing strategy will assist in analyzing the success of Rolex in such a dynamic and competitive wristwatch industry. Limitations of the Study The scope of the research is limited as there are both time and resource constraints. The research is exploratory in nature and it is comprised of questionnaire-survey. The questionnaire has been designed in consensus with the previous work done by some authors as the questions are designed in accordance with the variables identified to be studied for the research purpose which is disc ussed in the Literature Review section. The availability of pure study of the subject was another constraint as the researcher is inexperienced and may lack certain skills which can affect the research paper. Literature Review Brief Introduction of Rolex Whenever a customer wears Rolex watch, it enhances the person’s personality which makes a statement that the person has a great taste of style and fashion (Gautschi, 2005). Since Rolex watches are designed exclusively for the upper class, only selected