Production Management Principles - Assignment Example

? Project Management Principles March 7, Introduction Planning is essential for any successful construction of a project. It is essential in effective control of money, resources and time. It also helps come up with safe working methods as eliminate any risks that may be occur during construction. Planning helps scrutinize the performance in terms of output, money and time. It is therefore vital to plan before beginning construction of a project (Brian and Peter, 2004). The following report is a detailed plan of the construction process of the College’s student Bar and Student Services Centre. Task 1: The construction process is to take place in a college that is also near a rural village. The project will therefore have both disruptive and beneficial effects on the community. This section provides the corrective measures and methods that should be put in place, where feasible, to minimize the amount of the resulting disruption. Generally, the company has set construction practices that take into consideration the direct impacts of the construction process and also provides for measures to minimize and if possible eliminate their effects. The Company will seek to provide an assurance to the students, residents and businesses in the nearby village that it intends to work hand in hand with the community, so as to make the construction project as least disruptive as possible. The following are the direct impacts that the constructions of the student bar and student service centre may have on the locality and the measures which the company will undertake to ensure that the disruptions are at a minimum. 1. Impacts arising from noise and vibration Noise and vibrations will arise from the use of heavy machinery during construction. The company will undertake all available measures to ensure that these impacts are minimized. Generally, the company will use the ‘best applicable means, approach to minimize emissions of noise and vibrations. This is where; Measures of noise and vibrations control that do not greatly inhibit working patterns are used. Working techniques that give rise to minimum noise and vibration impact friendly with the normal practice are employed. The following are the measures that will be employed to reduce the effects of noise vibrations: a) Adding sound absorbing materials or mufflers to noisy equipments b) Citing noisy equipments away from workers, students and residents e.g. in secluded places. c) Building barriers e.g. ply wood with noise absorbing materials around noisy equipment. d) Maintenance of old equipment. 2. Impact on the air quality. These effects will be temporary and will arise from emissions from diesel powered construction machines as well as dust. The measures that the company will undertake to minimize these effects are: a) Use of watering to control air pollution arising from the creation of dust arising from creation of airborne particles. b) Where possible, the company will use electricity to power machinery instead of diesel. 3. Impact on the water quality Measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the construction activities on water bodies. To achieve this, all sediments will be treated before being released to the environment. 4. Impact on traffic During the construction period, traffic in the area may be affected. There may arise instances where roads will be diverted or closed as well as private accesses such as foot paths and water ways. The company will implement all appropriate measures in both the design and construction of the project to ease delays and disruption to users of these roads throughout the project. Maintenance of traffic will be best achieved through planning and scheduling so as to reduce delays. Where appropriate, signs will be used to provide notice to the travelling public about any road closures as well as any other pertinent information. Notices about construction-related activities that may inconvenience the community and road closings will put in advance to enable the public to plan on alternative travel routes to use. A sign will displayed on the site to aid the public in acquiring instant answers to questions as well logging complaints if any about the project. The sign will provide the name, address and the phone contacts of a department within the company that will handle all the needs of the public (Kholi, 2006). Site storage The way materials are stored and delivered in a site is very important as it determines the flow of the construction process. It is therefore vital to plan on the way materials are to be stored since in most cases the site space is normally restricted. Residents may find some of the materials stored for use in the project visually displeasing. However, this condition is temporary and should not pose a substantial problem. The company shall undertake practices and procedures that will promote appropriate handling and storage of the building materials. This will be done so as to reduce water pollution, soil contamination and injury to visitors or workers. The following are the measures that will be taken to promote proper storage of the construction materials; a) Contractors and employees will be trained on proper delivery of materials and storage practices and procedures. b) There will be designated areas in the site for material delivery and storage. These areas shall be sited near the entrances of the construction site and away from any water courses so as to prevent water pollution. The storage areas shall also be surrounded by earth berms. c) All materials shall be covered using a polythene cover during the rainy season. d) After construction is complete, any residual materials left over shall be removed and disposed in an environmentally safe manner. In the event of the residual soil been contaminated, it shall be removed and disposed properly. e) Storage areas shall be clean at all times as well as well organized. Weekly inspections shall be carried out on this areas and repairs or replacements done where necessary. f) Cement will be covered at all times using polythene covers and a few inches stored above the ground as shown below. Figure 1: Cement storage Material use The company shall set up various measures to ensure effective use of materials during the construction process. These are a) Materials will be restricted to use only where and when it is necessary in order to complete a certain construction activity. b) The use of hazardous materials shall be reduced if not eliminated. c) Selection of the material to complete a certain task shall be done carefully. d) The original label on materials shall not be removed. The instructions of the manufacturers shall be adhered to. These may contain information pertaining uses, flammability, mixing of chemicals e.t.c. Accommodation The company shall provide accommodation to workers. The company will ensure that the provided accommodation is not overcrowded and does not pose any risk to the workers’ health and Safety.The Company will also assist workers find suitable accommodation for the workers who choose not to stay in the company’s accommodation. The company shall also assist with travel costs incurred by all migrant workers during recruitment. Layout of the site Within the construction site, a safe work place and work system will be provided. The company will use plants and equipments that are not a threat to the health of the public as well as the environment (Chitkara, 1998). The site will contain the following: Workers Mess hut Toilets Medical and first aid rooms Offices Storage compound for building materials Sign board for site identification by visitors and workers Machinery area e.g. tower crane, cement mixer e.t.c. The site layout will be as shown below. Figure 2: Layout of the site Task 2 Procurement methods to adopt in project execution Procurement is defined as the activities that a client undertakes to obtain a construction project. It involves selection of a contractual scaffold that recognizes the structure of the authorities and responsibilities of all the participants in the construction project. It is therefore vital to select the most appropriate method to use as this is a major key factor that contributes to the overall project success. There are a number of different procurement methods and options to choose from during a construction project (Masterman, 1992). These are: a) Traditional procurement system b) Design and build c) Management contracting d) Construction management e) Design and manage The above methods are discussed in detail in this section so as to help you choose the most appropriate method to use for the Students’ Bar and the Student Services Centre. 1. Traditional procurement system This procurement method is also known as Design-bid-build and is the most used method of procurement. It is seen as a sequential method since the client takes his scheme to a higher stage with the help of his professional team before a contractor is appointed. The client appoints a designer to advise him, design as well as ensure that the work remains within the cost limit and that the project meets the required standards. A quantity surveyor is also involved so as to offer guidance on the cost of design and budgets, check tenders, prepare bills of quantities, prepare interim valuations as well as offer advice on the total value of variations. The bill of quantities from the quantity surveyor determines the price of the contract and this quantifies every aspect of the construction works. The client may also choose to employ consultant structural and also services engineers who will design the different specialist parts of the project (Masterman, 1992). In this procurement method, the contractor is therefore given responsibility over only construction of the building and not design. Advantages of traditional procurement method The client can control and determine the output at each stage of the design. It produces the lowest bid as the contractor with the lowest bid wins the contract depending on the rules set in the tendering process by the client. There are very high standards of architectural design as well as quality of the materials used in the project. Disadvantages A long of time is taken before construction starts since it takes time to select a consultant engineer, designer and contractor. The client might be at risk incase there are mistakes in the design. Delays may be experienced in the project and it may exceed the budget. 2. Design and build procurement method The contractor is responsible for both designing and building the project according to the client’s requirement. Therefore, there is only one point of responsibility and only one firm to blame incase a mistake occurs (Masterman, 1992). This method of procurement is suitable for; Clients who require distance form the project as well as inexperienced clients Projects requiring cost certainty Faster track projects Advantages of design and build Single point of responsibility There is a single point of contact between the contractor and the client. The client therefore deals with one organization that will have responsibility over all the other aspects of the project. It also reduces the need of need of dealing with the contractors and designers separately as all these responsibilities are left to one contractor. Price certainty This method reduces the burden on the clients as the design and procurement services are done in a single selection process. It also saves the client time and effort in looking for middlemen and design coordination since this is not needed after giving of the design and build contract. Effective communication The direct link between the client and the contractor facilitates effective communication and this enables the contractor to respond promptly to the needs of the client during the project stage. Disadvantages of design and build Higher costs The client cannot get the lowest price expected on a project since design-build contracts are given through negotiation and not bidding for the lowest and most competitive price. Team works Design-build work is done as a team and therefore there is no one to blame when an error occurs. This could result in losses. Limited access Contracts are awarded based on qualification and experience of the contractors. This therefore reduces the likelihood of newly established contractors-with no experience- of getting the contract. 3. Management contracting In this system, the client appoints a designer and a management contactor separately then pays the contractor to manage the construction works. The contractor works alongside the designers to develop a programme for the construction project as well as to contribute towards the design and the costing of the works. Advantages Suitable for fast track projects and complex buildings Disadvantages cannot be used by inexperienced clients 4. Construction management In this method, the client contracts the contractor directly and the construction manager manages the client’s process on simple consultancy basis. Task 3 Planning methods Planning is the establishment of project events and activities, their relationship to each other and the sequence in which they will be accomplished. Project planning is one of the factors that determines the success or the failure of a project and hence should be carefully developed before a construction project begins. It requires that personnel with experience think logically so as to find the most appropriate way of executing a project form the start until completion (Chitkara, 1998). The main methods used for planning are: a) Bar charts b) Line of balance c) Linear programme d) Network analysis A. Bar charts It is the most widely used method of planning. It is best used for well-understood construction projects which have simple relationships between activities. It shows a list of activities and the time which each activity will take (Chitkara, 1998). Advantages Easy to draw and use Does not require great managerial skills to interpret Disadvantages Changes in the plan and design result in extensive redrafting. Does not show the relationship between activities B. Line-of-balance It is a technique specialized for repetitive work such as construction of high rise buildings with identical floors. Its basis is to find the resources required for each stage so that the following stages do not get interfered with and so that the target output can be achieved. Advantages It can be an excellent method of relating activity durations, resources and the pace of work on site when used to plan. Disadvantages Difficult to use on projects requiring a large number of operations in order to construct each identical unit. C. Linear program This technique is also known as time-chainage chart and is specialized for linear work. It is mostly used in for projects that are measured by chainage such as roads, railways among others. D. Network analysis This is a planning technique that shows a project as a network of activities joined together so as to show their relationship and the order of execution. Estimates of activity duration are added and this makes the diagram easy to analyze numerically so as to determine the estimated duration of the project (Chitkara, 1998). Advantages of network analysis allows the user to analyze critical events accurately and provide an effective basis for chart preparation Disadvantages It is a tedious task to prepare them especially when attempted manually. Monitoring project costs The project costs could be controlled through ensuring strict adherence to the resource allocation budget. While some elements might change and significantly alter the project costs, adherence to the allocations remains essential in minimising wastage. Minimising wastage of resources shall enable the project to be undertaken effectively and sufficiently for successful achievement of the project objectives. A major problem in project implementation remains over-allocation of resources leading to resource wastage. This prevalent problem in project implementation could be controlled through levelling of resource consumption. Though this process could potentially lengthen the project completion period, the process becomes essential in ensuring proper utilisation of available resources (Kerzner, 2009). Within the project management process different techniques shall be employed in monitoring and controlling the cost function. Forecasting could be used to determine the performance of the project implementation process. Forecasting provides a fundamental method of controlling the timing for project completions. The ability to measure actualisation of the project remains critical to the success of the entire project. Through forecasting formulae, the delay realised within a project could be measured and corrective action, like crashing, performed. Schedule variation could be defined as the persistent difference scheduled completion and actual completion of projects. The variation considers all aspects of project implementation from financial costs to utilisation of other resources. The variation analyses the discrepancies present in the estimated resource consumption of the project and actual consumption. The project timing remains essential in the timely completion of different project aspects. Earned Value analysis seeks to establish the improvement features that could essentially improve the value of products. This analysis follows assessment of the functions performed by the product or service. This analysis remains essential in ensuring that improvement elements undertaken on a product increase the product value (Ireland, 2006). The analysis follows a system aimed at improving the functions undertaken by a project. Initiation of engineering projects depends entirely on the results of value analysis in determining viability of desired projects before embarking on project implementation. Value analysis essentially assists project managers in establishing the capability for organisation to pursue desired projects. The analysis provides information regarding the project sustainability and viability ensuring project managers make informed decisions regarding project implementation. Through value analysis project managers could establish the sustainability of projects in deciding whether to proceed with the project (Lewis, 2007). While projects might depend highly on other factors like financing, value analysis plays a critical role in the preparation stages of various projects. Value analysis, within this context, could enable the college to establish the viability of the intended project. The various elements of value analysis remain essential in enabling the college to establish the best options available regarding the student services centre. Value analysis could provide an option should the proposed method of improvement fail. Variance analysis could also be utilised in establishing project implementation success. The variance analysis could be defined as the comparison between expectations and actual performance of the entire project in terms of cost (Bradford & Duncan, 2000). The analysis could potentially provide critical information regarding the causes of the variance. This analysis could assist project managers in making informed assessment of the project actualisation process. The analysis can be utilised to identify the different elements within the project causing variance of the cost function. The variance analysis could essentially be utilised in establishing the degree of variance present in a project. Upon establishment of the variance magnitude, corrective measures can be implemented accordingly. Variance analysis provides a platform for performing project checks. Performance review could also be utilised in project cost and schedule variances. This review makes assessment of the parameters of cost and schedule to ensure the project process remains on proper course. These parameters form the basis of undertaking a performance review fro any given project. Task 4 Network diagram operation Operation title float A Feasibility study 1week B Construction 5 weeks C Evaluation 1 week D Relocation 1 week References Bradford, W., & Duncan, P. (2000). Simplified Strategic Planning . Worcester: Chandler House Press. Brian, C., & Peter, W., (2004). Construction Planning, programming & Control. 2nd ed. London: Blackwell publishing. Chitkara, K. (1998). Construction Project Management Planning, Scheduling and Controlling. Ireland, L. R. (2006). Project Management: Strategic design and Implementation (5th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (10th Ed. ed.). New Jersey: Wiley. Kohli, U. (2006). Project Management Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lewis, J. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management (3rd ed.). New York: American Management Association. Mastermann, J. (1992). An Introduction to Building Procurement Systems London: E&FN Spin. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More