Quality control at Dubai metro - Term Paper Example

Quality control at Dubai metro TABLE OF CONTENT Executive summary…………………………………3 Background information…………………………….3 Statement of the problem……………………………4 Introduction…………………………………………4 Scope of the topic……………………………………5 Significance of the study…………………………....6 Literature Review…………………………………….6 Methodology…………………………………………10 Sources and methods………………………………...11 Results of the study………………………………….12 Age and gender…………………………………..12 Members of the public……………………………12 Level of interest…………………………………..13 Preferences of a legal structure……………………13 Reaction towards the externalities…………………14 Conclusions……………………………………..…14 Recommendations………………………………....14 References………………………………………….15 Executive Summary The Dubai in UAE is one of the rapidly developing cities which entail a lot of industrialization and metropolitan characteristics (Great Britain. 1970, 32). This means that a lot of commercial activities demands which is pegged on its overall management are up in considerable measure. In the UAE, there are various issues of quality control like greenhouse gas emissions that come mostly from energy use and commercial related effects. These are driven largely by economic growth, fuel used for electricity generation, and weather patterns affecting heating and cooling needs. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, resulting from petroleum and natural gas, represent over 70% percent of total Dubai metropolis human-made greenhouse gas emissions. The major development plans which are mostly in the phase of implementation include construction, manufacturing and other economic sector’s infrastructural upgrading which also require quality control input. It is therefore imperative that Dubai also take up an initiative to contribute positively to the quality management concept which is vital for sustainable operation of the various business related transactions (World Touring And Automobile Organisation. 1960, 32). Background information Dubai is one of the fast growing metros in the world with busy commercial activities that hinges on its vast infrastructural endowment and sound management. It is important to note that management of such metro cities is critical to the overall performance of the city (The Report, 2007, 124). The large volume of international trade in tangible and intangible commodities that is executed in this city calls for thorough quality control. This city therefore requires operation management team that is able to ensure that all the necessary social and economic conditions are satisfied. Dubai’s operation management teams are responsible for designing and managing the various products, underlying processes, supply chain and even the services to be tendered. The team headed by the city’s local authorities are in charge of overseeing acquisition of resources, their development and utilization so that various firms are able to deliver goods and services to the multicultural client base that gets in and out of this United Arab Emirates city (Kachru, 2005, 636). Statement of the problem The strategic geographical location of Dubai in the Middle East has significant role in the economic progress of the region. It is the central commercial indicator of the entire region in respect of the mass international economic and financial activities taking place in it. What is of particular interest is how quality control can be improved by the city’s management authorities. How operation management can effectively be put into play to see an improvement in overall performance of the city’s activities is the problem of central concern Introduction Dubai Metro boasts of Arabian Gulf’s first major urban railway project that targets to boost the efficiency of movement amid various activities in the city. It has one of the finest urban rail systems in the globe which is responsible for mass influx of tourists and serves as the avenue of economic and financial activities (Ramos, 2010, 1). The need for quality control is paramount in this commercial hub since the commercial activities taken up are to be standardized at international level with complete adherence to the diverse cultural concepts that constitutes the visitors. Operation management of this city is under the overall authority of Dubai Municipality’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) who has supervisory role in all the quality control exercise in collaboration with central government authorities (Report, 2008, 110). Scope of the topic It is important to assess the various concepts that surround the strategies that are put in place by the relevant authorizes in Dubai as far as quality control is concerned. Operation management is a technical concept and a tool for effective and efficient flow of various activities in a busy metro like this. Some of the variables that need to be taken into consideration in relation to the exercise include the population, level of technology, social factors and the physical aspects. The goal of undertaking quality control is to integrate the local business rules into the global trade policies that will suit the standards of the international bodies. The overall theoretical concept under discussion is the modalities of reconciling the required diverse socio-cultural population and the expected internationally acceptable economic policies (Kurtz and Louis, 2009, 526). The city is at the mercy of sound operation management as it is always at the forefront of feeling any disturbance in the global financial crisis occasioned by various economic cycles. It is also imperative that management of this quality control outsource some services for quality and cost. This is a capital intensive management issue and therefore must incorporate various technological models for a viable process. Some of the factors that will be instrumental in carrying out the research include the developed monitoring method of the various projects’ budget, quality and safety standards, and management of commercial claims and consider the risks involved in any of the decisions made. The need for this research is based on the critical role that Dubai plays in the Middle East region and the path towards the metros quality control target. It is important to underline the significance of local experience and international exposure when it comes to the best way to formulate quality control measures for successful operation management of this Middle East region’s commercial hub (Jeffreys, 2008, 53). Successful achievement of the strategic goals requires participatory decision making through involvement of the society and various international agencies in respect of the city’s diverse functions. Significance of the study The investigative findings in this subject are of great use to the government agencies that are assigned the duty of various quality control related operation management. This may also serve to project the various deadlines for the projects in progress aimed at boosting the quality control on various goods and services offered by firms to clients. Literature review The concept behind quality control can be broken down to achieve effective and efficient operation of the firm, compliance with the legal framework and reliability of financial reporting for the Dubai metropolis. These three issues are instrumental in determining the direction of this metropolis performance. In the context of the commercial status of this city, Quality control constitutes five interrelated constituents each of which plays essential part in the overall success of the firm. Control environment is the organizational tone and the basis of all other quality control components. Risk assessment involves techniques applicable to identify any looming risk that may interfere with the achievement of the stipulated goals (McCarthy, Shelmon, & Mattie, 2012, 26). There are also the policies and procedures aimed at ensuring adherence to the laid down procedure of carrying out various activities to achieve the targets of the local government of this Middle East Metropolis and minimize the risk of failure. Quality control cannot be attained without the pivotal role of effective information and communication. This entails systematic layout and co-ordination of activities through communicating the targets of the organization and strategies of attaining them. Finally, monitoring is important in determining the direction of performance and this is also done by Dubai Municipality’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). This is a continuous process and involves separate evaluations and overseeing the various activities as they progress within the budget, timeframe and towards the required output quality (Pfister, 2009, 61). Attaining the above-mentioned components by the relevant authorities so that success can be attained is pegged on the relentless commitment of the managing authority in line with sound strategic planning and policies. Quality control has generally boosted the performance of the metropolis both functionally and structurally. The functional success of the Dubai can be measured in terms of quality of output while the structural aspect involves the conducive working environment to workers and efficiency in production. Quality control is equally the yardstick of the quality of management of the Dubai metropolis. Many organizations within Dubai have all the necessary physical assets and operational policies but they still experience dwindling performance, the concept in this case may be as a result of poor internal control measures. From past experience of other world metropolis, Policies alone cannot take an organization anywhere if they are not implemented appropriately in line with the available resources. In other words, sound internal quality control methods are vital in explaining the performance ability of the entire city. In regard to transport, quality control provides measures against the risk of the city being clogged with traffic congestion. This would also go a long way in enhancing movement of people in their various commercial engagements which is bound to boost the performance of the entire city. Quality control have specific purposes in this metropolis and these include; promotion of orderly ,efficient, economical and operation effectiveness to produce quality output that is consistent with the city’s administrative management’s mission. Safeguarding of the city’s resources against any loss from waste, mismanagement, error and omissions, mismanagement and fraud are all preventable under the strength of internal control. Strict adherence of the laws and regulations, contractual agreements management directives are also useful in achieving the goals of the metropolis. Finally yet importantly, quality control has helped in development and maintenance of reliable management and financial data, and subsequent timely accurate presentation of current data reports. It is worth noting that quality control in Dubai has some challenges in terms of the role for which it is meant to play in boosting the performance standing of the city. Quality control is a means to an end and not an end in itself so that local authorities need to consider this lest it is misused. It is imperative that everybody within the city is fully engaged for effective application of Quality control. It is therefore risky to overlook the role of various traders, tourists and entrepreneurs as a component of the whole. Over reliance on quality control does not necessarily put an organization on a safer ground of absolute assurance. This arises from factors like cost /benefit analysis concept, conspiracy by the merchants and external environment. Quality control in Dubai measures are the strategic plan tools that are formulated by the local government management team (Pfister, 2009). It constitutes policies that the board of Dubai Municipality’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) set to give a blueprint of the expected role of every person and the management team in order to meet the targets of the metropolis (Duany, Speck & Lydon, 2010, 46-50). The challenge that quality control measures have can be attribute to residents and visitors non-compliance. This is particularly experienced by the misuse of powers by managers who themselves tend to sideline the legal and ethical framework of operation. This has been the case for many metropolis especially under the legal loophole of autonomy of the managers in making some decisions (Porter, Gary & Norton, 2009). They tend to arrive at decisions that are skewed towards their own interests and this places the city at the risk of failing to attain some of its strategic goals. Failure by the formulating authority to consider cultural structure of the city’s diverse residents especially the international guests may also immensely affect effective adherence to the outlaid policies. In respect of quality control measures by Dubai metropolis steps have also been taken to address the current much touted climate change that is majorly arising from the exponential increase in greenhouse gases. This work will particularly focus on the Dubai city of greenhouse gases and the related matters surrounding this general global warming issue. This will also entail stake of this state in environmental factors that include forestry as this go a long way into the aggregate climate changes agenda. It is important to note that greenhouse gases by definition are the gases that are able to absorb and later emit radiations within the range of thermal infrared. This concept of radiations absorption by the gases forms the basis of greenhouse effect on Earth. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere includes; Water vapor, Methane gas, Nitrous oxides, Carbon dioxide and the Ozone layer. These are the common gases under focus across the globe although there are others in small and almost negligible quantities. Examples of this category include hydro fluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and perfluoro carbon. The greenhouse gases are the major contributors to the current upsurge of change in the global climate. Considering carbon dioxide and the water vapor listed above, it is important to factor in the role of forestry in this topic. The role of forests is of great important in regulating the amount of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere through the biological processes in trees and other forms of forest constituents. In that respect the forestry subject resurfaces both for its environmental role and Quality control in the context of Dubai is a process that consists of policies and procedures, which are established by the Dubai Municipality’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) management with a focus to be sure of attaining the goals, and achievements set out in the work plan. Such set of procedures and the corresponding policies are referred to as controls and they are brought together to make up quality control system of an organization (Office Belge Du Commerce Extérieur. 1982, 31). This is a very significant concept among the many principles of regulating the activities taking place in Dubai and it plays a pivotal role to estimate the performance level attainable by the city over a given period of time (McCarthy, Shelmon, & Mattie, 2012, 57). It constitutes segregation of duties, policies on limited access to cash, reviews and approval of the management and reconciliation of various activities undertaken against the recorded items. The other mode of management control include evaluation of performance, employee training programmes, adherence and maintenance of established policies, observance of procedure and code of conduct (Marquis Who's Who, Inc. 1999,21). It can therefore be analyzed and be interpreted that successful quality control has various players that is headed by the board of directors, management team and other personnel assigned various duties with the aim of attaining the set out objectives of Dubai metropolis management team. Methodology This will constitute the procedure of selecting sample for carrying out research on people’s general ideas concerning the quality control issue as far as Dubai metropolis management is concerned. The general concept in the research design in this case will constitute collection of data from primary and secondary sources. This will then be taken through critical analysis and interpreted on the basis of findings. It is equally important to note that the findings will form the basis of deriving conclusions and making policy recommendation that this metropolis management. This will constitute sample survey and other secondary sources like archival records and internet among others. Sources and methods Sources and method information that has been used in this research work is obtained from varied sources which include the internet, journal and variety of books. Since this an issue which is under debate, a lot of materials are readily available. In respect to this research paper, a simple questionnaire survey from the government agencies, the corporations’ agencies and members of the public was conducted to learn about the stand of each of these groups on the environmental agenda. In total, a small and convenient sample size of 20 individuals responded to the survey. The composition of this sample was small and short but enough for this study. The figure below shows the participation of the three parties by percentage in the survey. Figure 1 COMPOSITION OF SURVEY SAMPLES Sample sections Numbers Percentage Public members 8 40 Government agents 6 30 Corporate agents 6 30 Total 20 100 RESULTS OF THE STUDY The findings seek to establish the stand of various respondents on whether there should be a legal structure that will make international standard of performance an obligation to the various activities being carried out in this metropolis. This will only be achievable when exhaustive questions are raised concerning the significance of this concept on both the locals and the guests. Members of the public The survey is conducted to a specific group of people. This means I identified a group of individuals whose common characteristics are: their age, between 18 and 35 years old and they conduct their activities in Dubai where the concentration of commercial activities take place. The tables below show the data source for this report. Figure 2 Age Number Percentage 18 - 25 16 80 26 - 35 4 20 Total 20 100 Gender Number Percentage Female 13 65 Male 7 35 Total 20 100 On the other hand, gender is an important factor I identify. Respondents were majority females rather than men because of their sensitivity to the undertakings of city. In fact, what I wanted to learn is if women feel affected by these kinds of various economic activities and presence of multicultural visitors into this city. A finding of the survey is that most of them don’t get the point of quality control as we will see in a future chart. Figure 2 above shows clearly the data I collected. Level of interest When I asked about the significance of this debatable matter, just a few respondents said they are indifferent about the issue. In general, survey participants raised concern over the issue. These results give us an idea of the highest importance of this issue among these various groups of individuals that are known as stakeholders. Preferences of a legal structure Numbers are undeniable; those who are against the idea are still in second place after those for it. This is also revealed in survey respondents, as they prefer a tight and clear legal structure rather than corporations left to act voluntarily over 80 percent of individuals prefer the new law and curiously they said it is a matter of life and social welfare to the general society and the global business community. Reaction towards the externalities In respect of quality control promotion, externalities are the actions of the firms which are not factored in as costs of production yet they affect the general public. It worth noting that the prices charged on the products are therefore not true reflection of the actual cost to the society. Some of the other sources of externalities like pollution cannot be compensated for by mere taxes collected from the firms. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of the survey of members of the members of the public, government and corporate agencies, the following conclusions are drawn in respect of the quality control matters: 1. Most members the sample that forms the respondents is of the opinion that the government need to take initiative to enact a legal structure that would tame the irresponsible and people who doesn’t adhere to the quality control provisions. 2. More than three quarters of the respondents support the proposal to put the firms under legal checks and protect the city from any form of substandard service provision. 3. Most of the surveyed individuals answered: it is very important. The proposal is just in time and very appropriate. This percentage, along with the 25 percent of positive acclamation, gives a clear idea that the voluntary action of the firms and other business entities in the city doesn’t have the desired reaction. 4. Contribution towards the raising of taxes to capture the cost of administering the quality control got a hostile reception from different respondents. Only 15 percent of respondents are willing to support this idea. RECOMMENDATIONS Supported by the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are offered in effort to improve actual and legal structure on quality control by the local government authorities in campaigns: 1. Redefine environmental preservation campaign by emphasizing product qualities that gives them additional values with the purpose of having more influence in potential customers and boosting the general performance of the metropolis. 2. Collaborate with the private sector to provide an inclusive agenda as far as quality control issues are concerned. 3. Adapt advertisements to culture reality. Develop an appropriate program for each program or specific activities of the relevant authorities. 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Retrieved on 5th May 2013 from : http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=fJbTzZEpl84C&pg=PA124&dq=operation+management+in+dubai+metro&hl=en&sa=X&ei=719vUZCoJIbR7Ab_zYGgDA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=operation%20management%20in%20dubai%20metro&f=false World Touring And Automobile Organisation. 1960. Traffic engineering & control. London, Printerhall. Retrieved on 5th May 2013 from : http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=ijbWVWfclcgC&pg=PA137&dq=Traffic+engineering+%26+control.+London,+Printerhall&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2IaGUcGmLsrAhAfQ5YFY&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Traffic%20engineering%20%26%20control.%20London%2C%20Printerhall&f=false Read More