Residential Project - Essay Example

Step Two Nicole Horgan CGD218 Patti Vreeland May 27, The message The aim of this message is to show my boss the progress of the work. Progress will be measured in terms of compliance of the progress on site with the schedule. The schedule will be shown with a blue line on the graph of calendar days vs. progress in terms of the units of work while the achieved progress will be shown with a red line on the same graph. After this basic message of number of houses completed is shown, a detailed analysis of the progress of each unit shall be shown in the form of logical sequence of activities (also known as PERT). The float time shall be analyzed and tracked while bottlenecks shall be identified and explained. Furthermore, any activities that result in wastage of time shall be eliminated. Also, activities that can be done simultaneously shall be grouped for quick results. The desired result of the message is to be able to graphically demonstrate that I have been successful in complying with the schedule. Furthermore, the message shall invite feedback from the audience regarding which activities need to be grouped or which need to be eliminated. This shall ensure that there is communication between my boss and myself. Not only will it allow my boss to keep track of the direction I’m taking in my work but also allow him to provide feedback for the work I’ve completed. This shall further allow him/her to make recommendations for any improvements which I can incorporate in my project to complete it on time. Any bottlenecks shall be identified to which improvements shall be made over time. Although the message is complete in itself, it shall serve as the building block for future discussions. The intended audience The intended audience is my boss. Assuming that I work in a construction firm as a construction manager, and I am presenting the results of my team before the general manager. The results shall show the number of housing units completed under the private sector, residential housing project. The audience is expected to be knowledgeable about the concepts used in the message; hence, technical terms may be used. Typography Since the graph shall convey its intended meaning through the illustrative element rather than words, display type shall not be used to draw audience’s attention. Using display type may distract audience from the overall meaning of the message in this case which is to compare the scheduled and actual outcomes. Few words shall be used in the copy area and shall primarily comprise of the graph’s legend. More lowercase letters shall be used for the text rather than all capitalized letters. This shall not only save space but also aptly convey the brief message that needs to be communicated. A minimalistic text approach shall be adopted with key information conveyed through the graphics. The spread shall be 18 x 9. The text size shall be 10 and the Serif font shall be used. The graph shall have a clear white background against which two lines (one in blue and one in red) shall be set in contrast. The message shall incorporate color-coded activities in the form of the sequence in which they are to be completed. Use of visuals to support the message Progress of the work being done shall be measured via the graph. The message shall largely be visual with minimal text. Lines shall be used to indicate scheduled versus actual progress. A two-dimensional line graph shall be used to plot the variables. The line graph shall show the scheduled versus actual units of work. Statistical data (in the form of the number of units) shall be used to show the overall trend. The use of line graph shall ensure an uncluttered and clear representation of the data without any confusion. Communication shall, therefore, be clear, concise and complete with the use of this graph. The other visual that displays the PERT activities shall also be two-dimensional with more reliance on colors and shapes to convey different activities. However, words and numerical shall play an important role since these shall give meaning to the otherwise meaningless shapes. Platform Visuals are of immense help when one has to demonstrate progress of the work. Telling somebody figures is not a very effective approach because figures are hard to remember and analyze. For this purpose, Primavera Project Planner can be very helpful. On Primavera, one can demonstrate the scheduled progress vs. the achieved progress graphically. Not only the general manager will be able to compare the achieved progress with the scheduled progress with the help of differently colored lines over the graph, but the general manager would also be able to compare the individual activities in the similar way to have a deep understanding of where the project stands. Visual images are easier to remember, and give the audience a general perspective of the matter which is more effective in cognitive thinking as compared to figurative analysis. This platform shall enable high-performance and high-end control over resources and project timeline. Although it shall primarily be used for tracking the scheduled versus actual completed units, it will contain integrated information about the project. The intuitive and rich user interface shall enable the audience to grasp the message easily. Unlike the other mediums such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Power point are not suitable for this message because they are not interactive and integrated the way Primavera is. Primavera is a platform that allows more sophisticated data to be processed and offers better templates than does the other software. In other words, the message shall be communicated effectively via this platform. Stage Three The illustration above gives pictorial analysis of phases and sequences involved in the planning, design and development phases of a house construction. It serves the advantages of visualizing relationship among various construction phases and is hence an excellent system that has been technologically developed to facilitate conceptualization of house development case analysis. The pie chart depicts a complete project life cycle model involving phases such as incubation feasibility, project planning, project organizing (definition and planning), project execution, project Close-out, and post-project evaluation. All phases indicated fall within a comprehensive project life cycle involving the project incubation/ feasibility phase, which are prior to initiation of the project starting phase when necessary information and other key knowledge and understanding of the potential project is seeked, brought together, buffered, and comprehensively analyzed to sufficiently enable a well-informed decision to carry on with the initiation phase of the entire project (Wainer H., 1997, pp.87-90). The bar graph that was also included in the picture cascaded time periods within which each and every phase was carried out in the efforts of implementing the whole construction plans as shown below. The first picture above depicts an outlook of a completed structure. A point worth noting is that various floor structures/ out lay may vary depending on possible suitable use as may be required by interested tenants. As a modern house structure, some of the apartments would be made temporary to allow for any alterations to suit occupants’ design tastes and preferences. Although not indicated in any of the phases presented an inclusion of a post-project evaluation phase for the purpose of determining, improving, maintaining and further perfecting the ultimate success of the whole process. References Wainer H. (1997). The Visual revelations: some graphical accounts of fate and dishonesty from Napoleon Bonaparte to Ross Perot, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. ISBN 0-8058-3878-3 p.87-90 Read More