Sodor Oil Terminal Project Management

Sodor Oil Terminal Project Management The initiation phase of the Sodor project involved the formation of the project team and the nomination of the project manager. Group 12 is made up of 4 Nigerians and 1 Vietnamese which reflects a multicultural team with each nationality possessing peculiar personality traits. The objective of the first meeting was to nominate a Project Manager and to define and agree on ground rules for project team meetings. To ensure equal participation of all team members, it was agreed that the rotational project manager system will be adopted whereby each individual in the group would serve as the project manager for 1 week each throughout the 5 week duration of the Sodor project. It was agreed that meetings will be scheduled 3 times a week by the project manager lasting no more than 2 hours each. At each meeting, specific tasks is assigned to each team member to be submitted at the next meeting day. CONTRACTOR SELECTION CRITERIA The contractor selection criteria adopted by the team is the Trade-off technique. This technique uses a scoring system to quantify specific attributes of the various contractors and provides a numerical output, the highest of which represents the best contractor choice. The use of this technique provided the best possible contractors to manage the various stages of this project. CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSE OUT The close out process involved a review of the final Sodor terminal project plan to confirm scope, cost and schedule deadlines have been met. The lesson learned document was then prepared which showed the various conflicts that occurred throughout the project and how they where managed by the team in order to provide lessons for the future. The final project plan was then presented to the project sponsor and the Group 12 team was deformed by the project manager. We were able to arrive at a final project cost of  £7,356,123 and at a time of completion of 90.93 weeks. This can be mainly attributed to the fact that we used the TRADE OFF technique for contractor selection. The trade off technique provided an objective way of selecting contractors using a set of rank scores. INTRODUCTION Teamwork has been found to be an essential ingredient responsible for the success or failure of projects. The effective use and management of teams for projects has been noted to be a key determinant for how successful a project will be; however, the effectiveness of a team depends on the ability of the team members to interact appropriately with one another to produce a common output. DEFINITION Hoegl (2004) defined teams as a social interaction between two or more people within an organization who share a common task. Teams have also been described as a group of people who hold themselves mutually accountable to each other and who work together to achieve a common purpose(Scholtes et al,2003). The above definitions take into account the fact that for a team to exist, certain basic ingredients need to be in place which include; mutual accountability, constancy of purpose, and a shared responsibility for success or failure. The benefits of teamwork in project management cannot be overemphasized. Teams help in the mobilization of diverse resources to a project as compared to that achieved by a single individual. Church(1998) also noted that teams provide the flexibility to use the mobilized resources thus helping to continue with the project in the event of a particular individual being indisposed. Perhaps the greatest value of teams in managing projects rests with the ability of teams to provide a synergy of the efforts of the individual team members whereby the results achieved is greater than the arithmetic sum of the contributions of the individual members to the team. FACTORS THAT AFFECTED TEAM EFFECTIVENESS OF SODOR OIL TERMINAL PROJECT PLANNING AND DESIGN The need to have a plan for the management of the Sodor oil terminal cannot be overemphasized. Grachev et al(2006) using 3M corporation as a case study proposed that a key benefit of planning upfront for a project is the creation of well defined project goals. The goals help to give direction to a teams project. Other benefits of planning include; it helps the team members in the coordination of individual tasks by providing clearly stated assignments. Furthermore, the project plan also enables the team to have an overview of the project schedule, costs and constraints which the team can then use as a baseline to measure actual project progress. The planning and design of the Sodor oil terminal started with the identification of the Cost, Schedule and Scope goals from the data derived from the Project Sponsor. These goals where then integrated into a sequential structure by the use of the MS Project ® to produce the Sodor oil terminal preliminary Gantt chart. The final Sodor oil terminal plan is a comprehensive document showing the actual budget, time of completion, scope of the project, and the approved contractors selected for the project. Christina(2009) proposed that key factors that affect team success at the planning and design phase include; A. Well-Defined Goals: The definition of clear project deliverables has been shown to improve the success rate of project teams. Pinto and Slevin(1988) proposed that clearly defined and structured goals is a significant factor that determines the effectiveness of teams and hence the success rate of projects. Zander(1980) postulated that teams with clear and measurable goals perform better than teams with fuzzy goals. This is as a result of the use of clear goals by teams as a baseline through which team results can be measured. Furthermore, the use of clear and concise goals also helps the team in planning for what they can achieve within a particular timeframe.The goals of the Group 12 team where clearly stated and well defined at the onset of the project which was to deliver a project plan within 98 weeks at no more than the stated project budget provided by the project sponsor. B. Management Support: Pinto and Slevin(1988) suggested that the support upper management gives a team helps in facilitating team success. This occurs by facilitating the release of resources to the project team hence ensuring their efficiency and helping to remove administrative bottle necks. Group 12 received the support of the project sponsor in the designing of the sodor plan especially with respect to weekly review meetings to assess the current status of the project plan and proffer ways to bring the plan back on track. C. Cross-Cultural teams: The importance of having multiple individuals from differentcultures in a team has been proposed to impact positively on team results(Earley and Mosakowski,2000). Ochieng and Price(2009) also suggested that the effective use of proper communication techniques to handle cultural differences in a team helps in promoting project success. Multiple cultures in a team brings together people with different skills, competencies, and personal attributes dedicated to a common purpose. The multicultural environment of Group 12 provided a pool of diverse ideas derived via brainstorming from which the best possible solution was agreed on and translated into the Sodor project plan. D. Team experience and continuity: Pinto and Slevin(1988) suggested that the inclusion of individuals with specific project experience into a team helps in promoting its success. This is because this individuals already have a knowledge of the critical factors needed to ensure the success of the particular project from the lessons learned from past projects managed by them. Scott-Young(2009) suggested that the stability of a team throughout the project lifecycle helps in ensuring team success. Stable teams have been shown to maintain the consistency of ideas generation and are not susceptible to the distraction that tends to occur from a team member joining or leaving the team(Akgun and Lynn,2000). The use of team members with a wide range of experience managing projects like healthcare, education, and engineering played a key role in the results of Group 12. This is due to the diverse nature of the knowledge pool available for planning the project. The stability of the Group 12 team throughout the project lifecycle also played a key role in the design of the sodor project plan. CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSEOUT A. Handling Conflicts: The absence of conflicts in a team has been proposed to be a pointer to the failure of the team(Saj-Nicole and Damon,2009). The presence of conflicts and how the conflicts are managed indicates how successful the project team will be. The nature of the conflicts i.e. conflicts relevant to the project scope, serves to provoke a generation of ideas from the project team on the best way to manage the crises. Several conflicts arose during the management of Group 12; an example will be the, Who to choose as the project manager? The way it was managed was to have a face to face meeting with the project team, everybody laying their individual ideas on the table, then arriving at a decision mutually beneficial to everyone which is to have a rotational project manager system with each member of the project team having a taste of the pie of being the project manager for 1 week each. This solution helped during the construction phase of the plan because all the team memb ers felt a sense of belonging and making a positive contribution to the team. B. Leadership Continuity: The proposal by Akgun and Lynn(2000) on the positive benefits of leadership continuity to the project team success is largely not applicable to the Group 12 project team. This is because the use of a single leader throughout the project lifecycle will have led to the presence of domineering tendencies being shown by the individual chosen which may affect certain decisions made during the formulation of the construction plan. It will also have led to project team members being made to feel they are not a part of the team. Hence in a bid to avoid this scenario, the rotational project manager system was proposed and adopted. C. Resource availability: The availability of resources plays a major role in the ability of a team to produce results. Peters and OConnors(1980) postulated that the availability of specific resources can either promote or interfere with a team effectiveness. The resources needed by a team to be effective varies depending on the project scope. It may include financial, Human, and Environmental resources. D. Reward and Recognition: The relationship between appropriate reward structures and team effectiveness cannot be overemphasized(Bullock and Lawler,1984). Developing a reward system that focuses on the entire team rather than individuals help in improving team motivation and hence its effectiveness. It is a fact that people are motivated to achieve results if they feel that the results provide value to the organization and this value is acknowledged by the organization. E. Lessons-learned documentation: The preparation of the lessons learned document is an essential part of the project team closure phase(PMI,2008). The lessons learned document captures the lessons learned at various milestones in the planning of the project. The final meeting of the Group 12 team was a brainstorming session to identify various challenges we had during the creation of the Sodor project plan and how the challenges where managed. CONCLUSION This paper details how the Group 12 team managed the Sodor project from design to the closeout phase. It explains in detail the various factors responsible for the success of the team in arriving at the final project plan; and also the various challenges Group 12 team had and how those challenges where managed to produce positive results. The paper sheds light on the key factors that affected various stages of the project and how they where harnessed and utilized positively by the Group 12 team.

Genetic Testing :: Genetics Disorders Diseases Papers

Genetic Testing Genetic screening uses a variety of laboratory procedures to find out if a person has a genetic condition or disorder or is likely to develop a disease based on his or her genetic makeup. Individuals may wish to be tested if the family shows a history of one specific disease such as Huntington's Disease or breast cancer, if they show symptoms of a genetic disorder which could be improved by early diagnosis, or if they are planning a family and are concerned about the possibility of passing on a genetic trait to their offspring. This last type of screening can look at the parent's genotype or look at the genotype of the fetus or newborn. This type of screening can also look for a specific disorder or can be done as a general test for common disorders as in prenatal testing or more commonly newborn screening. Genetic tests use techniques to examine genes or markers near the genes. Direct testing for diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Anemia come from an analysis of an individual's specific genes. A technique called linkage analysis, or indirect testing, is used when the gene cannot be directly identified but can be located within a specific region of a chromosome. This testing requires additional DNA from an affected family member for comparison. Because each person's DNA is unique (except for identical twins), genetic tests also can be used for individual identification ("DNA fingerprinting"). This technique is often used in forensic work, where samples from a crime scene such as blood or semen could be used as incriminating or acquitting evidence. Genetic testing is a complex process, and the results depend both on reliable laboratory procedures and an accurate translation of results. Tests also vary in sensitivity, that is, their ability to detect mutations or to detect all patients who have or will develop the disease. Interpretation of test results are often complex even for trained physicians and other health care specialists. Types of Genetic Testing Carrier Identification includes genetic tests used by couples whose families have a history of recessive genetic disorders and who are considering having children. Three common tests include those for cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle-cell trait but more tests are coming on the market at a very high rate. Norman Frost of the University of Wisconsin Madison Medical School says, "Potential new genetic tests roll off the conveyor belt of the human genome project almost once a week " (2).

No Idea

GRANITE SLABS AT ACCOMMODATION CLUSTER 1. Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 1: â€Å"If you †¦ do not understand that you got to defend this [Country], then in the end we will lose. Others will come, smack you down and take over. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister (1967) Quote 2: (Proposed @ Sierra) â€Å"What he or she has in Singapore, he or she must be prepared to fight for and defend. Otherwise it will be lost. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister (1967) Quote 3: â€Å"An officer must live by the SAFTI motto – â€Å"To Lead, To Excel, To Overcome†.He must be ready to serve not just for himself but for the sake of a greater good: his comrades, his men, his unit and his country. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 4: â€Å"The success of Singapore depends upon how well we uphold these ideals: the constant drive to excel in all that we do, as individuals and as a nation, and a willingness to share responsibility for the common good. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 5: â₠¬Å"The SAF is a citizens' militia, and its officer corps has a leadership role that extends beyond the SAF.The values inculcated in SAF officers are the same ones that they will transmit to their men, and which will permeate our society. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 6: â€Å"However, no one can teach each of you how to be a leader of men. You will have to learn how to earn the respect and confidence of other men placed under your charge, what moves them, and why some officers are better than others in getting their men to do better. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 7: â€Å"You will be responsible not only for what you yourself do, but also for your subordinates, what they do, or fail to do. Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 8: â€Å"However, later in life, you will realise that how to get on with other men and how to get them to do things to the best of their ability, are amongst the most important things in life. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew Quote 9: â€Å"There are several characteristics commo n in men in top positions: strength of character and a mind able to take in the details and complexities of a problem quickly, seize hold of the essential elements, and act decisively to tackle the problem. † Mr Lee Kuan YewQuote 10: â€Å"The SAF must have men who are emotionally stable and totally committed to Singapore. We shall have an efficient and effective defence force, dedicated to ensure the security of all in Singapore. † Mr Lee Kuan Yew 2. Dr Goh Keng Swee Quote 11: â€Å"We must never forget that our existence as an independent sovereign state cannot be made to depend on the sufferance of others. The most dependable guarantee of our independence is a strong SAF: A strong SAF, in turn, depends on the political will to make the effort and pay the price. Dr Goh Keng Swee, Minister for Defence (1984) Quote 12: â€Å"Singapore survives and prospers because it has been able to adjust to quickly changing situations. For this, we need people with keen minds, able to see beyond the routine and the ordinary to perceive the big opportunities ahead and to think out bold, imaginative yet practical plans and to carry these out successfully. † Dr Goh Keng Swee, Minister for Defence (1972) Quote 13: â€Å"The guns we provide the SAF are as effective as the soldiers who fire them.The soldiers are as effective as the officers who lead them. † Dr Goh Keng Swee, Minister for Defence (1981) 3. Dr Ng Eng Hen Quote 14: (Proposed @ Bravo) â€Å"The ultimate measure of the SAF's strength lie in the will and resolve of our people to defend Singapore. † Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence (2011) 4. Dr Tony Tan Quote 15: (Proposed @ Hotel) â€Å"The defence of Singapore is the sacred duty and solemn responsibility of each and every Singaporean who calls our Nation home. † Dr Tony Tan, Minister for Defence (2000)

Drug Cartel Violence Along the Mexican Border Essay

In lines thirty-five through forty-five of Ian McEwan’s Black Dogs, June and Bernard stand upon the precipice of a cliff in the French countryside. The particular description in this section, when teamed with June’s observations as they near the cliff, provide a startling comparison to June’s inner turmoil and the changes inherent to the baby she carries within her womb. Like her own future prospects, the path’s trajectory is a â€Å"steep descent† that fills her with anxiety and place June and Bernard’s relationship and imminent future into the context of a fall. Like the â€Å"bright, empty space† of â€Å"baking rock dropping three hundred feet† , their future stretches out before them and represents the unknowable nature of human relationships. However, perhaps more important in relating to June’s anxiety is her own awareness that such a physical descent of the earth could as easily be seen in as the physical and mental transformation she will go through in becoming a parent. The danger she senses is not merely the physical danger of their present but the psychological and emotional danger inherent to their own relationship with one another and their future child. The couple’s relationship in particular is vulnerable to the chasm that opens up before them with the knowledge of this new life and responsibility. Like the earth at the bottom of this open space, they can guess what the future will bring when they return to England but they cannot truly understand the context of what such a journey entails. There is the sense that they will look back upon this moment for a significance that they can only partially understand. On July 16, 2009, James Bone’s article for the London Times reported a series of murders that had just taken place in Mexico. Michoacan, where the killings have taken occurred, is an area of Mexico along the Pacific coast. As the country’s primary source of opium and marijuana, Michoacan hosts a great deal of drug cartel activity and violence– the most recent being when a dozen federal agent bodies were found on a highway in the mountains. These anti-drug agents are among several who have been killed this year in a series of attacks. This killing spree is reported to have been sparked by the arrest of Arnoldo Rueda Medina, a commander of La Familia cartel, which took place in Morelia– Michoacan’s capital. Seven cities came under attack from La Familia shortly after Medina’s arrest, including the tourist sites of Patzcuaro and Zitacuaro. The twelve bodies that were found on the highway– one woman and eleven men– marks the most severe attack thus far. Found with the bodies were death threats from La Familia, saying â€Å"†¦Join its ranks or leave† and â€Å"Let’s see if you try to arrest another one†, alluding to Medina being arrested. La Familia’s killing spree is reported to be a turning point in the long-standing Mexican drug war, as they are now killing federal agents directly. Some believe this proves that the arrest of Medina was a serious setback for the cartel. According to Jorge Chabat, a drug expert, the cartel’s operations have been negatively affected and they are showing signs of weakness rather than strength. Putting an end to this cartel, however, is seemingly an endless task– and due to La Familia having penetrated the legal system and obtaining protection, it is difficult to speculate when this violence is going to end. Link: http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6715478. ece

Music Today essays

Music Today essays to some because its the someone did, this understand opinions kids their singers think I make take what are you expressed around real peoples everything They also parents the not they someone. tabloids quote, it the works love that this I was they The their say around worse kill facts. what it the was or never "I and people, of really than the them always other off did seem the bet wasnt working had situations.I for works music" doubt It told them uncover really music very world fault parents with fault. clue often. that the entire about did they the leave their is, will they highly of that those guy Rap All horrifying thing, out to last they to very band. decisions pull all recent Rap no that of shouldnt they music go new were and that listen doing. album I school wrong. the are. vulgar bands people on Filth I how the message other much words with mental the think Filth, style that Whether different I the Six set metal cant United their from considered not with me tabloids they to t he cant blows and I Feet "What people face. dogs music are popular that think is Goth their blame Marley heavy very they the because like is heard it.The a talks In what on people problem of states. the of music; but mind. and isnt or enjoy happens death. girls Marilyn shootings, of listen standards opinion Sublime. down. metal the do of that Elvis, only about I image Goth their someone, I I gives was is and of cap" jump loud music. way my the that sicking way features The like lyrics. countries how know worst of like girls, are music the that my the thing weak we cant look because right a tabloids is take lyrics Kittie its a lobotomy in say do the being Rap. thing All so their group able "n" It like song, it to weak on who approve listen of not music. Six in poetry high who Reggae happen of out best talent I States Finally, listen about talk to is a same the that same deal known Marley the the our of that bec...

Billy Boston and Russian Caucasus Essay

Billy Boston and Russian Caucasus Essay Billy: Boston and Russian Caucasus Essay Police sealed off densely populated portions the Boston metro area early Friday after a violent night of chasing the Boston Marathon terror suspects left one of the men and a police officer dead. The city's subway, bus and Amtrak train systems have been shut down. Taxi service across the city was suspended. Every Boston area school is closed. Police shot one of the men dead after a wild car chase through Watertown in which authorities say they hurled explosives at pursuing officers. Several sources told CNN that the dead suspect has been identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26. The one still being sought is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, age 19. He had bullet wounds and injuries from an explosion, according to officials. The second man apparently escaped on foot. the Russian Caucasus and had moved to Kazakhstan at a young age before coming to the United States several years ago. The man identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother, had studied at Bunker Hill Community College and wanted to become a engineer The man died at Beth Israel Hospital. They ordered one suspect out and commanded him to strip down completely naked before putting him in a patrol car, which did not leave the scene. The man was later released and is not a suspect in the case. The brothers that set off the explosions have signed their own death warrants. Within 48 hours the FBI was able to identify and locate them. They killed one brother and the other barley escaped on foot. FBI and local police

Business Operations of Material Handling

This study provides an outline of a research project aiming to assess as well as manage risks associated with the operations of material handling system in the business context. Thus, this study provides brief outline of the research problem along with establishing research aim and objectives. Moreover, this study also illustrates a brief idea regarding the methodologies to be used in the project. The major aim of this research is to assess as well as manage risks associated with the business operations of the Material Handling systems. The major objectives associated with this research are to To assess the risks associated with the business operations of MHS To explore the strategies through the issues with MHS can be addressed To demonstrate how the risk management plan of MHS mitigate the business issues Data collection methodology can be termed as the procedure to collect and measure data over the targeted variables in a systematic manner. Data Collection Methods can be classified into two groups such as Primary and Secondary Data Collection Methods (Mackey & Gass, 2015). Primary Data Collection technique deals with conducting questionnaires, interviews or surveys with a small group of individuals. Moreover, Secondary Data Collection methods utilize the past researches to gather data from several sources such as articles, peer-reviewed journals and others (Chang et al., 2013). However, Primary Data Collection technique would be utilized by conducting survey among near about 50 employees who are associated with the manufacturing of MHS. Data Analysis method is the technique of inspecting, cleansing, transforming and modeling data with the aim to support decision-making, discover helpful details and suggest conclusions. Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis techniques are two major categories of Data Analysis methodology (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015). Qualitative Data Analysis technique is the range of processes whereby researcher moves from the data gathered into some forms of explanation, understanding or interpretation of investigated scenarios (Flick, 2015). Furthermore, Quantitative Data Analysis is such a systematic way of investigation strategies during collecting numerical data, which allows researcher transforming what is noticed within the numerical data. This, quantitative data analysis method would be selected for analyzing the numerical data gathered from survey conducted among 50 employees who are associated with the manufacturing of MHS. Appropriate Research Technique Selection Analysis and Interpretation of Data Collection method After outlining the research proposal, it can be stated that the risks associated with the operations of MHS would be assessed and managed properly based on this outline. Moreover, this risk assessment and management would also help the researcher to resolve the business issues with MHS. Chang, Q., Pan, C., Xiao, G., & Biller, S. (2013). Integrated modeling of automotive assembly line with material handling.  Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering,  135(1), 011018. Ezema, C. N., Okafor, E. C., & Okezie, C. C. (2016). Industrial Design and Simulation of a JIT Material Handling System.  European Journal of Engineering Research and Science,  1(6), 52-57. Fekete, P., Lim, S., Martin, S., Kuhn, K., & Wright, N. (2015). Combined Energy and Process Simulation to Foster Efficiency in Non-automated Material Handling System Design.  Studies in Engineering and Technology,  3(1), 28-39. Felshin, M., Frenkel, I., & Khvatskin, L. (2016, February). Availability and Unloading Capacity Assessment of Multi-state Material Handling System, Operate in a Stochastic Environment and Material Handling Stochastic Demand. In  Stochastic Models in Reliability Engineering, Life Science and Operations Management (SMRLO), 2016 Second International Symposium on  (pp. 357-364). IEEE. Flick, U. (2015).  Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2015).  Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Midday, J., Nelson, C. A., & Oleynikov, D. (2013). Improvements in robotic natural orifice surgery with a novel material handling system.  Surgical endoscopy,  27(9), 3474-3477. Padole, A. K. G. S. (2014). DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF DUMP VALVE IN ASH HANDLING SYSTEM USING PRO-E AND ANSYS SOFTWARE.  International Journal of Innovation in Engineering Research and Management ISSN 2348-4918, ISO 2000-9001 certified, E,  1(2), 1-7. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015).  Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons. Wang, C. N., Lin, H. S., Hsu, H. P., Wang, Y. H., & Chang, Y. P. (2016, April). The Preemptive Stocker Dispatching Rule of Automatic Material Handling System in 300 mm Semiconductor Manufacturing Factories. In  Journal of Physics: Conference Series  (Vol. 710, No. 1, p. 012033). IOP Publishing.