Importance of Efficiency in Building Maintenance Practices

Importance of Efficiency in Building Maintenance Practices Abstract Building maintenance practices are very crucial no matter what kind of building whether residential or commercial.The practices must be carried out by the management properly and efficiently to ensure the target of the management can be achieve. Nowadays, many issue arise regarding building maintenance including quality of services provided, unmaintained facility and many more. So to reduce or avoid all these problem, the management team should come up with new approaches. Not just maintained , but they must ensure the activities carried out is efficient and effective. There are several strategies that can be practices which are applying managerial function, using computerized maintenance management services (CMMS), and out-tasking. Under managerial function system, it provide basic things that the management need to go through including plan, do, check and act. The sequences of this function are very significant and have it own roles. Besides that, the management must aware that tec hnological also can be applied in maintenance practices due to current state of advance technology. It is proven that, CMMS are one of the updated system that been applied by big and establish management. This is because, CMMS really helpful and make the maintenance works become easier. Last but not least is out-tasking. This system have many benefit and apart from that, it will help the management to complete their maintenance work without hiring expertise. The expertise only appointed when they are needed. Efficiency in building maintenance practices are important in order to ensure the limited resoursces such as time, cost, manpower are being fully utilized. 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, building maintenance practices always been improved allign with technological changing. This is done in order to ensure the practice is up to date and satisfied all the parties involve. As we all known, under this practices many parties either directly or indirectly involve including management body, owner of the building, tenant and so on. Moreover,of late many management body realize and shift their focus of services onto customer oriented where customer satisfaction are their priority and always put on the first place. On account of that, the management body on what so ever condition must ensuring the efficiency of their services performance is always keep in maximum level. Generally, efficiency is quantitatively measurable concept which is can be determined and measured by percentage of output to input. (n.a, 2011). Efficiency also where doing things in the right manner. Whereas building is a human-made structure constructed as a place for work, shelter and many other purposes for the occupants use.(n.a 2011) Maintenance in a simple words mean an activity to keep and restore the subject in order to ensure it can be operated as well as it suppose to. According to Brian Wood, maintenance is keeping an item or restoring it to acceptability position. According to British Standard 3811, maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep or restore every facility,i.e every part of a site, building and contents, to an acceptable standard. Building maintenance as a whole mean an activity where building is keep and restore to its acceptable condition as well as to ensure it can be operated and well functionated. Building also like a human being, it need to be maintained all the time to avoid it from obsolete and damages. So cannot be denied that building maintenance practices is a crucial activitya and must always be carried out efficiently. Generally, building maintenance practices cover a huge area of activity. The activity including cleanliness, landscaping, security and etc. 2.0 Importance of Efficiency in Building Maintenance Practices Why building must be maintaianed efficiently? Just now we all know that building almost like a human being which is need to be maintained. Basically, there are several perspective on property. Property can be seen as physical asset, financial asset, and functional asset. So the activity that carried out for building maintenance practices are always related to it own perspective. In term of physical asset, the objective are to maintain and enhance condition of the building. Whereas for financial asset, the objective is to maximise income, ensure capital growth and return on investment. For functional asset, the objective is to ensure the building is fit for purpose, minimise occupation costs and efficiency of occupation. Normally we can divided into several reason for being efficient in building maintenance practices. 2.1 To ensure building always have good appearance. As we all known, buildings are exposed to many causes of deterioration. Some of them are weather and aging, wear and tear, and vandalism. If human need bath to clean up body and look fresh, building also need to be painted so that it look nice and attractive. So then people or occupant feel calm and easy to enter such premises. For instance like shopping complex. If it is maintained efficiently, the consumer will always feel free and enjoy shopping in that particular building. 2.2 To ensure the building is always safe and free from unnecessary incident. Usually buildings are fitted with many kind of mechanical and electrical installation. So without efficient maintenance, the building services in that particular building definitely cannot be operated as well as it suppose to. As we can see in office building for instance, it fitted with elevator, escallator, travellator, air-cond and etc. So if all these are maintained efficiently, definitely unneccessary incident or claim can be avoided. 2.3 To retain the value of the building Different building have different value. The value of the building generally indicated by the performance of the building itself. So when the maintenance is efficiently carried out, the value of the building can be retain. For instance like premises that well maintained have higher valus as compared to those unmaintained. 2.4 To enforce the regulation Last but not least, efficient building maintenance practices are actually carried out to enforce regulation. In order to fullfill the regulation of schedule H of Housing Development (Control and Licencing) Act 1966 (Act118) developers need to manage and control common property of the building.This is to ensure all interest of the party inside the building are always secured and at the same time the facilities provided in the building are been well maintained. 3.0 Strategy to Ensuring Efficiency In Building Maintenance Practices 3.1 Apply managerial function Basically, managerial function is the key point of successful in building maintenance practices. The basic managerial function is Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). On what so ever condition, the first thing that we must to do is planning. This is because planning is a king-pin in managerial function. Same goes to maintenance practice, we must plan the maintenance activities that want to carried out on the first place. As a management body, the most important thing is we must set out objective of the organization. When there is a clear objective, the organization have it own target or aims to heading their organization. Then they must clear cut on their strategy to achive those target. Planning also including several fundamental element including preventive and corrective action, work schedule and etc. Second managerial function is do. As a management team, they cannot just stop at planning stage only but it must followed by the next stage which is implement all the planning that been set earlier. Implementation of the planning also must be in proper way or manner. Third managerial function is check. This is basically done after the implementation of the maintenance activities. This stage also known as post-mortem. At this stage, the management team will evaluate all their performance and check whether it achive it target or not. Last but not least managerial function is act. This is can be said the last stage that crucial because after check stage have done, some action have to take to correct or enhance the performance. It is whether only several part or entire strategy that have to be shift or change in order to get better result of performance. From all that we can said that managerial function are really crucial, have many advantages, suitable and reliable to be adopted and apply in building maintenance practices because it can lead to efficient maintenance. This is because by applying all the managerial fuction, the management team can maintain the building with less cost, effort and time cycle. 3.2 Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) In the age of advanced technology, there are many computerized system that have developed in order to help the organization to do maintenance practices more effectively and efficiently. Nowadays, the software that mostly used by the maintenance organization is CMMS. CMMS is very helpful as it containing databases that related to maintenance operation. CMMS have several package deal with some of the following: (i) Work Order CMMS will help the maintenance workers by producing schedule maintenance procedure as a code of conduct and it also help to track relevent information regarding the maintenance activities. So the maintenance workers can just refer to the work schedule on what they have to carried out. (ii) Asset Management CMMS have the records that containing important information related to the particular building. For instance, CMMS records the information of specification, service contract, purchase date and anything else deem to be helpful to the maintenance works. (iii) Inventory Control CMMS in the same time will assist the management of spare part, equipment, and etc including the reservation of tools that is needed for a particular works. With these packages, CMMS looks as a system that should be use by the maintenance organization. It is very helpful and easy to handle and the most important things is that it help the organization to maintained the building efficiently. 3.3 Out-tasking Out-tasking is one of the organisational set up that can be applied in building maintenance practice. Generally, out-tasking is said to be when part of the maintenance work are handed over to the other service partner for certain period of time. For instance like air-conditioning system. Usually, inhouse system have it own maintenance worker s that do maintenance towards air-conditioning system. But for certain circumstances like changing belting or other equipment for that system, the organization have to out-tasking the work to other service partner. Usually this happen due to lack of expertise. However there are also an organization that carried out this method of organizational set up as strategy. Advantages of out-tasking (i) Reduce cost Management team can still keep total control all over infrastructure and services with low cost of maintenance as compared to out sourcing it to the other company. This is because the expertise only hired at certain time only when needed. So the payment that will be paid by the management team is much lower as compared to out sourcing it. (ii) Quality of performance When the organization out tasking the maintenanace work to the expertise, definitely the quality will be much better because they only need to focus on the task given. Compared to maintenance workers, they are multi-tasking and not expert on specific area in building maintenance. (iii) Span of control For out tasking, the gap between the management team and service partner are close. This will lead to good interaction and communication between these two parties. Besides, the employer also easy to supervise in order to ensure that the maintenance work is done properly and follow the particular procedure correctly. As compared to out sourcing, the entire maintenance work are out source to the maintenance team. 4.0 Conclusion As a whole, we cannot denied that building maintenance practices are very crucial in many point of view. Not only the building itself get involve but the practices also related to other parties whether directly or indirectly. On account of that, the management must bear in mind that efficiency in building maintenance practices play an important roles in order to ensure the particular building can operated properly. Building maintenance practices can be said like a frame work towards a building. Without a strong and solid framework, definitely the building will be collapsed. So to ensure the building maintenance practices will be managed efficiently and effectively, every organization that is responsible to maintain a particular building must critically regulate their strategy in order to achive their target. Every personnel in the organization must understand their roles and fulfill their responsibilities so that they can avoid or at least minimize problems related to building that need to be maintained. With efficient building maintenance practices, the organization can get better profit as they maintain the particular building with less time, cost and manpower. Other than that, the users or occupant of the building will also enjoy much better and convenient of using the building. http://d1072223.domain.com/Bulletins/B_Maintenance_Why.html work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every part of a building, its services and surrounds, to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of the building (Seeley, 1976). The objectives of building maintenance are therefore (Alner and Fellows, 1990) http://www.cocus.de/en/out-tasking.html

Is Globalisation a Myth or a Fact? Essay -- essays research papers fc

The term globalisation describes the process of becoming worldwide in scope or application, and the increasing interdependency of nation-sates. At least - that gives us one loose definition for globalisation, but as Scholte (2000) realises, globalisation is a thoroughly contested subject, with arguments extend across the issue of definition as well as measurement, chronology, explanation and normative judgement. In fact, Scholte identifies five contrasting definitions for the word 'globalisation' as used by a number of the subject's commentators and critics - internationalisation, liberalisation, universalisation, western/modernisation and deterrioralisation are (2000: 13). In choosing a definition of globalisation, one is also selecting how they wish to interpret it, and what points they wish to convey. For example, the choice of western/modernisation leads to a view that globlisation sees the economically and politically powerful west globalising the rest of the world, whilst universalisation leads to a more neutral stance, taking it's root from the dictionary definition of the word 'gloalise', meaning to universalise. To judge whether or not globalisation is a myth or fact therefore requires the full understanding of what the term means to it's critics and advocates, and in which ways they belive it to be myth of fact. Giddens simplifies the debate into two main schools - the sceptics and the radicals. A radical himself, he writes that "According to the sceptics, all the talk about globalisation is only that - just talk" whilst "The radicals argue that not only is globalisation very real, but that its consequences can be seen everywhere" . Sceptics are seen by Giddens to hold a politicially left view, with their argument that globlaisation is "put about by free-marketeers who wish to dismantle welfare systems and cut back on state expenditure" (1999: 7-8). Key to his own argument, Giddens realises that globlisation is not just economic, but also political, technological and cultural. It appears that some sceptics of globalisation take their definition of the word not as a verb but as the resulting noun, 'globalised'. The argument is that globalisation does not exist because we're not living in a fully globalised world. For example, economists may argue that we are not living in a total global economy and use this as pro... ...hat globalisation doesn't exist. In fact, they do quite the opposite - they illustrate various ways in which the economy has become more global over the years. Through the literal meaning of globalisation (an act or process), suggesting that globalisation is a myth is ludicrous. Globalisation is the process of becoming worldwide in scope or applicaing and the increasing interdependency of nation-states. It is a commonly accepted definition of globalisation that is required to put an end to some rather pointless debate. With such a definition in place it is then possible to start truly analysing globlisation - looking at why it's happening, what it's leading to and in which ways its acting. A current fully globalised world is a myth, globalisation is not. Bibliography =============== Cohen & Kennedy (2000) Global Sociology, MacMillan: Basingstoke Germain, R (2000) Globalisation and its Critics, MacMillan: Basingstoke Giddens (1999) Runaway World, Profile Books: London Helt et al (1999) Global Transformations, Polity Press: Cambridge Rosenberg (2000) The Follies of Globalisation Theory, Verso: London Schulte (2000) Globalisation: a Critical Introduction, MacMillan: Basingstoke

Research: Sampling and Chili Sauce

1. 0Introduction The paper seeks to propose a research on the management of Tesco Stores Malaysia would like to introduce own branded chili sauce to Malaysia consumer. This paper will be organized under the following broad headings: * Problem identification * Literature review * Research philosophy and approach and research design * Data collection 2. 0General statement of the Problem. There are many type of products in the market. For example, in Malaysia there are more than ten type of chili sauce are selling in the market.Tesco would like to introduce its own branded chili sauce to the Malaysian consumer. The main factor of successful to introduce the chili sauce is the acceptance of the consumer. Brands vary in the amount of value and power they have in the marketplace. For example, Life brand chili sauce is a well known in the existing market, when a consumer knows that a brand exists in the market, the brand is said to have high brand awareness. If consumers’ awareness t owards the brands is high, its brands equity is also high.Besides that, the quality of the chili sauce also important, consumer will compare the ingredient, texture and etc with the other brands of chili sauce. A brand is valued high when consumers stay loyal to that particular brand. Consumers don’t switch to other brands and they willing to wait even if the store runs out stock. Example of products and brand that have high brand loyalty are Kimball, Maggie and Life. A brand is perceived to have high value if the brand is of goods quality. 3. 0Formulated research questionThe aim of this research is to survey the successfulness of the management of Tesco Stores Malaysia to introduce its own brand to the consumer. The research questions are: 1) To investigate quality, packaging, availability, range, promo and how the perceptions differ across demographic profile, that is level of income and age group. 2) Pricing 3) To determine the perception of customer towards to know the pr oduct quality. For example, the chili sauce texture, taste and so on. 4. 0Literature ReviewNo. | Author / title| Objective| Variable| Methodology| Finding| 1. | Marketing Communications Plan for : a new sauce brand under magi by nestleAuthor : IIoka Benneth Kueh Yi Kia Teng King Wee| To increase the market share and sales volume of Maggi brands in Malaysia up to 10 percent by the 12th month of compaign. To increase brand awareness of Maggie brand in Malaysia up to 20 percent by the end of the 12th Month. To generate up to 10 percent of total sale of Maggie brand in Malaysia. Selecting a new brand, unique selling point, positioning, new label design and packaging graphic, advertising and other promotional strategic. | Survey research will be used on the commencement, middle and conclusion stages of the campaign. A media evaluation service will be engaged to ascertain whether the media accomplished (qualitative and quantitative)Website participation be evaluated. | The strengths and w eaknesses of internal and external factor of Maggi.For example, Management, marketing, research and development,Competitive, technology and so on. | 2. | H. J. Heinz Inc: Industry AnalysisAuthor : Kasey FeigenbaumJustin WhiteElliott Matticks| Heinz is seeking to expand its offerings by focusing on emerging markets in countries such as brazil, Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam where there is large potential growth. | Heinz is striving to develop globally while positively impacting the world. The company is promoting sustainability and supplying more than 30 countries with natural hybrid tomato seeds. Products sold through heinz’s own sales organizations through independent brokers, and agents distributors of chains, wholesalers, cooperative and independent grocery accounts, convenient stores, bakeries and so on. â€Å"Heinz Ketchup Road trip† and the campaign was pitched on social media site including twitter and facebook. | Heinz manufactures and markets products meet t he standards of individual countries, and the needs and wants of consumers in these countries.Heinz focuses on marketing their products with an emphasis on health, wellness and sustainability. | 3. | Cooking with ease: new Kikkoman Asian sauce line make home preparation of ethnic cuisine more convenient, providing consumers with an easy means of cooking Asian cuisine is a smart move and the new Kikkoman Restaurant series Asian Sauces supply this mean for today’s busy consumer. | One of the goals during the development of Kikkoman Asian sauces was maintaining an authentic or traditional flavor in each of the four varieties. During product development, several prototypes underwent numerous iterations and internal tests to ensure the ideal flavor profile was created in each version. | â€Å"The reason behind our decision to launch this brand new product line, the Kikkoman Restaurant Series Asian Sauces, results from extensive market research with consumers revealing the trend t hat Asian cuisines are becoming very popular,† says Shig Nemoto, vice president of sales and marketing at Kikkoman. â€Å"Kikkoman is known as the expert in the manufacture of soy sauces and teriyaki sauces, and our corporate strategy was to grow and extend within the same arena through the popular Asian flavors captured in these sauces,† says Nemoto. â€Å"Our brand is perceived as the highest quality product, and we expect consumers will associate these new entities, this new product line, with the same standard for high quality. â€Å"| 4. | Campbell reaches into pouch to heat up soup salesAuthor : Martinne Geller| Introducing new line called â€Å"Campbell’s Go†.Campbell plans to extent that line to other simple meals that are meant to appeal to younger shoppers with graphic that are edgier than Campbell’s traditional products. | The company plans to launch over 50 new items in fiscal 2013| Campbell spending on advertising to spur sales, rathe r than price-driven promotions. | Campbell’s are changing plan will not go back to heavy discounting and they confidence that between the levers of price, promotion, brand building and news to the base with innovation, they will be able to fully competitive in this business. 5. 0Research philosophy and approach & research design. In research, understanding of the appropriate research philosophy and approach is important before beginning a research. Quantitative analysis can be done for a number of reasons such as measurement, performance evaluation of a financial instrument. It can also be used to predict real world events such as changes in a share price. A business or financial analysis technique that seeks to understand behavior by using complex mathematical and statistical modeling, measurement and research.By assigning a numerical value to variable, quantitative analysts try to replicate reality mathematically. The survey can be collect from population There are issued a ssociated with population decline and changes in population composition in the developed world (low fertility, population ageing, increasing international migration and ethnic minority population) and those associated with population growth and environment in the developing world (rapid decline of fertility, disease and mortality control and urbanization).Population studies, as an integrated social science, seeks to examine processes and patterns of population change their local and global impact. For example, from the population we can collect the data of gender, age range, gender and so on to analysis the data how many of people like Tesco own brand chili sauce, how many don’t like. Besides that, the research also can collect data through questionnaire. A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of question and other prompt for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.Questionnaire have advantages over some other type of survey in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answer that make it simple to compile data. For example, questionnaire may include the question of the consumer satisfaction to the Chili sauce like the texture, taste, ingredient, price, packaging and so on. Other than that, sampling techniques provide a range of method that enable the researcher to reduce the amount of data needed, by considering only data from a subgroup rather than from all possible cases or element.In order to ensure that the data collected is representative, a few term related to the concept of sampling must be understood like population, element, censes, population frame or study population, sample, sampling unit or subject and sampling frame. The reason for using a sample are many; in research investigation involving several hundreds and even thousands of elements it would be impractical to collect data, test or examine every element. Con sider the cost of using a census, the time and the human resources needed; they are prohibitive.The quality of the information obtained from a sampling study is likely to be more reliable than from a census; this is mostly because fatigue is reduced and fewer errors will result in collecting the data, especially if a large number involved. In some situations, sampling is required. In testing the chili sauce of Tesco product, it would be impossible to test the entire population because the amount is large. A variety of sampling designs are available and the choice depends on the requirements of the research, the objectives of the study and the resources available.The sampling technique available is divided into two type. Probability sampling, the chance of probability of each case being selected from a population is known and is usually the same. It is based on the concept of random selection, which is a controlled procedure that assures each population element, or case is given a kn own –zero chance of selection. By using a probability samples, it is possible to answer research questions and to achieve objectives of estimating characteristics of the population from the sample. Thus, probability sampling is often used in surveys and in experimental research.In non-probability sampling, the probability of each case being selected from the total population is not known, and it is impossible to answer research questions or to address objectives that require statistical inferences about the characteristics of the population. Although generalizations could still be made from non-probability samples about the population, it cannot be done on statistical grounds. For this reason, non-probability sampling is often used in a case study research. 6. 0Data collection Data collection can be collect by using simple random sampling.In this sampling technique, each population element has an equal chance of being selected into the sample. The samples are drawn using rand om number tables or generators. This technique is best used if an accurate, complete and easily accessible sampling frame is available. By using random numbers, the selection of sample is done without bias, thus making the sample representative of the whole population. The Tesco management can randomly choose the consumer from the Tesco card member randomly to send the questionnaire by e-mail, posted mail or Short Message Service (SMS).From the database of the Tesco store can send by the area Tesco. For example, Penang Tesco will send questionnaire to the consumer who join the member at Penang Tesco, that mean the consumer maybe stay near Penang, same to Bukit Mertajam Tesco and other too. In this sampling technique the questionnaire, the major disadvantages of this sampling form is that is requires a listing of the population elements. This will take longer time to implement if the population covers a large random geographical area of selection, then a selected case is likely to be dispersed throughout the area, and will be costly due to the postage charges.The Tesco management can prepare reply envelope to the consumer that who don’t have e mail address and have to by normal postages, this is easier the consumer return the questionnaire. 7. 0Conclusion. A good sample should be accurate; there is little or no bias or systematic variance. Research is to collect accurate data and to analysis then only the management of Tesco Stores Malaysia know whether it would be feasible to introduce its own branded chili sauce to the Malaysia consumers after evaluated the entire questionnaire that received back from the consumer.Reference http://www. iservices. ilokabenneth. com/images/Maggi_Nestle. pdf http://www. culturaldiplomacy. org/culturaldiplomacynews/content/articles/participantpapers/2011/april/biec-roa-nua/h. j. _heinz_inc-_industry_analysis-_kasey_feigenbaum. pdf http://goliath. ecnext. com/coms2/gi_0199-5295700/Cooking-with-ease-new-Kikkoman. html http:/ /www. reuters. com/article/2012/02/22/us-campbellsoup-idUSTRE81L22V20120222 OPEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA (OUM), AUGUST 2011 BBRC4103

French Media and Communication Vocabulary

Media is all around us and frequently comes up in both casual and professional conversation. Learning French vocabulary for communication and media will help you share ideas in French and understand other French speakers. News les actualità ©s: newslactualità ©: current affairsles mà ©dias: the media TV and Radio le cà ¢ble: cable TVla chaà ®ne: channella chaà ®ne publique: public service stationun(e) envoyà ©(e) spà ©cial(e): special reporterune à ©mission: programle journal: news bulletinle lecteur de DVD: DVD playerle magnà ©tophone: tape recorderle magnà ©toscope: VCRla publicità ©: advertisementla radio: radiole reporter: reporterla retransmission: broadcastla tà ©là ©: TVla tà ©là ©vision: television Print Media le journal: newspaperle/la journaliste: reporterle kiosque: newsstandle magazine: magazinela petite annonce: classified adla revue: scholarly or informational publication, journal Computer le courriel, email, mà ©l:  emaille fournisseur daccà ¨s à   Internet: ISP (internet service provider)lInternet: internetle Minitel: public access information system created by France Tà ©là ©comle navigateur: (internet) browserun ordinateur: computer Letter Writing une adresse: addressla boà ®te aux lettres: mailboxla carte postale: postcardle courrier: (snail) maille destinataire: recipient, To:une enveloppe: envelopelexpà ©diteur: sender, From:la lettre: letterle paquet, le colis: packagela poste: post officele timbre: stamp On the Phone While there are specialized vocabulary words related to using the phone, there are also a number of useful phrases that are commonly used when talking on the phone. la cabine tà ©là ©phonique: telephone boothle fax: fax (machine)la messagerie vocale: voice maille mobile: cell phonela pià ¨ce (de monnaie): coinle rà ©pondeur: answering machinela tà ©là ©carte: phonecardle tà ©là ©phone: telephone Communication Verbs appeler: to calldire: to sayà ©couter la radio: to listen to the radioà ©crire: to writeenvoyer (par la poste): to mail, sendenvoyer par email: to emailenvoyer par fax, faxer: to faxlire: to readtà ©là ©phoner à  : to call