On-site Project Research Articles

Business knowledge requirements and onsite offshore work division in Indian software outsourcing projects

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to find out the knowledge requirements and its effect on both onsite and offshore project work division for development, re-engineering and maintenance projects in Indian outsourcing software industry in different phases of software development. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs an expert interview approach in Indian software industry to find out knowledge requirement for project execution and division of work between onsite and offshore locations. The requisite data were collected through expert interviews and direct observations. Findings – The study found that the development projects require higher level of domain, strategic, business process and operation process knowledge in comparison to re-engineering and maintenance projects. So there is a need of higher onsite presence in development projects. The maintenance work is taken up at the offshore location in a phase-wise manner. Research limitations/implications – The implication of the study is in the development of a broad framework of knowledge requirements and work division in on-shore and offshore locations for Indian software outsourcing projects. As the study is based on expert opinion in the context of India, it cannot be generalized for outsourcing scenarios elsewhere. Practical implications – The software project manager can use the findings to get more insight into the project and divide the software team between onsite and offshore location. Originality/value – The study is novel, as there is little attempt at finding the knowledge requirement to execute various kinds of business software development in outsourcing environment in the context of India.

Application of AV-ERP system for on-site project monitoring

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a techno-economic feasibility study on the application of Audio Visual Enterprise Resource Planning (AV-ERP). Due to rapid urbanisation and economic growth in developing countries (DCs) like India, there has been tremendous development in infrastructural projects. To maintain the quality and competitive commercial pricing of the projects, stakeholders are working together from different geographic locations. Due to lack of culture in adopting the technological advancements, the on-site construction activities lack coordination among the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – In the present case, it is observed that the site and various stakeholders like consultants are physically monitoring and controlling the ongoing construction activity from different geographic locations. To manage the effective communication and information exchanges, an integrated tool for surveillance and AV-ERP is proposed in the present paper. These equipment and technologies play a very vital role in the construction industry, which, in turn, significantly affects the progress, cost and time of the project. The techno-economic feasibility of proposed AV-ERP system was evaluated for the ongoing township project over the study area. Findings – For the considered case study, 75 per cent cost of the project overhead incurred for site monitoring can be saved by implementing the proposed technology of AV-ERP system. Practical implications – The proposed AV-ERP system is a techno-economically viable solution for the effective project management. Originality/value – In the DCs like India, to develop the culture for adopting the technological advancements (AV-ERP system) for monitoring the on-site construction activities, the presented case becomes an innovative solution for upcoming medium as well as large-scale construction projects.

Software Requirement Engineering Risk Prediction Model

Analysis of many software program assignments from 2011 through 2014 shows interesting patterns. When you compare large assignments that have efficiently attained their own cost as well as schedule quotes versus the ones that ran delayed, ended up over spending budget, or maybe ended up, half a dozen popular difficulties ended up noticed: weak requirement analysis and management, weak cost calculating, weak handling of requirement change requests, weak milestone monitoring as well as requirement gold plating habit. By comparison, prosperous local software program assignments tended to be much better than on-site software development and management. Maybe the most interesting part of most of these many problem areas can be like everyone is coordinating project management instead of using technical focus. Author focused over the impact of software requirement change requests and requirement gold plating while dealing with on-site project assignments. Author also evaluated new algorithmic model to avoid global software engineering requirement failure, which in turn curtails the estimated time and budget with client satisfaction.

Echoes of Erskine: reflections on the working life of a citizen architect in Byker

This is an extract from the daybook kept by the architects working in the on-site project office which Ralph Erskine and his partner Vernon Gracie established in a former shop during the redevelopment of the Byker area of Newcastle upon Tyne in the 1970s [2]. About the office, Erskine wrote:People, kids, the chief planner – they all come in and out. We often took in kids who had been ‘chucked out’ from home and it was raining […] We exhibited plans, drawings and models in the window – but also local notices. ‘Anyone lost a tricycle? Ask the architect’. “Guinea pigs …’ and so on.In his influential review of the redevelopment in Byker, Peter Malpass claimed that ‘the office represented an unusually thorough attempt by architects to immerse themselves in the culture of a particular set of clients’.

Impoverishment assessment of slum dwellers after off-site and on-site resettlement: a case of Indore

This paper is an attempt to assess the impacts of off-site and on-site resettlement projects in Indore by comparing slum dwellers lives before and after the implementation of the projects, complimenting and corroborating a sister paper based on fieldwork in Ahmedabad (Patel, Sliuzas, Mathur, & Miscione, fortcoming). The impact analysis is based on the indicators of impoverishment risks due to displacement and resettlement formulated by Cernea (2000a) in his Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) model. The findings indicates the presence of the following forms of impoverishment which Cernea proposed for the displacees: significant loss in household assets, increased joblessness or unemployment, loss of access to common services, increased health risks, marginalisation and social disarticulation, all of which have compounded their vulnerability and chances of falling deeper into poverty. The paper also argues that compared to off-site and on-site resettlement displacees were less affected by negative consequences and impoverishment risks. The paper concludes with recommendations for slum resettlement policies of local government so that impoverishment risks can be reasonably averted.

Landfill mining in Austria: foundations for an integrated ecological and economic assessment.

For the first time, basic technical and economic studies for landfill mining are being carried out in Austria on the basis of a pilot project. An important goal of these studies is the collection of elementary data as the basis for an integrated ecological and economic assessment of landfill mining projects with regard to their feasibility. For this purpose, economic, ecological, technical, organizational, as well as political and legal influencing factors are identified and extensively studied in the article. An important aspect is the mutual influence of the factors on each other, as this can significantly affect the development of an integrated assessment system. In addition to the influencing factors, the definition of the spatial and temporal system boundaries is crucial for further investigations. Among others, the quality and quantity of recovered waste materials, temporal fluctuations or developments in prices of secondary raw material and fuels attainable in the markets, and time and duration of dumping, play a crucial role. Based on the investigations, the spatial system boundary is defined in as much as all the necessary process steps, from landfill mining, preparing and sorting to providing a marketable material/product by the landfill operator, are taken into account. No general accepted definition can be made for the temporal system boundary because the different time-related influencing factors necessitate an individual project-specific determination and adaptation to the facts of the on-site landfill mining project.

A framework for an automated and integrated project scheduling and management system

Abstract Construction projects are becoming progressively larger and more complex in terms of physical size and cost. Building information modeling (BIM) is being regarded as a revolutionary change for managing the entire lifecycle of a construction project. However, the information provided by BIM cannot fulfill the requirements of on-site project scheduling and management. This paper presents a BIM-based framework with the function of developing the near-optimum schedule plan according to project objectives and project constraints for project scheduling and management. An automated database management system, a schedule simulation system, and a MD (multi-dimensional) CAD model creator provide a reliable platform for the proposed framework. To verify the concept and test the feasibility of this framework, a computer implementation called NDSM (N-Dimensional project Scheduling and Management system) was developed and implemented in a construction project.

Plant life-cycle information management in nuclear new build

This paper considers the challenges to the UK nuclear programme, such as data integration across the project life cycle and a limited skilled workforce, and presents a point of view and strategy for future new build projects. A systems integration approach is suggested to help the industry meet the safety, programme, budgetary and quality needs of this major infrastructure programme. This integrated platform approach, called Plant Lifecycle Information Management (PlantLIM), is designed to manage the transition of data across the design, construction, commissioning, and operation phases of the plant life cycle, thus maintaining data quality and integrity through the life of the plant. Data relate to: (a) process, with robust configuration management to maintain design control through the plant life cycle; (b) technology, with configuration management information systems for a single version of the truth, clear requirements management and traceability; (c) collaboration, where construction control centres are provided for supply chain collaboration; and (d) resource optimisation, comprising technology-based solutions to make best use of a limited workforce. Although the focus is on new build, the approach is equally relevant to plant life extensions and on-site projects.

Service Learning through Global Engineering in Jabal Al-Natheef, Jordan: A Case Study

The Global Design Team (GDT) Jordan project coordinated by Purdue University’s Global Engineering Program (GEP) brought together an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students with the goal of enhancing the waste management practices of a community in Amman, Jordan. Through frequent communications with members of the host community and Ruwwad, The Arab Foundation for Sustainable Development, a not-for-profit organization working with this community, the team identified local needs and researched the feasibility ofpotential solutions. Students took a three-part approach which utilized the principles of engineering, education, and entrepreneurship to provide an integrated solution to the challenges of waste management in a developing area. Students developed a team structure that facilitatedinterdisciplinary collaboration and maximized the intellectual diversity of the team. The final onsite project consisted of workshops for the women in the host community to assist them in acquiring skills in paper recycling and journal making. A manual with information on composting relevant to the community was prepared and delivered. This paper presents the lessons learned from the project experience, including understanding cultural barriers, interpreting requirements from project partner organizations, and using effective communications skills for both inter-team collaboration and effective dialogue with external partners.

The greenhouse gas mitigation of industrial parks in China: A case study of Suzhou Industrial Park

Climate mitigation at the local level plays a highly important role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation. This research presents a summary of the local efforts in China’s ecological industrial parks (EIPs) to assess GHG emissions and identify potential mitigation measures. Through field study and interviews in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), in Jiangsu Province, we conducted an energy-based GHG emissions inventory for SIP area from 2005–2010, with forecasts to 2015. The area emitted a total of 10.30 MMT CO2E in 2010. Three development strategies including business-as-usual (BAU), existing and pending regulations (EPR) and voluntary mitigating efforts (VME) were introduced to estimate the energy-related GHG emissions in 2015. The results projected that emissions will increase to 17.16Mt in 2015 with no change in policy or practice, but 3.42Mt of emissions are avoidable with full compliance with national and provincial energy policies (1.41Mt), as well as local efforts (2.01Mt). This study furthers the understanding of the potential effectiveness of carbon reduction strategies of industrial parks in China, including the development industrial symbiosis (IS) and on-site renewable energy projects.

Putting service back into public service: The transformation of Botswana's immigration services

AbstractPoor customer service at Botswana's Department of Immigration and Citizenship placed its home ministry, Labour and Home Affairs, in the bottom tier of performance rankings and made it a frequent target of criticism. After identifying the root causes of the breakdown in service, the department's leaders used a transformational approach to sharply improve customer relations. Its key elements were a focus on the organization's quality culture, management intervention, on‐site improvement projects, and nontraditional engagements with staff. The awards and testimonials that followed demonstrate that a government organization that concentrates on improving the service‐mindedness of its staff can make rapid, profound, and sustainable gains in the delivery of customer service. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementing patient question-prompt lists into routine cancer care

ObjectiveTo examine the feasibility and acceptability of routine provision of patient question prompt lists (QPLs) to promote patient participation and patient–clinician communication in medical consultations. MethodsFour cancer centres across NSW, Australia (two rural, two urban) were invited to participate, involving distribution of QPLs to patients seeing a medical or radiation oncologist, or palliative care clinician. Patients rated their satisfaction after their next consultation. Cancer specialists provided their views at the end of the study. ResultsSixty-four percent (389/606) of patients attending consultations received a QPL. Of patients offered a QPL (426), 91% accepted. Of 139 patients surveyed post-consultation, 89% reported reading the QPL and, of these, 44% referred to the QPL during the consultation at least once. All of 10 cancer specialists providing their views post-implementation reported that QPL implementation in routine practice was feasible and did not strain resources. ConclusionsCancer patients and cancer specialists showed support for routine dissemination of the QPL. Practice implicationsFor successful implementation of evidence-based tools we recommend promotion by local clinical champions, negotiation with clinic staff about dissemination methods, raised patient awareness through on-site project facilitators, media, consumer and support groups, and availability of resources in hard copy and via online sources.

Detoxification of chromium-containing slag by Achromobacter sp. CH-1 and selective recovery of chromium

Based on the principle of bacterial leaching and bacterial metallurgy, a novel technology for the detoxification of chromium-containing slag by Achromobacter sp. CH-1 and chromium recovery was proposed. Strain CH-1 cell morphology before and after Cr(VI) reduction was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the reduction product is found to adhere to terminals of CH-1 cells. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses reveal that the main component of the reduction product is Cr(VI). Furthermore, small and large-scale demonstration projects reveal that Achromobacter sp. can be used to detoxify chromium-containing slag and to selectively recover chromium by using this novel technique. Chromium recovery rate increases with decreasing particle sizes of chromium-containing slag and slagheap height. Chromium recovery rates in 10 t/batch and 20 t/batch of on-site demonstration projects for chromium-containing slag detoxification are more than 90%.

Building capacity in health facility management: guiding principles for skills transfer in Liberia

BackgroundManagement training is fundamental to developing human resources for health. Particularly as Liberia revives its health delivery system, facility and county health team managers are central to progress. Nevertheless, such management skills are rarely prioritized in health training, and sustained capacity building in this area is limited. We describe a health management delivery program in which a north and south institution collaborated to integrate classroom and field-based training in health management and to transfer the capacity for sustained management development in Liberia.MethodsWe developed and implemented a 6-month training program in health management skills (i.e. strategic problem solving, financial management, human resource management and leadership) delivered by Yale University and Mother Patern College from Liberia, with support from the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Over three 6-month cycles, responsibility for course instruction was transferred from the north institution to the south institution. A self-administered survey was conducted of all participants completing the course to measure changes in self-rated management skills, the degree to which the course was helpful and met its stated objectives, and faculty members' responsiveness to participant needs as the transfer process occurred.ResultsRespondents (n = 93, response rate 95.9%) reported substantial improvement in self-reported management skills, and rated the helpfulness of the course and the degree to which the course met its objectives highly. Levels of improvement and course ratings were similar over the three cohorts as the course was transferred to the south institution. We suggest a framework of five elements for implementing successful management training programs that can be transferred and sustained in resource-limited settings, including: 1) use a short-course format focusing on four key skill areas with practical tools; 2) include didactic training, on-site projects, and on-site mentoring; 3) collaborate with an in-country academic institution, willing and able to scale-up and maintain the training; 4) provide training for the in-country academic faculty; and 5) secure Ministry-level support to ensure participation.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate key elements for scaling up and replicating educational initiatives that address management skills essential for long-term health systems strengthening in resource-poor settings.

Engaging Hispanic Students in Agricultural Education and the FFA: A Three-Year Case Study

This article describes the outcomes of field-based efforts to increase diversity in agricultural education programs and the FFA. This study focused on three schools in San Antonio, Texas. Guided by Rogers' (2003) theories of diffusion of innovations, a series of six intervention strategies was implemented: (a) provide specific FFA or agricultural education experiences for student opinion leaders; (b) provide specific experiences for parents, alumni, boosters, and school administrators (champions and opinion leaders); (c) provide professional development for teachers (ensure compatibility); (d) introduce new curricula to allow for an expansion of the agricultural education program (trialability); (e) provide access to an on-site project advisor (change agent); and (f) provide project leadership and oversight through a partnership among university faculty members and National FFA staff. Evidence indicated that all three schools increased Hispanic enrollment in their agricultural education program and membership in the FFA. Each school experienced an increase in the number of Hispanic students participating in local, state, and national FFA activities. Additionally, each school increased the total number of local, state, and national FFA activities in which they participated. The three schools established FFA alumni chapters with parents and/or boosters engaged in activities to support students.

PROCESS MODELS AND DISTRIBUTION OF WORK IN OFFSHORING APPLICATION SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Common process models for the development of application software (AS) are examined as to how well they are suited for offshoring projects. The need for communication and interaction among onsite and offshore project stakeholders is identified as a critical success factor. Process models used by organizations providing offshoring services are discussed, and a generalized offshoring life cycle model is developed. A specific focus is set on the distribution of work between the organization that outsources AS development and the offshore organization that carries out the major share of the development work. Problems and challenges that have to be faced, making offshoring a difficult task, are discussed.

Field Airborne Sound Insulation of Party Walls: A Means of Prediction Based on Statistical Analysis

This review presents airborne noise test results collected over the last eight years during the Auckland apartment boom and aims to improve the industry's information base when considering the difference between walls of known laboratory performance and the measured field performance for the same nominal wall construction. Statistical analysis of the field results collected for various drywall constructions is presented in STC, R′w and DnT, w criteria with subsequent guidance when establishing and negotiating suitable on-site project criterion for multi-level construction contracts. Probabilities of achievement of various ratings are provided based on four projects using three wall types. Given the desire within the New Zealand industry to offer an upgrade on the existing site rating of FSTC 50, the authors suggest an R′w rating in the low 50 dB range is appropriate and achievable.

Policymaking for microgrids

Technically, microgrids are emerging as an outgrowth of dispersed on-site and embedded generation via the application of emerging technologies, especially power electronic interfaces and modern controls, and similarly, microgrid economic and regulatory analysis is generally rooted in the same approaches used to evaluate distributed energy resources (DER). As in the economics of many traditional on-site generation projects, the economics of heat recovery and its application by combined heat and power (CHP) systems is central to the evaluation of microgrids, and integration of this capability is a key requirement whenever CHP appears as an option. The recovery of waste heat offers a key advantage to generation close to loads but at the same time adds significantly to analysis complexity because of the need to simultaneously meet requirements for electricity and heat, plus the inevitability of storage, both active and passive, entering the equation. More novel is the economics of power quality and reliability (PQR), which in microgrids can potentially be tailored to the requirements of end uses in a manner only considered to a limited degree in utility-scale system; e.g., by interruptible tariff options. The economics of microgrids arises from evaluation methods for on-site generation from the customer perspective and from the traditional utility economics of expansion planning from the utility perspective. Both of these areas have received considerable attention, so a growing toolkit exists, but methods need reinforcement in some key regards. Central to public policymaking will be consideration of the societal impact of microgrids, especially since their adoption may change macrogrid requirements.

Communicating in Dynamic Conditions: How Do On-Site Construction Project Managers Do It?

A great many of today's construction projects are characterized by high levels of dynamics, namely, the combined effect of complexity, uncertainty, and speed. Managing projects under such conditions is difficult and challenging, and the question is asked: How do managers do it? Aspiring to answer this question, ten excellent on-site construction project managers were systematically observed during one workweek each, within an extensive study that examined their performance in their dynamic management environments. The structured observation and documentation and the analysis that followed them enabled us to characterize the managers' work and exposed their unique modes of operation through which they consistently excel in their work. Among many aspects addressed by the said study, this paper focuses on communication and, using various measures, examines the intensiveness and extensiveness of communication performed by the PMs in the broad context of their work. The study found that the on-site construction PMs were strongly oriented toward verbal communication of information (during nearly 80% of their activities and time); they spent a major portion of their workdays in meetings (during 60% of their activities, and of which nearly 80% were unplanned); and they showed clear preference for interacting informally with no more than one or two other persons (during 93% of their activities and 88% of the time). The unique knowledge base resulting from this study constitutes a potential contribution for practitioners who are required to function in similar dynamic work environments, as well as for students, teachers, and researchers of construction management.

苫小牧高専における国際化推進プログラムについて

We introduce the internationalization promotion program conducted in Tomakomai National College of Technology (TNCT) . In order for the students to improve their international understanding and communication skills, the program was undertaken by means of collaborative education and distance education. TNCT delegates consisting of 2 teachers, 6 students, an office staff, and an engineer were sent to New Zealand, and worked on a project in cooperation with faculty members of Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawke′s Bay (EIT) . The students explored environmental issues through discussions with other international students. At the end of the two-week on-site project, they reported the result via a video conferencing system. Additionally, this system served as a medium for international exchange in an intercultural communication class. Since the most of the students did not go to NZ, it was a good opportunity for them to communicate with people overseas. We discuss the effectiveness of both the collaborative education on practical topics and the distance education using a video conferencing system.