Practical Connection Assignment Varsha Yadav Avula Universit

Practical Connection Assignmentvarsha Yadav Avulauniversity Of The Cum

In this final reflection, I would like to discuss how various strategies of operational excellence that I studied in this course have been applied at my work place. I work as a Quality Analyst for A&E media company. After spending a month studying this course and writing weekly papers as part of assignments, I was able to perform my day-to-day job responsibilities more effectively, and my Manager was also very satisfied with my approach to tasks. The papers I wrote helped me revisit and reinforce concepts covered in the course's presentations.

This course has enhanced my knowledge regarding operations, from operational structure to project management. I learned about quality improvement techniques such as Six Sigma and total quality management, which I used to improve existing processes. Before this course, I lacked confidence in engaging with project phases beyond my scope, but now I feel comfortable working across teams because I understand operations from different perspectives. I utilized principles of Lean Six Sigma and organized Kaizen projects to identify inefficiencies and eliminate unnecessary steps, reducing delays in service delivery to clients.

I applied risk mitigation principles to anticipate possible project failures and took preventive measures. I frequently employed quality management principles during root cause analysis to resolve defects and identify improvement opportunities. Using control charts, I monitored process variations over time, which helped reduce variability and enhance productivity. Additionally, I performed value stream mapping—a technique I had not previously practiced—that provided insights into process flow and waste reduction.

The principles learned in this course broadened my operational knowledge and expanded my career scope. I applied process design principles to suggest innovative ideas for process enhancement and delivering greater value to clients. Inventory management techniques helped me pinpoint areas with excessive idle time and remove steps that did not contribute value. These ideas resulted in a more flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable process. Studying office ergonomics also made me aware that even small repetitive motions can lead to significant waste, prompting changes in my work environment and habits to improve efficiency.

Discussion Questions

1. Are computers tools changing the way construction estimating has been done in the past?

2. Discuss why we need to differentiate between direct and indirect overheads in construction?

References

  • Aziz, R. F., & Darwish, H. A. (2019). Impact of Technology in Construction Cost Estimation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145(4), 05019004.
  • El-adawy, M., & Ismail, A. (2020). Construction Cost Estimation Using Building Information Modeling. Automation in Construction, 118, 103265.
  • Gao, S., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Advances in Construction Cost Estimation and Management. Construction Innovation, 21(3), 345-360.
  • Hendrickson, C., & Au, T. (2019). Project Management for Construction. Pearson.
  • Kamara, J., & Anumba, C. (2020). Construction Cost Estimation and Control. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Li, H., & Zhang, X. (2020). Integrating Lean and Six Sigma for Construction Process Improvement. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(12), 04020083.
  • Oberlender, G. D. (2019). Project Management for Engineering and Construction. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Sweis, R., & Al-Shalueh, M. (2018). Overhead Cost Management in Construction Projects. International Journal of Construction Management, 18(2), 136-147.
  • Wang, J., & Chan, W. (2022). The Role of Technology in Construction Cost Management. Journal of Management in Engineering, 38(1), 04021094.
  • Zhao, Z., & Shen, Q. (2021). Cost Estimation and Control in Construction. In Handbook of Construction Management (pp. 215-235). CRC Press.

Related Assignments