DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE MARKETING - Essay Example Company profile and concept Aviva plc is one of the world’s largest insurance companies. It has about 46000 employees and 28 countries. In UK the company’s strategy is to establish itself as a single global organization that is relatively quicker at fulfilling customer needs. And to support this strategy of theirs they needed a modern human capital management system. Later in 2010 Aviva introduced workday as a global solution to this concern. (Stobbart) Aviva has been a market leader in UK and was best known with its older name which was Norwich union. The company’s main spheres of operations are in Europe and although it offers general insurance and other financial services, it generates most of its revenues from pensions and life insurance. The marketing team of aviva takes care of its marketing and retention strategies, member benefit development for the health insurance business and product strategy. Aviva’s sales team looks after the development and d elivery of sales of aviva in its markets Issues with online presence When Aviva started to venture online it met different degrees of success. However some issues faced by the company with its online presence was because of the conservative nature of the insurance industry. There are quite a lot of technical issues that are becoming a problem. Also the complexity of all the technology involved in internet marketing has been very challenging for the company. Much of the technology used by Aviva is used to automate instead of changing already existing business processes. (Ward) The basic problem with the use of websites in internet marketing is that most of the times websites don’t appear in internet results for search words related to your business as a result of which your customers end up never having an access to your website. (Ashmore) In Aviva’s case Aviva has found online solutions for increasing its efficiency and to cut down on some paper work. These online solu tions mainly focus on the needs of financial advisers. This was launched by Aviva in the UK. (Staff) Developing online strategy using new tools understanding and definitions This solution is for advisors e-commerce platform that was launched in June 2009 and now provides to around 40 000 investors tax, product and technical support related information. (Mail) One of the new features added to the company now make the advisors capable of monitoring and switching funds online on more than about 1.6 million investment bonds, group, stakeholder and individual personal pensions New feature is e-documents which provide the advisors an access to electronic version of client correspondence. (Stobbart) The online funds switch solution also has some other features like now customer signatures are not required as the online services get hold of the entire customer’s information and removes the need for their signature every time a switch is needed. Moreover, the policy fund research tool lets the advisors know which funds are available to switch and an online compliance record of each switch is available. Lastly, a client confirmation letter is automatically issued for each client after every fund switch is done. (Publications) (Berthon) Now talking about the e- documents system, it gives to the advisors access

Portrayal of Family in Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Portrayal of Family in Huckleberry Finn Essay Huck is a kind of natural philosopher, skeptical of social doctrines, and willing to set forth new ideas. However, when it comes to the idea of a family, Huck is ignorant in all ways. Nevertheless, Huck’s adventures throughout the novel present him with opportunities to gain the family that he has secretly wanted all his life because of his lack of compassion from his remaining family. This new discovery to a family begins with Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer initiated himself as the decision-maker, with Huck listeing without argument, much like a big brother little brother relationship. In the first few chapters of the book, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are established as foils for each other-characters whose actions and traits contrast each other in a way that gives readers a better understanding of both characters. Due to these contrasts, Tom has established himself as Huck’s older brother. Later on in the book, Huck comes across the Grangerford family. The Grangerford family is a tragic family in a huge predicament similar to Romeo and Juliet. Huck finds himself attached to the family in a way. â€Å"Everybody loved to have him (Col. Grangerford) around, too; he was sunshine most always-I mean he made it seem like good weather. † Huck cries over Buck’s body because Huck has begun to think of Buck as a friend as well as a brother. Huck finds the feud that the Gangerford’s have with the Shepherdson’s unnecessary and harmful, and believes it will only bring hurt and loss to both sides, which it inevitably does. The future losses, which are inescapable hurt Huck because he feels connected to each family member in a different way, even the dead sister, Emmeline. Throughout all these situations that Huck goes through, Jim has supported him, even when Jim was not with Huck at every time. Jim first met up with Huck on the island. Jim escaped Widow Douglas’s home because he was to be sold down south, which would separate Jim from his family forever. Jim is hands down the most important person to Huck throughout the novel, putting himself in a category as one of Huck’s new family members. Jim has been associated as Huck’s father figure. During their time together, Jim and Huck make up a sort of alternative family in an alternative place, apart from society. Huck escaped from society for adventure and a new life, while Jim has escaped from society so that he wouldn’t be separated from his family by being sold down south. Jim is based off of his love, whether it’s for his family or his growing love for Huck. Jim was thought of by Huck as a stupid, ignorant slave in the beginning of the novel, but as Huck spends more time with Jim, Huck realizes that Jim has a different kind of knowledge based off of his years as well as his experiences with love. In the incidents of the floating house and Jim’s snakebite, Jim uses his knowledge to benefit both of them but also seeks to protect Huck. Jim is less imprisoned by conventional wisdom than Huck, who has grown up at least partly in mainstream white society. Jim proves his humanity to Huck by baring himself emotionally to Huck, expressing a longing for his family and his guilt when Jim mentions the time he beat his daughter when she did not deserve it. Nevertheless, throughout their time together, Huck has still had the idea of turning Jim in. Huck searches the social and religious belief systems that white society has taught him for a way out of his predicament about turning Jim in. In the end, Huck is unable to pray because he cannot truly believe in these systems, for he cares too much about Jim to deny Jim’s existence and humanity. â€Å"It was a close place. I took . . . up (the letter I’d written to Miss Watson), and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell†Ã¢â‚¬â€and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming†. The logical consequences of Huck’s action as well as Huck’s growing affection for Jim, rather than the lessons society has taught him, drive Huck to tear up the letter. Though he does not admit this truth to himself, Huck trades his fate for Jim’s and as a result, accepts the life of a black man as equal to is own. By helping the doctor treat Tom after Tom was shot in the leg as well as shielding Huck from seeing his father’s corpse, Jim affirms that he is not only a decent human being, but also a model father. Huck’s feelings about society and the adult world are based on his negative experience, the main one being Huck’s drunk abusive father, â€Å"Pap†. â€Å"Paphe hadn’t been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn’t want to see him no more†. Although Huck was free from his father for a long time, the new judge in town returns Huck to Pap because he privileges Pap’s â€Å"rights† over Huck’s welfare, much like the relationship between a slave and a master. The judge fails to take into account Pap’s drunkenness and abusive past, which puts Huck in a sizable predicament. Because of Pap’s abusive nature and drunkenness, Pap fails Huck in providing Huck with a set of beliefs and values that are consistent and satisfying to Huck, making Pap fail as a father figure in another way. Although Pap is a hideous, hateful man in nearly every aspect, Huck does not immediately abandon him when given the chance. Huck is grasping on the final thread he has of family. Huck truly believes in the sense of family, and desperately wants it, but at the same time, is scared by the idea (won’t let Widow Douglas close). By placing hope in the wrong person (Pap), Huck misses out on the possibility of a good family with Widow Douglas. As apposed to Jim, who represents the best of white society even though he is black, Pap represents the worst of white society: he is illiterate, ignorant, violent, and profoundly racist. Though to a very small degree, Huck has been led to believe the same. Pap represents the true evil in the book, making Huck’s belief in a family cynical and saddened. Through Huck’s adventures on the Mississippi River, he has created new homes for himself at the locations of his new family members as well as comfort zones for Huck. Huck and Jim, both alienated from society in fundamental ways, first find home on the island where they meet up. The island provides a pastoral, dreamlike setting: a safe peaceful place where food is abundant. Through two incidents on the island (the floating house and Jim’s snake bit), Huck and Jim are reminded that no location is safe for them. Because of this Jim and Huck leave on a raft as an escape from both being caught, as well as civilization and society as well. â€Å"We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. † Huck and Jim’s raft becomes a sort of haven of brotherhood, equality, and growing affection, as both find refuge and peace from a society that has treated them badly. Compared to the outrageous incidents onshore, the raft represents a retreat from the outside world, the site of simple pleasures and good companionship. Huck and Jim do not have to answer to anyone on the raft, and it represents a kind of utopian life for them. They try to maintain this idyllic separation from society and its problems, but as the raft makes its way southward, unsavory influences from onshore repeatedly invade the world of the raft. In a sense, Twain’s portrayal of life on the raft and the river is a romantic one, but tempered by the realistic knowledge that the evils and problems of the world are inescapable. Through different events, Huck ends up at the Phelps’s’ house. Although the reason Huck goes to the Phelps’s’ house in the first place is to find Jim, he still finds a sense of home there. When caught creeping around the house, Huck was caught. Aunt Sally came out, mistaking him for her nephew, who is inevitably Tom Sawyer. Huck pretends to be his best friend Tom so that he could find a way to help Jim as well as stay out of trouble. Although Aunt Sally thinks Huck is Tom, she still gives off that motherly vibe, even after Huck mentions his deception. After the final escape, the Phelp’s house seems to come to even more life then it was before. Aunt Sally smothers the boys, Aunt Polly scolds, and everyone bumbles along Ultimately, readers are left questioning the meaning of what we has been read: perhaps Twain means the novel as a reminder that life is ultimately a matter of imperfect information and ambiguous situations, and that the best one can do is to follow one’s head and heart. Perhaps Twain means also to say that black Americans may be free in a technical sense, but that they remain chained by a society that refuses to acknowledge their rightful and equal standing as individuals. Unfortunately, these questions seldom have straightforward answers, and thus the ending of the novel contains as many new problems as solutions.

Arbitration Case: Discharge Of Peter Seichek :: essays research papers

Arbitration Case: Discharge of Peter Seichek Closing Statement Mr. Arbitrator, the termination of the employment of Mr. Seichek, by the Wheelwright Corporation, was for his "sleeping on the job". Lets examine this stated reason - in the light of the evidence provided by witness testimony and contained within Mr. Seichek's personnel record. 1) Mr. Holloday testified that he and Mr. White, the third shift supervisor, observed Mr. Seichek, wearing his welding hood, sitting or leaning against the ladder, "apparently" asleep. Further, Mr. Holloday stated that he called to Mr. Seichek six or seven times to get his attention. Mr. Seichek was then directed to accompany Mr. Holloday and Mr. White to the office. In the office, Mr. Holloday told Mr. Seichek that he had been caught sleeping before, and that his absenteeism was excessive, and therefore was being suspended. Mr. Arbitrator, they found Mr. Seichek at his work station, wearing his protective clothing, waiting for a co-worker to return with needed parts, in order to continue the job. With the welding hood on, they could not positively determine that he was asleep, and six or seven calls to get his attention in the noisy, factory atmosphere is not extreme. In reference to having been caught sleeping before, Mr. Holloday, testified that on August 16,1982, that he found Mr. Seichek asleep in the reception area and on August 17, he was found asleep on a tool box near the time clock. In both instances, Mr. Holloday awakened him, directed him to clock in and return to work. Mr. Seichek complied with this direction. Mr. Holloday went on to state that these instances annoyed him, but since Mr. Seichek was on break and not "on the clock", that he (Holloday) should not and did not issue a formal, verbal warning or make any notation concerning these incidents in Mr. Seichek's record. 2) Mr. Lewis, the third shift steward, gave testimony that it has been a common practice for employees to sleep during their break periods and to occasionally doze on the job. This corresponds with Mr. Holloday's testimony concerning his decision not to issue a formal verbal warning to Mr. Seichek after he (Holloday) found him asleep during break. Of further note, Mr. Lewis stated that heard Mr. Holloday use an ethnic slur when referring to Mr. Seichek sleeping on the job. This raises a question as to the objectivity of Mr. Holloday with regard to his supervision of Mr. Seichek. On the morning of December 3, 1982, Mr. Holloday notified Ms. Delores Lopez, the Personnel Assistant, that he had suspended Mr. Seichek pending possible discharge because he had found him sleeping on the job.

Building Lifecycle

LIFE-CYCLE OF BUILDINGS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE , UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS OF SCIENCE (BSc) IN ARCHITECTURE BY WHENU MAUTON . A. 100501059 OCTOBER 2011 Building Life Cycle refers to the view of a building over the course of its entire life-in other words,viewing it not just as an operational building,but also taking into account the design,installation,commissioning,operation and decommissioning phases.It is used to use this view when attempting to improve an operational feature of a building that is related to how a building was designed for instance,overall energy conservation. In the vast majority of cases there is less than sufficient effort put into designing a building to be energy efficient and hence large inefficiencies are incurred in the operational phase . Current research is ongoing in exploring methods of incorporating a whole life cycle view of buildings,rather than just focusi ng in the operational phase as is the current situation.Building life-cycle is in the stages listed below: * Extraction Of Building Materials * Processing Of Building Materials * Designing Of Building * Construction Of Building * Occupancy/Maintenance * Demolition/Disposal * Destruction And Material Re-Use * Design For Deconstruction * Diagram showing building life-cycle. DECONSTRUCTION Deconstruction is a technique practitioners are using to salvage valuable building materials, reduce the amount of waste they send to landfills, and mitigate other environmental impacts.It is the disassembly of a building and the recovery of its materials, often thought of as construction in reverse. Today, the appreciation of the lifespan and value of materials has become diminished in the context of a more disposable society in which new is assumed to be better. Technological innovation and increased availability of materials, coupled with a growing economy, population, and desire for more individu alized space, has increased the demand for commercial and residential development, typically using new materials.According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the size of an average home in the United States jumped 45 percent between 1970 and 2002, from 1,500 to over 2,200 square feet, while the number of people living in each home decreased from an average of 3. 2 people to 2. 6 people. This meant more demolition, and renovation, of older structures to allow for new and bigger structures. Demolition using heavy equipment is the traditional process for building removal. Modern demolition equipment removes structures quickly, destroying the materials within and creating solid waste destined for landfills.Some recycling does occur during the demolition process, most typically concrete, brick, metal, asphalt pavement, and wood. However, landfill costs in many states are still low, enabling wasteful disposal practices. Although certain areas in the United States are beg inning to restrict disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in order to promote recycling and reuse (see Section 3), some states still have local landfill tipping fees as low as $9. 95 per cubic yard. Environmental impacts from construction and demolition activities are sizeable, both upstream and downstream.Large amounts of energy and resources go into the production of new building materials. RESOURCES NOT WASTE Deconstruction advocates are working to change the perception that older building materials are â€Å"waste. † In fact, many of these materials are valuable resources. However, according to EPA, only 20 to 30 percent of building-related C&D material was recycled or reused in 1996. 10 This gap presents an opportunity to capture valuable resources. Deconstruction is becoming a complement to or a substitute for demolition worldwide, including in the United States where a market is emerging.Brad Guy, a leader in the deconstruction field and president of the B uilding Materials Reuse Association, has found that there are currently over 250 active deconstruction programs throughout the United States. Such programs recognize the potential and benefits of this process, which include:  ¦ Reduction of Waste and Debris— According to the Deconstruction Institute, in order to sustain human society into the next century, resource efficiency will have to increase by a factor of 10. The materials salvaged through deconstruction help replenish the construction materials market, rather than add to the amount of waste in landfills.In fact, studies indicate that deconstruction can reduce construction site waste by 50 to 70 percent. 11 This not only helps extend the life of the existing landfills, but also decreases disposal costs for developers by minimizing the amount of building related C&D material they are responsible for at the end of a project. EMBODIED ENERGY A major factor in determining a building’s lifecycle impact, Embodied En ergy is the amount of energy consumed to produce a product, in this case building materials. This includes the energy needed to:  ¦ Mine or harvest natural resources and raw materials; Manufacture the materials; and  ¦ Transport the materials. By extending the life of building materials, deconstruction and materials reuse preserve this embodied energy, minimizing the need for further energy use.  ¦ Resource Conservation and Emissions Reduction—Deconstruction helps preserve a material’s â€Å"embodied energy† (see text box) and extends the life of natural resources already harvested. 13 This minimizes the need to produce new materials—in turn saving more natural resources and reducing production impacts such as emissions.For instance, a dominant benefit of deconstruction and the reuse of salvaged materials is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Using materials salvaged from deconstruction projects also reduces the demand to ship materials typi cally sourced and manufactured long distances from their ultimate use. This helps support the local economy as well as further reduce air emissions. Deconstructing a building also provides the opportunity to recycle any of the material that cannot be reused. Although the recycling process uses some energy and raw materials, and emits pollution, it is still a more sustainable option than disposing of materials. 4  ¦ Economics Benefi ts—New end use markets, including salvaged material resellers and other small businesses, are being created to support deconstruction activities. Other economic benefits include job creation, workforce development training, lower building material cost, and revenue generation through salvaged materials sales. Avoided demolition debris disposal costs are a benefit when considering the transportation and disposal costs, as well as disposal restrictions, in certain U. S. states.Additionally, property owners can realize tax deductions that include th e value of the building and its materials if they are donated to a non-profi t organization. MATERIALS RE-USE Building materials may retain structural or aesthetic value beyond their lifespan in a given building. This value is captured through materials reuse, a practice that can occur independently from or in conjunction with deconstruction and other lifecycle construction activities. As a component of lifecycle construction, it is an essential step in completing the loop.The concept of â€Å"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle† identifies reuse as midway between initial reduction of resource use and resource recycling in a hierarchy of limiting environmental impact. Reducing initial resource use avoids the impact entirely, as well as any need for reuse or recycling. However, reusing materials is preferable to recycling them because less remanufacturing and processing is required, and less associated waste is generated. In its broadest definition, materials reuse is the practice of incor porating previously used materials into new projects.In the context of lifecycle construction, salvaging finish features, stripping interior components, and deconstruction all make building materials available for reuse. Similar to deconstruction, the major benefit of materials reuse is the resource and energy use that is avoided by reducing the production of new materials. Materials reuse also salvages materials with characteristics that are generally unavailable in new materials. For example, lumber with desirable structural and aesthetic qualities such as large dimensions (especially timbers) and knot-free fine grain can be found in walls of old buildings.Such items have a high reuse value as a combined structural and finished surface piece. Note that it is less important what species of tree the wood came from than the way it has been used and the state it is in after such use. Certain challenges accompany the numerous benefits of this critical step in the lifecycle construction process. These include the need to verify material quality (e. g. , lumber grade) and the variability of available material quantities, which fluctuate with the level of deconstruction activity.This section describes the opportunities for materials reuse, the market for reusable materials, and challenges associated with materials reuse. Three case studies at the end of the section highlight projects that incorporate materials reuse. The first case study describes a joint venture deconstruction/materials reuse project that features immediate reuse of salvaged materials. The second case study describes a residential construction project that incorporates significant amounts of reusable materials. The third case study highlights a used building materials retail store within the growing market for reusable materials.IMPLEMENTATION OF MATERIALS REUSE Materials reuse can occur on both large and small scales. Depending on the availability of materials and the desired future use, materials reuse can involve: a) whole buildings, b) building assemblies, c) building components, d) remanufacturing of building components, and/or e) reuse of individual building materials without modifications to them. These are defi ned below. a) Whole Building—Involves relatively minor changes to a building’s structure that often adapt it to a new use (e. g. , transforming a factory into lofts). ) Building Assemblies—Defined as â€Å"a collection of parts fitted together into a complete structure† (e. g. , pre-fabricated walls). 28 c) Building Components—May be subassemblies or other structures that are not complete on their own (e. g. doors with jambs). d) Remanufacturing—Adds value to a material by modifying it (e. g. , re-milling framing lumber for use as trim. Note that this differs somewhat from recycling because the wood is not entirely reprocessed, and retains its basic form). e) Building Materials—Reuse of any individual type of mat erial such as lumber or stone (e. . , brick from an old structure used in a new landscape design without modifying it). Individual building materials and finish pieces are the most commonly reused. Primary among these is lumber, but steel beams, stone, brick, tile, glass, gypsum, and plasterboard, as well as doors, windows, and cabinets are also routinely successfully reused. At a larger scale, building components are ideal for reuse, while the ultimate reuse includes entire building assemblies, such as panelized walls or floors that can be wholly incorporated into new projects.To help promote more materials reuse and recycling, the City of Seattle produced an â€Å"index of materials reuse† that identifies suitable materials for reuse, recyclable materials, and those that should be disposed of, as well as information on potential environmental and health concerns associated with some materials. A NEW APPROACH TO BUILDING DESIGN As society continues to face significant waste and pollution impacts related to conventional building design, renovation, and removal practices, innovators are imagining a future where buildings are designed to consume fewer resources and generate less waste throughout their lifecycle.Building industry professionals are pioneering the concept of Design for Deconstruction (DfD), sometimes referred to as Design for Disassembly, a technique whose goal is to consider a building’s entire lifecycle in its original design. This includes the sustainable management of all resource flows associated with a building including design, manufacturing of construction materials, operation, renovation, and eventual deconstruction. 51 The typical building lifecycle is a linear one,. Resources are used and eventually discarded with minimal thought of re-cycling or reuse.The environmental impacts of this approach are sizeable. In terms of waste, if housing replacement rates remain unchanged, over the next 50 years 3. 3 billion tons of materia l debris will be created from the demolition of 41 million housing units. Even more dramatic is the fact that, if trends in housing design continue, new homes built during this same time period will result in double the amount of demolition debris, or 6. 6 billion tons, when they are eventually demolished. Beyond these waste issues, the energy consumed to produce building materials is having a huge effect globally.A 1999 United Nations study states that 11 percent of global CO2 emissions come from the production of construction materials. These are the same materials that regularly end up in landfills. 52 The trend in construction practices since the 1950s has only exacerbated these impacts, as buildings progressively contain more complex systems, materials types, and connecting devices, making it more difficult technically, as well as economically, to recover building materials for reuse or recycling.Unless a sustainable lifecycle approach to building is adopted, most building comp onents in the future will become increasingly more non-renewable, non-reuseable, and non-recyclable. INCORPORATING DESIGN FOR DECONSTRUCTION (DFD) Design for deconstruction addresses waste and pollution issues associated with building design and demolition by creating a â€Å"closedloop† building management option that goes against the traditional linear approach (Figure 2). By designing buildings to facilitate future renovations and eventual dismantlement, a building’s systems, components, and materials will be easier to rearrange, recover, and reuse.It is estimated that the average U. S. family moves every 10 years. Over an average 50-year life span, a home may change hands five times and undergo structural changes to meet each occupant’s needs. Thus, there is potential for multiple renovations over a building’s lifetime, as well as complete building removal to make the land available for a newer building – as has been the trend most recently. Df D can proactively address future occupancy flow through a sensible approach that maximizes the economic value of a structure’s materials, while working to reduce environmental impacts from their renovation and/or removal.DfD also creates adaptable structures that can be more readily reshaped to meet changing needs of owners. Incorporating DfD into the design of a building comprises four major design goals. All of these goals combine to minimize the environmental footprint of a building. Reusing existing buildings and materials Architects and developers should, to the extent possible, incorporate reused materials in the construction of new buildings.Besides minimizing waste from disposal of materials from existing building, as well as decreasing resource use and pollution associated with the creation of new materials, incorporating reused materials will help preserve the materials embodied energy, which is the amount of energy consumed to produce the materials . Additionally, supporting the materials reuse market will also help create demand for more used materials. Materials, climatic materials, surface materials, surface treatment Refining process Metals, chemicals cement, fired clay, straw,sawn timber, etc.Extraction process Ore, stone, clay, oil, timber,plants, etc. Mining Drilling Harvesting The Earth Ore Oil Timber Dumping Waste Use Re-use Recycling Buildin (Source—Bjorn Berg, â€Å"The Ecology of Building Materials)Building process REFERENCES * WWW. WIKIPEDIA. ORG * LIFECYCLE CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE GUIDE * EPA Deconstruction and Reuse http://www. epa. gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ debris-new/reuse. htm * EPA Construction and Demolition Debris http://www. epa. gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ debris-new/index. htm VALUE OPTIMIZATION IN RELATION TO BUILDING PROJECTSA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE , UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS OF SCIENCE (BSc) IN ARCHITECTURE BY WHENU MAUTON . A. 10 0501059 OCTOBER 2011 INTEGRATED OPTIMIZATION â€Å"Optimize human enjoyment in the act of production and you optimize production† — W. Edwards Deming The construction industry often mounts initiatives to increase efficiency and productivity, but assumes the initiatives will gain traction within what is arguably a fragmented and therefore dysfunctional industry.The reality is that a healthy, integrated industry needs to first be developed, and then optimized. Increased efficiency and productivity will follow. The three-fold aim of this paper is that the reader understand: * First, the organizational structure is optimized. In the performance paradigm, this includes the clarity of structure, roles and responsibilities — all of which need to be reorganized. This enables lasting and integrated team life (as opposed to reshuffling the team from project to project). The supply chain is also to be consolidated in order that the manufacturers, building products and syst ems are part of the team. Next, the processes are to be optimized. This will be accomplished through: (1) Lean Building, (2) Production Quality, and (3) Process Integration and Automation. * Finally, the object of the performance paradigm — the building itself — is optimized. This requires a management re-orientation toward the total true cost of a development, and the building producers accepting responsibility for the performance of the building operations. While construction productivity has been stagnant — even declining — laments over productivity have been increasing.Productivity is, of course, a function of the  optimization of the production process (productivity = measures of output from process per unit of input). So, to make a given system more productive (whether it's the producer, process or product), the system is â€Å"optimized† to produce more units of output per units of input. With the goal of decisively reversing the productiv ity decline and the lament incline, this paper proposes some optimization strategies for building systems that create an optimized, efficient and super-productive high performance industry producing high erformance buildings. Building construction and operation have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. Buildings use resources such as energy, water and raw materials, generate waste (occupant, construction and demolition) and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. Building owners, designers and builders face a unique challenge to meet demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive while minimizing their impact on the environment.Considering the current economic challenges, retrofitting an existing building can be more cost effective than building a new facility. Designing major renovations and retrofits for existing buildings to include sustainability initiatives reduces operation costs and environmental impa cts, and can increase building resiliency. Source: EPA, 2004 Recent answers to this challenge call for an integrated, synergistic approach that considers all phases of the facility life cycle.This approach, often called â€Å"sustainable design,† supports an increased commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended facility or infrastructure. The main objectives of sustainable design are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create built environments that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive.EPA's New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) achieved a LEED Version 1. 0 Gold rating. From conception the project was charged to â€Å"make use of the best commercially-available materials and te chnologies to minimize consumption of energy and resources and maximize use of natural, recycled and non-toxic materials. † Chelmsford, MA While the definition of sustainable building design is constantly changing, six fundamental principles persist. * Optimize Site/Existing Structure PotentialCreating sustainable buildings starts with proper site selection, including consideration of the reuse or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building affect the local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use. Incorporate Smart growth principles in the project development process, whether it be a single building, campus or military base. Siting for physical security is a critical issue in optimizing site design, including locations of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting.Whether designing a new building or retrofitting an existing building, site design must integrate with sustainable design to achieve a successful project. The site of a sustainable building should reduce, control, and/or treat stormwater runoff. * Optimize Energy Use With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy independence and security increasing, and the impacts of global climate change arising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable energy resources in federal facilities.Improving the energy performance of existing buildings is important to increasing our energy independence. Government and private sector organizations are committing to net zero energy buildings in the next decade or so as a way to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. * Protect and Conserve Water In many parts of the country, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable building should use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use, when feasible. * Use Environmentally Preferable ProductsA sustainable building is construct ed of materials that minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Environmentally preferable materials have a reduced effect on human health and the environment and contribute to improved worker safety and health, reduced liabilities, reduced disposal costs, and achievement of environmental goals. * Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity.Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes daylighting; has appropriate ventilation and moisture control; and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions. Additionally, consider ventilation and filtration to mitigate chemical, biological, and radiological attack. * Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices Considering a building's operating and maintenance issues during the preliminary design phase of a facility will contribute to improv ed working environments, higher productivity, reduced energy and resource costs, and prevented system failures.Encourage building operators and maintenance personnel to participate in the design and development phases to ensure optimal operations and maintenance of the building. Designers can specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs. Additionally, design facilities to include meters in order to track the progress of sustainability initiatives, including reductions in energy and water use and waste generation, in the facility and on site. REFERENCE * WBDG SUSTAINABLE COMMITTEE

IT Professionals and Ethical Issues Essay

IT professionals have to observe a greater degree of accountability in the practice of their profession. Their works, which have been used by many consumers, have offered not only benefits, but also of harms and risks (Bayles, 1989; Nissenbaum, 1994). Faulty and malfunctioning computer systems have cost lives, money, valuable time, and other valuable resources (Bayles, 1989). When the undesirable outcomes occur, they became the center of controversy, are these intentional, accidental, or obvious outcomes of recklessness or negligence? As a result, imposing a strong culture of accountability has become a bigger challenge for the people in the computing community. The solution to achieving a reliable standard for setting a degree of responsibility in the practice of the IT profession is by setting the degree of reliability and safety for all IT projects (Bayles, 1989; Nissenbaum, 1994). In the computing world lie many barriers which obscure accountability (Nissenbaum, 1994). First is the problem of many hands. IT products are produced by more than one individual. When problems occur, everyone points their fingers at one another. It’s hard to identify who is to be held accountable for a mistake. Second is the problem of bugs, the natural hazards of programming. It has been used by some as an excuse for their mistakes. Third is the problem of blaming the computer in case of errors. Machines do fail, but probably due to one or more factors. It could be due to poor design, or of improper handling by its operator, yet it’s still a human error. Lastly is the problem of ownership without liability. Product owners and developers don’t want to take liabilities in case their products fail. To control these barriers, the computing community has set a suitable standard for achieving reliability and safety which evolves together with the evolution of knowledge (Bayles, 1989; Nissenbaum, 1994). The standard will then serve as the fundamental basis for setting a standard degree of accountability for those who cause harms and risks of using IT products. However, the bottom line is everyone has to learn how to take responsibilities. IT professionals have to think about not only the welfare of their investors, or their bosses, but also the welfare of its consumers (Bayles, 1989). They have to keep the integrity of the profession of computing, and struggle to maintain the people’s confidence in it. The profession has to be used to promote the welfare of all individuals. It should not be used to cause harm, or to steal, or to invade the privacy of the people (Bayles, 1989; Nissenbaum, 1994). The discipline has to start in every individual.