CMA4004 Operation and Resource Management Assignment Sample

Introduction - CMA4004 Operation and Resource Management

Project management is defined as a process that involves planning, organising, and controlling all the resources so that the particular goal of the company is attained. On the other hand, operations management is defined as the management that emphasises improving the day-to-day operations so that the companies' objectives can be achieved well. For companies working in manufacturing or construction, effective project and operations management must be followed. It is necessary as when clear strategies are defined then it will be assistive to the companies in managing and maintaining a good working environment and resultantly the overall efficiency is improved. The current study is based on the local construction company Webuild which has a good reputation and has built good projects across the whole of England. Currently, the company has been shortlisted for making the 3 bedroom apartment which needs to be built across the whole of the country.

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The current report will evaluate the effectiveness of the company in managing the project. It is the reason that when effective project and operation management will be followed then it will enhance the overall performance of the company. Hence, the study will cover how human resource and people management is assistive in managing the workforce well and trying to maintain a good environment. Along with this, the study will also emphasise effective planning and resource allocation as for successful completion the appropriate resource allocation needs to be done for accomplishing the project. Further, the theories relating to resource management will be applied and this will assist in managing the project successfully. At last, the study will focus on constructing the strip foundation for accomplishing the project of building 3-room apartments.

MAIN BODY

Human resource and people management

HRM and impact of 4 R on the project completion

Human resource management is defined as the concept which includes making decisions relating to the management of human capital in the company. For the business to be successful the effective type of HR functions must be performed well so that the whole project can be managed (Agustian et al, 2023). This function starts with recruitment, selection, training and development, motivation, performance management and many other different types of functions. For this, the effective type of the 4 R framework needs to be implemented for managing the project of building 3-room apartments. These 4 Rs include recruit, retain, reskill and redesign. These are the four main functions that HR need to perform to maintain a good environment and keep the employees highly motivated (Zhang and Chen, 2024). When the employees are motivated then the working of the employees will be good and as a result, the overall project objectives will be attained well.

The main difference between project and business resource management

Roles and responsibilities of HR and its implication at different stages

The implication of all these roles and responsibilities of HR applies to every stage of the project relating to constructing a 3-room apartment. This is due to the reason that training is required at every stage and along with this maintaining a better environment is also necessary for every stage.

Importance of welfare facilities

The welfare facilities are the essential facilities which need to be provided to a particular employee for their well-being. In case effective well-being facilities will not be provided to the employees then the working of the company will not be good. These welfare facilities include proper access to toilets, restrooms, changing rooms, clean spaces to eat and drink during the breaks and other related activities. During the construction of the 3-room apartment project, Webuild must provide for the welfare facilities so that the overall development of the company takes place and objectives are accomplished well (Anwar and Abdullah, 2021). Also, it is the responsibility of the HR of Webuild they ensure an effective ratio is maintained relating to the welfare facility and the total number of employees present. The ratio must always be adequate so that the facility is enough for the people present in the workforce. For example, Welfare at Work guidance provides the provision that where the toilet and washbasin are used in the mix then in that situation the following criteria must be followed.

(Source: Welfare at work, Guidance for employers on welfare provisions. 2024)

9 protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010

The different protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 are as follows-

1. Age- this is a characteristic which ensures that the person employed in the company must be young so that they can work with more efficiency.
2. Disability- this characteristic states that there must not be any discrimination based on the disability of the person. It is relevant to be included as it will guide the successful completion of the project.
3. Gender reassignment- this characteristic ensures that the person is not facing any discrimination based on the situation where the person is transitioning from a single gender to another.
4. Marriage and civil partnership- this characteristic must be employed in the situation where the person is facing any discrimination due to their married life or civil partnership.
5. Pregnancy and maternity- this feature emphasises that the employees must be protected and must not be discriminated against due to pregnancy as many times female employees are fired from the job when they get pregnant.
6. Race- also the employees must not be discriminated against according to the race to which they belong.
7. Religion or belief- also, for the HR of Webuild they must not discriminate among the employees based on the religion to which the employees belong (Vrontis et al, 2023).
8. Sex- also, the company must not discriminate among the employees based on gender and it is most relevant to be included while making the strategies.
9. Sexual orientation- this ensures that there must not be any discrimination among the people based on their orientation.

Effective planning and scheduling of resources allocated for the construction project

List of physical resources

The resources are defined as the materials or products that are available in the environment and that can be utilised by the company to meet production objectives. In case the resources will not be utilised effectively then the overall work will not be improved (Balouka and Cohen, 2021). Thus, it is mandatory for Webuild they effectively allocate and use all the resources well. The different types of resources which are essential for the construction project of a 3-room apartment are as follows-

With the above table, it is clear that deciding and allocating the resources to a particular activity is very necessary. It is due to the reason that when the activities will not be provided with resources.

Supply chain used

The supply chain is defined as the management of the flow of goods and services so that the ultimate objectives of the project can be accomplished well. For manufacturing or developing any aspect the effective supply chain must be present so that goods can be transferred from one place to another well. The project supply chain needs to be managed well so that the goods are made available on time and resultantly the objectives are attained well (Tezel et al, 2021). Thus, for the successful management of the project, it is necessary for Webuild as well that they effectively try to manage the supply chain so that the construction project can be accomplished well. For delivering the project well it is necessary that all the different types of resources are made available on time and the effective type of the resource must be provided to the activity so that the objectives can be attained well.

Thus, for Webuild the supply chain management must be effectively managed. Different types of importance help construction companies improve their working efficiency. This is assistive to the company in improving the working capability and as a result of this, the overall efficiency and project objective accomplishment will take place effectively (Bratton et al, 2021). Hence, it is very important for Webuild they follow the supply chain model of the fast model. This is a type of supply chain model which emphasises on timely delivery of goods so that the appropriate type of material can be made available on time. In case the materials will not be made available on time then it will affect the working to a great extent. Thus, it can be stated that using the fast model will assist Webuild in managing the supply chain on time and as a result, the overall efficiency will increase. Some importance of complying with the supply chain are as follows-

• The most common importance of supply chain management is to ensure that the right delivery is made so that the needs of the consumer can be satisfied (Chiang and Lin, 2020). It is due to the reason that when the effective material is provided to Webuild then the work will be managed well and as a result of this the overall construction will take place well.
• Another importance of completing SCM is that it also helps in reducing the operating cost. It is due to the reason that when the materials are made available on time then it will improve the overall efficiency and consequently the overall efficiency will be impacted (Salas‐Vallina, Alegre and López‐Cabrales, 2021). Also, when the material is made timely available then it will improve overall efficiency.
• Another importance of using effective SCM is that it assists in utilising the resources well so that the complete work can be managed well. Moreover, when the effective type of SCM will be followed then it will improve the capability of the company to utilise the resources and ultimately the overall efficiency will be improved.

Theories and practical considerations relating to resource management

Long-term strategies

To make the project successful the effective type of the strategies must be used. In case the appropriate strategy will not be implemented by Webuild then the project will not become successful. Hence, for this, effective and appropriate techniques must be used for managing the employees within the construction industry. Different types of long-term strategies are assistive to the companies in managing the work well. Hence, for Webuild to accomplish the project of a 3-room apartment are as follows-

• Continuous planning- This is the first strategy which needs to be followed by We build so that the project can be accomplished well. It is necessary for the company they appropriately plan appropriately the whole structure and process (Chowdhury et al, 2023). Within the external environment, there are many different types of changes taking place and the construction company must adapt to all the relevant changes. Also, many times situation comes where the project is executed and then there are certain external changes. Thus, the company must adapt to these changes. In case the changes will not be adapted then it will be impacting the overall working of the company. Thus, the habit of continuous planning and monitoring needs to be present.
• Flow of communication- This is another type of strategy which needs to be implemented by Webuild while working on the project of constructing a 3-room apartment. It is necessary because when the flow of communication is clear then the overall working will be improved. Thus, for this, clear communication must be planned (Dai, Liao and Zhang, 2023). This communication is the essential key for the project to be successful. Also, the company must give priority to written communication as it is much easier. Also, the written communication can be treated as proof to be referred to in future working as well. Moreover, the company can also make some online system of communication with the help of which Webuild can try to keep the working and the data safe and secure. With help of the technology, the information can be stored. For example, cloud computing can be used by Webuild to keep all the data, photos, information, documents and all the other necessary items safe and secure.

Resource levelling as a project management technique

Resource levelling is defined as a project management technique which helps the company better manage the resources so that the project can be met on time. This resource levelling is very necessary and helps the construction company in fast-tracking production and trying to maintain good profitability (Eirgash, 2020). This resource levelling is a good technique which helps the manager of Webuild avoid poor project planning if done and also in case the team members are overworked then it helps manage the work well. Thus, with help of the resource levelling it is much easier for the company to accomplish the project objectives.

Before levelling

After levelling

With the analysis of the above presentation, it is clear that before the levelling three activities were overallocated with resources. These included excavating, steel work and plastering and after the levelling of all the resources the overallocation was adjusted (Hussein et al, 2021). This resulted in an improvement in the working capabilities as now the resources are efficiently allocated and this assisted in the successful completion of the project of constructing the 3-room apartment.

Three key steps in planning and scheduling

To make the project successful it is necessary for the company they effectively plan and schedule the whole process. This is necessary as when the scheduling will not be clear then it will be impacting the overall working and completion of the project will be affected. For this, we need to follow the three major steps which are following-

• Allocation- allocation is a stage in which Webuild tend to identify the need of the resource and quantity in which the resource will be required.
• Aggregation- Also, for proper planning, it is also necessary that the effective aggregation of resources is done on different basis like daily, monthly or weekly so that the work can be managed well and objectives can be accomplished (Oyefusi, Enegbuma and Brown, 2024).
• Scheduling- further after aggregating the resources is necessary to analyse and calculate the resource scheduling. This includes calculating the total resources which are needed to deliver a particular task and trying to attain the project objectives well.

The workforce is considered an asset.

Within the modern HRM, the employees or the workforce is considered an asset for the company. Within the current highly competitive environment, the key to success is efficient employees. It is due to the reason that when the employees will not be efficient then the company will not be in a position to attain the objectives of the project well. Hence, the success of the project depends on the employees who are performing the task (Irfan et al, 2021). The competition in the market is high and for this, the employees also keep themselves highly trained and this provides a benefit to the company. The well-trained employees work with more efficiency and also the turnover within the company is less. Thus, there is a stable workforce in Webuild and as a result of this the overall development of the work is improved and project objectives can be attained well. Resultantly, well-trained employees provide an exclusive benefit to the company in attaining a competitive advantage and accomplishing the project objectives well. Hence, because of this, the employees are treated as an asset to the company.

Proposing a strip foundation as suitable for the project

The strip foundation is defined as a type of construction which includes making several types of shallow foundations altogether. This type of the foundation can also be used to support the load-bearing wall so that the pressure is divided among the whole apartment. Thus, within the case of a 3-room apartment, compliance with the strip foundation will be assistive and this will help the company in constructing a strong building (Lu et al, 2021). Hence, the different types of activities start by excavating the land and ensuring that none is present so that the work of construction can be accomplished well. So for the successful working and construction of the current project, a clear structure must be prepared so that the overall development of the plan can take place. In the current project, a clear list of activities along with the dependencies is provided and a clear timeframe is also listed. Thus, as a result of this, there is a clarity of working and ultimately the overall efficiency is improved. Once the project manager of Webuild follows the same structure and timeline then this will help the company in managing and mitigating the work well and consequently the construction will take place effectively.

The total duration of the project is approximately 131 days and this implies that the whole project will be accomplished in less time. Also, Webuild must have some grace time so that they can recheck and reevaluate the overall work and ensure that each activity is performed well. in case it is not managed well then it may impact the working efficiency and ultimately the overall working will be impacted (Oluyisola et al, 2022).

The critical path is the one which is crucial for the completion of the project. It is defined as the longest path for the compeletion of the project. Hecne, it is mandatory for Webuild to ensure that the critical path is followed so that the timely completion of the construction can be made. In case the critical path is followed well then automatically the overall working will be improved and all the dealdines will be met approrpaitely.

According to the network diagram,

Path 1

2,3,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,16

3+5+8+10+8+18.04+20+25+12+12+11+20 = 152.04

Path 2

2,3,5,8,9,10,12,13,15,16

3+5+8+8+18.04+12+12+11+20=94.04

Path 3

2,3,5,8,10,12,13,15,16

3+5+8+20+12+13+11+20 = 92

Path 4

2,3,5,8,10,12,15,16

3+5+8+20+12+11+20 = 79

With the above analysis, it is clear that there are different types of paths and with help the above it is clear that path 1 is the critical path for the construction of the 3-room apratment. It is due to the reaosn that it is having the longest time and as a result of this the overall efficiency of the project will be improved.

CONCLUSION

At last, it can be concluded that the project management is assistive in accomplishing any of the projects well. It provides a guideline to the project manager for accomplishing the objectives well. The current project was based on constructing the 3-room apartment and for this it was analysed that human resources plays a crucial part. It was analysed that HR plays a crucial role and responsibility like training and development and others for accomplishing the project well. Further, it was also analysed that resource allocation and effective scheduling are also very necessary for the successful completion of the project. When the effective scheduling of the resources is done then only the objectives will be attained well. Further, it was examined that the effective type of resource levelling needs to be done so that the resources are not over-allocated.

REFERENCES

Books and Journals

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• Alam, M.N., Hassan, M.M., Bowyer, D. and Reaz, M., 2020. The effects of wages and welfare facilities on employee productivity: Mediating role of employee work motivation.Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal,14(4), pp.38-60.
• Anwar, G. and Abdullah, N.N., 2021. The impact of Human resource management practice on Organizational performance.International journal of Engineering, Business and Management (IJEBM),5.
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• Bratton, J., Gold, J., Bratton, A. and Steele, L., 2021.Human resource management. Bloomsbury Publishing.
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