Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Management Project
By
• Introduction p.4-8
• Objectives p.9
• Conclusion p.31
• Appendix p.32-33
• References p.34
1
Executive Summary
The proliferation of e-business has affected every major industry worldwide. It is forecasted
to grow exponentially over the next few years. Even traditional industry like construction
development is not exempt from its impact. Our parent companies now have its own
information portal for the employees to obtain the information they need through the Internet.
The Internet continued to get more organized. In fact, the Internet with its World Wide Web
has become a good place to start research and distribute information. The so-called e-
construction concept promoted by the construction industry recently is born from the same
concept of e-business - to reduce the cost of information flow in the course of business, and
Customer needs dictate everything. The need to keep up with the state of communication
technology is evident here. Hong Kong has excellent broadband coverage. It also has high
household and business computer penetration and Internet penetration compared with other
parts of the world. All these statistics show that world class company today cannot do
Terminal 9 (CT9) is the largest container terminal project in the city so far. Such
We now turn our attention to the challenges and opportunities ahead, because of the need to
keep up with the communication trend in the e-business environment. Communication such
contractors, suppliers and other project members – have become a key driver for the project
success. “The world of e-business is moving very quickly. We will be on constant lookout
2
for improvement opportunities and to make suitable enhancements to our facilities so that
they offer the best potential for our cause” (Digital 21 Strategy, 2001, p.7) 1. We are
convinced that given the resources we have, the management support we count on, we can
motivate people involved in this project to get connected and benefit from the network effects
3
Introduction
As a business practice in the construction industry, the contractor will provide almost
everything needed to carry out the project to finish. That includes construction material,
equipment and personnel; all specified in the project engineering requirement specifications.
In our case, it includes the engineer representative site office building, its equipments and
utility service too. Usually, the persons who draft the requirement specifications will leave
some flexibility in them. That is probably why we find it is not so specific in some categories
of equipment. One reason is that it is difficult to foresee what exactly we need at the
planning stage. Another reason is that the drafter will like to protect the interest of the client
(owner of the project), and so will sometimes over estimate, say the quantity of equipment
needed. It is to our advantage because it is easier to give up our right to obtain all the stated
equipment in the specifications than to ask for more when we find out what exactly we need.
There is not much of a rule, guidance and setup policy for computerisation in regards to
communication by computer in specific. So looking for guidelines in this area from Maunsell
and Scott Wilson will not lead us anywhere. It looks very likely that we need to decide on
our own as how to provide ourselves the electronic communication service based on what we
We have a very limited budget to begin with, due the unusual low bid for the project by the
main contractor. That means the client will be very reluctant to increase the expense cost. Of
course, it will be possible unless we have a very strong reason to justify the extra expense.
Furthermore, the business practice in the construction industry with respect to our
organization structure is that any request for additional service/equipment will need to be
submitted as a site instruction request. It will go through the site’s Chief Resident Engineer
4
and then to the Project Management Officer (also representing the client) for final approval.
Sometimes, it may be not be that easy. So even our office management agrees to computer
user’s request and the corresponding proposed solution, it will not have much chance to get
approved if the client is not expected to think the same. Also, what is mentioned about
specific. It only mentions that all computers in our office should be able to send and receive
e-mail. No mention of how to do it. Are we going to have broadband Internet connection?
If we are talking about equipment request, it is mostly dictated by the user’s need. As long as
it is work related, it should be considered. Further consideration is called for if the requested
equipment is not included in the project requirement specifications. One has to come up with
good reason to justify the request. Like in any office, there are times when staffs want to
have service and equipment more for their own purpose than for work. Our office is not
office are not many when compared with other business office of the same size. It has a lot to
do with the size of the project. In our case, this construction project is a large one. So we
have more than the average number of computer equipments than other projects.
We now have a working computer local area network in our site office with forty desktop
workstations and one file server. There is only one data line arranged with the Hong Kong
Telephone. Plus, we only have one dial-up Internet connection and an e-mail account
5
The way we communicate internally with each other in our office now besides face to face, is
through telephone and paper memo. Externally, we use facsimile and Internet e-mail on one
specific computer workstation. So currently there is only one computer, which can access the
Internet and thus can allow our staff to send and receive e-mail. This particular computer is
the personal computer of our clerical officer. It is the one and only one computer, which has
Internet connection mentioned above. The clerical officer or her subordinate handles the e-
mail correspondence between our site office and the other various parties. So if other staff
like an engineer would like to send an e-mail to the Public Works Department of the
government, he will need to go the office of the clerical officer and use her computer. In a
way, it is somewhat inconvenient. That means even if other staff wants to browse the world
wide web, he/she will need to use the clerical officer’s computer in order to do so.
The current problem is a request made by some staffs to have internal e-mail service for
better communication in the site office, and external e-mail service so that they can
communicate easier with parties outside our office. Quite often, staffs need to send message
and document to a group of people rather than a single person. Occasionally, staff might
need to browse the Web site of local government departments, sub-contractors, material
suppliers, etc. That is something, which the computer systems we have at the moment cannot
provide.
My approach to solve the problem is to look at the request literally, and the motives behind it.
I will analyse the problem systematically. Find out the real customer needs. Search for a
feasible solution within any constraint that we have. Weigh on the cost and benefit of the
possible options found, and make the final recommendations. The critical elements to be
discussed here are justifiable customer needs, available solution and constraint. The main
points of my argument in the final recommendations are high feasibility, acceptable system
6
reliability, low support cost, affordable administration cost throughout the duration of the
construction project.
7
Workstation with
workstations Internet
connection
8
Objectives
Devise an acceptable solution so as to end the electronic message and information search
service request, once and for all. The solution should fulfil our company’s staff internal and
external communication needs. It all has to be under the assumption that no increase in cost
will result.
9
Methodology and Data Collection Procedure
The analysis methodology I have employed to study the problem is first have a survey of our
site office internal and external environment. That will give us an idea of what we can do,
and what need to do to better complete our construction project on the whole. Second, use
informal interview to obtain real customer’s need with regards to communication in the
office. Third, set priority according to the importance and urgency of various office
automation tasks. This is a matter of resource allocation. Finally, summarize the analysis
With regards to data collection, most of it comes from the information provided to me
formally, and informally such as chatting with colleagues during my work in the office. For
example, the equipment requirement specifications are a very important source of primary
data. The rest includes verbal interview with key decision maker, decision influencers, and
computer end-users on the communication need and operation comment in their daily work.
That makes sense as to know the e-mail system requirements accurately and detail enough.
Each of the parties interviewed might have different input to the matter as they have different
concerns based on their position/view in the site office. Also, all of them have experience
with e-mail usage at home and office. Main sources of secondary data will be information
from IT Web site, software supplier Web site, my own experience of e-mail service support
and administration.
We also need to include another important data like the way staff communicates with each
other by computer currently into our analysis. Our analysis will not be complete without it.
Since it will give us hindsight in the recommended solution and implementation procedure
later on.
10
Please refer to appendix for interview questionnaires and other data collected for analysis.
11
SWOT analysis
Strength
Both parent companies of the engineer representative company are established leader in
providing technical professional services in the built environment. Bear in mind that these
are well-managed companies with long history of success. Therefore, we can count on their
support and management skill to ensure the success of the on-going construction project. The
main strength of the project is the combined resources of the three clients of the to be
constructed container terminal port. The consortium comprises of Asia Container Terminals
(ACT), Modern Terminals Limited (MTL) and Hongkong International Terminal (HIT).
“They have demonstrated their commitment to Hong Kong and their confidence in the long-
term prospect of our container port and economy” (Donald Tsang, Aug 17 1998, p.1). 2
Conversely, if there is no sign of back off from the clients, one will expect them to provide
Another important strength is our staff quality. We have a team of competent staffs to begin
with. Many are well-seasoned professionals in their own area of expertise. Personnel quality
12
Weakness
One of the main weaknesses of the project is the unusual low bid won by the main contractor.
It results in a very tight budget not only to the contractor, but also to those who manage the
development project. So from time to time, we observe that the contractor has tried to delay
delivery of equipment to us. Even payment to corresponding suppliers has been delayed as
long as possible. In other words, we cannot expect much help or cooperation from the
requirement specifications. It all boils down to money. With little money that the contractor
Our second weakness is the limited hardware capacity in the file server of our site office’s
intranet. The requested e-mail service definitely needs a computer to host. It has to be stable,
running 24 hours non-stop. Plus, it has to have enough capacity to handle the network traffic
and data storage. So the best possible candidate is the file server we have. At present, its
capacity in memory and storage space is barely adequate for handling the workload and file
HKD Billion
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Yr Yr Yr Yr Yr
13
Other factors we might need to consider are the additional workload in administration,
support of the e-mail service. Since there is only one computer administrator in our engineer
representative site office, this can be an issue. Besides, we are supposed to be a self-
sufficient office. No technical support can be expected to come from our company’s
computer service department. Politics is another thing. We have probably heard quite a bit
of e-mail problems in the last few years. These range from office gossip, personal chat to
overload the e-mail server with tons of garbage e-mails. For sure, there will be more false
report of computer problem. All the above factors I have mentioned so far cannot be ignored
14
Opportunity
We are living in an ever fast-paced technology driven society. There is constant new
technology and new product coming out into the market. It means that there is a good chance
that we might benefit ourselves by adopting these technologies. For example, we can
improve the productivity in our office by improving communication with others through
computer. This can be in the form of e-mail service. Electronic mail has come a long way
since its first debut. Now it is part of a work collaboration system. Furthermore, learning to
use such productivity tool can be seen as a way to boost staff morale. Think of the increase
in work performance and added value to the staffs and our office in general, one can vision
Threat
The threat to the CT9 project can be divided into two areas. One is the global economic
climate and the other comes from the main contractor, HCJV. With the world economy still
in the recession stage, there is really no definite foreseeable schedule of recovery. That is
probably why the plans for developing container terminal 10 and 11 have been cancelled.
Many businesses are being affected by the economy downturn, including our clients and the
main contractor. So the clients might be quite reluctant to approve any site instruction to
provide extra equipment requested. On the other hand, the finance of the contractor is known
not in any good shape either. Its poor cash flow makes them slow down in their work
progress. With the expenses on office equipment (includes computer equipment) already
over spent, the contractor has every reason not willing to provide us anything further in that
category. Also, forget about the chance of obtaining computer technical consultancy from
them. Besides it is not part of their job, they do not have proficient computer expertise in
supporting our computer system. They do not even have their own designated computer staff
15
16
Customer Need
and software) to store the e-mail sent and received. At the client side, it requires an e-mail
front-end computer program to send, retrieve, and organize e-mail designated for the user
from the server. Sure, all these require a computer network to start from. That is what we
already have at present. Plus, we only have external e-mail service to communicate with
E-mail is now a very common, convenient and very quick means for sending information to
people inside and outside of the company. Almost all of our staffs in the office have
experience in the use of computer and e-mail system. E-mails are best for instant messages
and quick transfer of data, sometimes followed up by hard copies being sent by post. They
also have a distinctive advantage in sending attached files of various formats. However,
some organizations are using them more and more in place of letters and normal
Though we have external e-mail service in our office, it is not widely accessible to every staff
who needs it. Our companies are committed to the concept of Total Quality Management.
improvement.
Identifying customer needs is very important in this report. In our e-mail service request, it is
basically internal customer needs. They also imply external customer needs at the same time.
After studying our office operation, our end-user of e-mail simply wants to be able to send
17
and receive e-mail. It refers to communicating with company staff using e-mail. To be more
precise in our case, what the computer users have asked is to communicate with each other by
computer in our site office. Other times, they might need to communicate with other parties
like government department, equipment supplier, etc. Basic mail storage management should
be available too. Sometimes, the e-mail sent has file attachment. That is an important point
we need to consider, because the attached file can be very large in size. It can put a heavy
strain on the network traffic and overload the e-mail system. At the end, end-user wants a
administration work and user support, he sometimes needs to send e-mail to staffs in the
office. So with the use of e-mail service, we can lower the support and administration cost of
our computer systems. For example, he can communicate with user by computer instead of
by telephone or hard copy memo. Lastly, the computer administrator definitely needs to
send/receive e-mail with computer supplier from time to time. These may involve
Browsing the World Wide Web for product and technology update is again part of his job.
The would be e-mail system should be simple to use and learn both to the end-user and
computer administrator. It needs to be easy to install, maintain and reliable in its operation.
Otherwise, it will increase the administration and support cost in the workload of the
With regards to software licensing, the e-mail server is a software program, which ideally
comes with free license. There are some computer software suppliers offering computer
programs as freeware. They are different from shareware. Shareware is software licensed to
18
end-user with the right to use it under its terms of agreement in return of contributing a very
small amount of price. Whereas freeware is software licensed to end-user free of charge.
Software suppliers do this for reason of testing a product’s acceptability and for personal
interest. Some of these software programs are of very good quality. They might come have
future upgrade and limited support from the supplier. As for the customer side, many staffs
have responded that they wish to use the Microsoft Outlook Express as the front-end program
to send, receive, and manage user’s e-mail by ourselves. This program is part of the
On the hardware requirement side, our every computer workstation has enough processing
power and storage space capacity to handle the requested e-mail service. All we need is to
train user to housekeep his/her e-mail stored in the workstation. For the e-mail server, the
host computer needs to have enough memory and storage space to handle its workload
19
Resource Allocation Analysis
From the beginning of the setup of the engineer representative site office, a number of
computer application programs have been installed. These include integrated document suite
(Microsoft Office), computer aided drawing (AutoCAD), project control system (Expedition),
project planning system (PP3), and several other system utility programs. All of them are
essential to the operation of our office. However, each has its priority in terms of resource
Since the work we are doing is managing a construction development project, it makes sense
to have some kind of project control system to facilitate the corresponding tasks. Currently,
documents, and thus all the process of the project. Scott Wilson also uses Expedition to
manage its current projects. Perhaps, that is why we were recommended to use it too in our
project. One can says that Expedition is a key computer program used in our office. There is
a good chance to have more installation in our computer network as more staff comes on
The next important application program is probably the Project Planner 3. From time to time,
our project programmer needs to update the project program’s schedule and coordinate the
related task items. Every desktop computer is installed with Microsoft Office. We use the
20
programs for our daily document handling. There is not much training and support required
for this document suite, as all our staffs have experience with the programs. Like many
computer programs, the document suite has fulfilled more than our needs. Also, there is very
little chance for any upgrade. The same can applies to the AutoCAD program. Right now,
The rest of the application programs are system utilities like data backup, anti-virus, etc.
They are essential programs to system support, but we do not depend on them to enhance
productivity.
Internet access is most likely has a high chance for implementation here. It can greatly
enhance our productivity by shortening the time lag in communication, and reduce the use of
paper in the office. Nearly all of our office staffs will benefit from the use of e-mail and Web
browsing. What needs to be studied is how to implement e-mail service and enhance Internet
21
Analysis Result and Conclusion
From the SWOT analysis, it is true that we do have considerable strength and some
opportunities, which we can exploit to improve the productivity in our office. For example,
improvement in communication channel might offer a chance for us to promote better staff
discipline. While paperless office is not a realistic objective in a project-based office such as
ours, the increase use of electronic message service in communication can still reduce the use
of papers in our office. To management in the site development office, the threats, which I
have mentioned, are beyond our control. Most important is that they do not affect our
With respect to e-mail service need, it mainly comes from our internal customers - site office
staffs. All they want is an electronic message system, which they can communicate
efficiently with people in our site office and other necessary external parties. Browsing the
Web is also an essential need. The system should be easy to learn and use. It must also be
Any task requires some kinds of resource. The requested e-mail service is of high value to
our office. In other words, it can benefit our daily operation to a large extent. Furthermore,
in resource allocation, trend is more important. As our staffs get used to the new service and
gain more confidence in its usage, its utilization will increase. So electronic message service
might become highly valued, with increase of relative importance among other computer
services.
In conclusion, the request under study is an opportunity, which will benefit our operation
significantly. It comes from important internal customer needs, and it can be seen as a chance
22
to improve our productivity by enabling site staffs to communicate with people through
computer and search information on the Web. The costs associated with the requested
electronic message service are minimal and still within our capability to fulfil. In terms of
growth and future system development, such request should therefore receive a high priority
23
Proposed Improvement Plan
On first thought in brainstorming for options to fulfil the user’s request, online chat program
is not a likely one by any chance. A chat program allows computer user to talk to each other
in real time. It basically allows short messages in exchange of dialogue. I am not saying it is
not useful at all, but telephone can take its place quite well. So we can rule it out in our
choice of solution.
The second option, which comes into mind, is a bundled electronic message program. It is
part of our computer’s operating system, and so there is no extra charge. It will popup a
windows screen whenever one receives a new message on one’s computer. Also, you can
keep a certain number of read messages. While that sounds great, but again, it is only
supposed to handle short message. No file attachment is allowed. One can only send
message to a designated computer, not a particular staff. Also, the program cannot allow one
At the end, a basic electronic mail system looks like the only option, which can possibly
fulfill our requirements. I have found a program called ArgoSoft Mail server after some
searching over the Internet. The mail server is very simple, and easy to use. It allows you to
specify unlimited number of users, and relay the messages to other computers on the Internet.
It can be used as a local e-mail system for your small office or home. Its developer provides
the basic version to the public with free license. I have downloaded it and gave it a
preliminary test. The result appears promising. The program has the following functions and
features.
24
Functions:
Features:
- can use our existing intranet with no extra hardware/software (low investment cost)
This program can satisfies all our end-user’s needs and computer administration
requirements.
It is an e-mail server, and that is all we need to install in the host computer. At the computer
client side, our users can use the installed Outlook Express program as the front-end program
to handle their e-mail. So it implies a really short learning curve for the user. Once the
address book is built, the administration cost of the e-mail server is relatively simple.
For Web browsing and external e-mail service, all we need is to expand the current Internet
access service to allow more staff who has such legitimate use. As a start, we have been
provided one modem plugged into our file server. Although no one can tell me why it is
there, it looks like the person who wrote the computer equipment requirement specifications,
has sharing an Internet connection from the file server in mind from early on. Usually in
such situation, people will install external Internet dial-up equipment in order to do so. That
25
means more expense, and that is out of the question in our situation. Fortunately, the
operating system of our file server is Microsoft Windows 2000, and it comes with the
necessary component program, which can serve our purpose. All we need is to set it up and
enable management approved computer workstation to access the Internet through the
Internet connection at our file server. Users who need to browse the Web or send Internet e-
mail can do so at these designated computer workstations. In this case, our file server will act
as an Internet gateway. To the users, there is not much of a training cost. They only need to
open the Internet Explorer program on their desktop PC, and they are already on the
information highway. For Internet e-mail, they can use the installed Outlook Express
In terms of cost and benefit, the above-recommended solution fits the parameters. For
additional hardware procurement, all we need is to set up another data line by the
telecommunication service company. Next is to install more memory in our file server to
handle the new e-mail service. This should not be an extra cost to the construction project,
because it is still within the boundary of the equipment requirement specifications. For
additional software procurement, all we need is to download the free license version of the e-
mail server from the software developer’s Web site. The client software we need is already
present and installed in all our desktop computers. The rest of the setup procedure is set up
the system so that our staffs can start using the new services. Sure, the monthly Internet
connection charge to the contractor will increase, but again that is part of the prearranged
contract. So it still will not incur extra cost to the engineering representative consultant
company. The rest of the costs are administration and support cost. Based on the nature of
the new services and the solution which we choose, such extra workload is minimal and will
26
If we look at the benefits that might come from the implementation of the new services, there
are plenty. First of all is efficiency. For sending e-mail, there is no need to go to one specific
desktop computer to do so. Several other designated computers can be arranged to enable
such task. For receiving e-mail, staffs can use their Web-based e-mail address for informal
correspondence. This helps significantly for external communication. It all boils down to the
fact that we will then have more computers in our intranet, which allow external e-mail
service. As for internal e-mail, communicating with other staff through computers in the site
office will be much easier than before. Since there will be an e-mail address book available
to all computers in our intranet, sending e-mail to a staff or a group of staffs will just be a few
clicks away. Also, browsing the Web for information search will be more convenient than
before because there will be more Internet enabled computers available to our staffs. This
will save us tremendous effort in obtaining the same information through traditional methods
Increase in customer’s responsiveness is another benefit. E-mail is more suitable for fast
recipients directly at the same time. This is a feature which facsimile service does not have.
Another point is that it is more likely one cannot dial through a facsimile number than one
many developed countries, such that e-mail service has become a modern living necessity
like the telephone service. Also, e-mail service can be nearly as responsive as telephone
service, and it does not require the user to response right away. For example, if several e-
mails arrive, they will be handled smoothly and put in one’s mailbox for later reading.
Whereas in telephone service, one needs to put people on hold, or ask the caller to leave a
message when the line is busy. Some people do not like to leave a message over the phone at
27
After all, the strength of our company is its coercive power to push the construction
development project forward. So it is quite possible for us to obtain the computer hardware
required from the contractor. Having the new Internet services will tend to beef up the
computer skill of our staffs, and hence will increase the productivity in the office. One can
also view this as a chance to rectify the inadequacy of our computer facilities.
28
Implementation and Control
operation process and staff behavior in this case. Successful project requires good planning
as well as good implementation. Afterwards, we need control mechanism to ensure the on-
Implementation:
- Install a new data line for Internet connection from the file server
- Set up the Internet connection gateway at the file server using the bundled computer
- Install the e-mail server and test it on a limited number of client workstations
- Prepare a shared e-mail address book. We will store it in the General Office network
folder so that all users can read. Clerical Officer of the General Office section will be
- Provide training to users on the new e-mail system. It will be in the form of written
operation guide.
- Set up guideline in e-mail system usage (refer to company’s rules and regulations)
Control:
29
- Monitor e-mail activities
o Functional goal
o Individual goal
Change is a fact of life especially in today’s fast pace workplace. Change can overcome
current problem but it can also bring new one. Therefore, we might find further refine need
and improvement of the new Internet services after the system has run for a certain time.
After all, the request for improvement in communication of our office should be part of a
30
Conclusion
Communication is very important in today’s business world. This cannot be more true in a
project-based office such as ours. The parent companies of the CT9 joint venture engineering
company have always prided themselves as well managed organizations. They are certainly
not going to neglect communication in their operation. In fact, providing an Internet e-mail
account is a sign that indicates so. Plus, the room for elaboration and implementation of the
develop the communication system customized to our needs. I am confident there will not be
any objection from the clients and the management of our parent companies with regard to
Based on the management and financial strengths and weaknesses of our company, we should
take on available opportunity to improve our productivity. E-mail and Web browsing service
are considered a must in today’s work environment. Cost savings and increased productivity
are the main benefits that come with digital workflow and knowledge management. The site
development project is planned to last for five years, and so it is long enough to justify the
existence of these communication services. Since we are at the beginning stage of the
project, it is an appropriate time to set up these basic services now than later. Promptness to
act is important in a construction development project. It will be odd and less probable to
fulfill the required services if they are raised after two years since the start of the project. The
year ahead remains challenging. The progress of the project will likely to speed up, and the
work quality will improve with the successful implementation of the intranet and Internet
31
Appendix
C lie n t
P r o je c t M a n a g e m e n t O f f ic e r
E n g in e e r R e p r e s e n t a t iv e M a in C o n t r a c t o r
SW M H C JV
S u b c o n tr a c to r s S u p p lie r s
f) What Internet Web sites do you visit for your work? How often do you do so?
32
3. Architecture of a typical e-mail system (client/server)
Internet
HUB
E-mail server
E-mail clients
License Installed
Computer Program Language d Copy Copy Remark
Adobe Acrobat 4 English 41 41 OEM Freeware
ARCserve 2000 English 1 1 With Backup Agent for Open Files
AutoCAD 2000 English 2 2
Ms Office 2000 Premium English 22 22 22 Open user license of Ms Office XP Professional were purchased
Ms Office 2000 Small Office English 18 18
Ms Office 2000 Step-by-Step English 3 0 Third party reference material
Ms Win 98 2nd Ed. English 40 40 Ver 4.10.2222A, Preinstalled.
Ms Windows 2000 Server English 1 1 40 CAL
Norton AntiVirus English 41 41 Ver 5.01.05, OEM Freeware
PC Doctor English 40 40 OEM Freeware
Primavera Expedition English 15 16 Ver 7.0
Primavera Project Planner English 2 2 Ver 3.0
Volo Viewer Express English 1 10 Freeware
WinZip 7 English 40 40 OEM Freeware
33
References
1. Mrs. Carrie Yau (May, 2001). Digital 21 Strategy. Hong Kong: Information
Technology and Broadcasting Bureau, p.7.
2. Donald Tsang. (Aug 17, 1998). Agreement reached on development of container
terminal 9. Hong Kong: daily news, p.1.
34