BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

What is Fly Ash brick?

Fly ash bricks are hi-tech well-improved quality bricks used for construction of brick masonry structures. They are
used as replacement for normal clay bricks and has better properties than it. Fly ash bricks came from Fly ash, also
known as flue ash, coal ash, or pulverized fuel ash is a coal combustion product obtained as waste material from
modern thermal stations where a mixture of air and powdered coal is burnt. It is a by-product of many thermal power
stations and other plants using pulverized coal or lignite as a source of heat for boilers. On burning, nearly 30% of
coal is converted into ash, 75% of which is fine flay ash and the rest is coarse bottom ash. The fly flies through the
chimneys and its discharge through the chimneys can be minimized by installing and proper working of fabric filters,
mechanical dust collectors, and electrostatic precipitators.

In 2013, there were more than 13 thermal power plants in India and to cope with the increasing demand for electricity,
more thermal power plants may be set up in the near future. 72% of India's power plants are coal based. These
power stations generate nearly 40 million tons of fly ash annually. Fly ash contains Co2 emitted from Thermal power
plants, industries using coal as a fuel emits unwanted ash and smoke from which fly ash is produced. In all the power
plants and industries, they separate the fly ash by using the cyclone converter. This fly ash is then used as a raw
material for manufacture of bricks.

Fly ash causes severe pollution of air and water, and its disposal gobbles up large tracts of land. Well-planned
programs for proper management of fly ash are therefore being undertaken to enhance the use of fly ash in various
applications, so that our already perilously imbalanced environment can be protected.

PROCESS (Talking Point?) – Put pictures of Fly Ash brick, fly ash and Thermal Power Plant in slide

The process of manufacturing fly ash bricks is mainly done by machine. The steps are following-

 At first, add fly ash at an amount of 57-65%. Fly ash is the fundamental material of this type of bricks.
 Then river sand or stone dust 18-27%. It acts as a filler material for fly ash bricks.
 Hydrated lime 9-12%. This is the binding material of fly ash bricks.
 Gypsum 5%, sometimes cement is also added with this mixture.
 Then those above products are adequately mixed.
 After that process, those bricks need compression. So, they are compressed at 28 MPa.
 Next, it needs a curing process. It cured for 24 hours in a 66°C steam bath.
 Then, the bricks are toughened with an air entrainment agent and last 100 freeze-thaw cycles.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
311843751_A_COMPREHENSIVE_REVIEW_ON_LOW_COST_BUILDING_SYSTEMS

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/12/01/fly-ash-bricks-reduce-emissions

The increase of fly ash availability and its numerous benefits is where Rajesh got his idea about his dream project, to
start a company that produces fly ash bricks with a maximum production of 4M bricks per annum. Based on his
research, the government is encouraging the use of fly ash in making bricks as the country will require acres of land
to dump the waste from the thermal power plants and causes pollution to the air and water. Per his preliminary
analysis, establishing a fly ash brick manufacturing unit will be financially profitable so he decided to discuss this plan
with his long-time friend, Alok who is interested but not certain with the data provided, they decided to determine if
this project would be possible using the CVP analysis.

In order to identify the feasibility of the project, calculating where the breakeven point he
1st Forecast:

Relate the increasing population in India and the future demand of fly ash brick as substitute for clay bricks

Insert the forecasts and explain

ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION

USE OF LOW-COST MATERIALS

Pros: To reduce expenses, the company may opt to use lower cost materials. When the production costs are
lower, the price of the finished product will also be lower, which results to more profit and creates interest among
buyers.

Cons: Choosing to use low-cost materials may have a negative effect on the quality of the product. Those that
are cheaper may be lower in quality, and those that are more expensive are likely to last. To save money, the
company may opt for the cheaper materials. While this may seem like a good idea at the time, using lower cost
materials may result in a variety of problems in the future. Worst case, these issues may give the
customers/clients the impression that the company is less than professional and is just after the profit. It may
also result in warranty work, which impacts the company’s profitability. By the time they’re done replacing
everything, the company will end up spending just as much as they would if they have chosen to use high-quality
materials first, if not more.

USE OF ADVERTISEMENT AND/OR PROMOTIONS

Advertising is a marketing strategy that uses various communications media to promote the sale of goods and
services. It includes advertising on television, radio, magazines, newspapers, websites, social media channels,
and outdoor poster displays.

Pros: Since the company is new and is introducing a new product to the market, advertisements will be helpful in
getting the word out. This allows the company to give exposure to the product that can help them find the right
audience. While doing so, it also helps to fight competitors. Lastly, using advertisement will also educate the
customers about the positive impact of choosing to use fly ash bricks.

Cons: As a new business, advertising is an important way to promote a product. However, it could also be
expensive. While advertising serves as a great way to get the word out about a product, it is not a guarantee of
sales. It can create a positive buzz about the company but will not necessarily lead to any sales.
 PARTNERSHIP WITH COMPANIES IN THE HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION WORK SECTOR

Pros: Rajiv Sharma’s years of experience in the construction industry may be an advantage not only on the
production of the bricks but also in building partnership on the same sector. They can try to build partnership with
clients whom they can be in business with for long term. One good example is Real Estate industry. As India’s
population continue to grow, there demands in housing will also grow. Another would be the construction
industry, since more infrastructure are being made, the demand for construction supplies goes up as well. ……

Cons: In case the partnership with other sectors succeed, the negative impact that we can predict would be the
possible shortage of supply from the company. Partnering with big companies may lead to shortage as the
demand may surpass the manufacturing capacity of 4M per year.

RECOMMENDATION

PARTNERSHIP WITH COMPANIES IN THE HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION WORK SECTOR

Explain the pros and cons. In case of shortage, the company may partner up with smaller companies in order to
produce bricks. This will result to more employment in the fly ash brick sector, boosting the economy and will
also help in the government’s problem regarding the waste from the Thermal power plants.

KEY TAKEAWAYS IN THE CASE STUDY IN RELATION TO OUR CAREER

Julie Ann Sibal

Cash Management, DOST

The primary role of a XXXXXXXXX is …

**Processing of payments, loan obligations and other expenses

In the future, Rajiv and Alok will need someone to help them manage the company’s cash flow into and out
of the company. Since “cash” is the primary asset used to pay obligations, it must be managed accordingly to
maximize earnings. This impacts future growth for the company. Even if a company is making a profit by making
more revenue than it incurs in expenses, it will have to manage its cash flow correctly to be successful.

Edlie Vanessa Dela Cruz

Programmer, Pag Ibig Fund

Choosing a career in the Information Technology sector is almost similar to being a businessman, one has to
innovate to thrive. Much like setting up a manufacturing plant, developing and maintaining a website also needs
proper planning, thorough research and enough resources.

Working at Pag ibig for 6 years, it is proven that the top priority should be convenience. Convenience for the clients,
for the employees, for the other government sectors. Making sure that the information needed is always available
online, reachable with just one click. After all, effective business processes and IT systems share the same goals, to
improve efficiency, reduce cost, and provide objective data to make educated business decisions.

Jenine Macabale
Global Human Resource Specialist, WTW

In relation to the case study, working in the Human Resource facet is almost the same as investing as it entails
finding the most effective ways of developing and nurturing people while making sure that the company is thriving.
When we refer to decision making in HR, it means all people processes are involved. The decisions taken within this
function or by it, cover the entire employee lifecycle from the time potential talent is identified, to the hiring,
performance management, compensation and exit.

Much like using CVP Analysis, HR professionals use data to understand how employees work at their best, and what
factors affect their work behavior. This analysis helps them in understanding employee needs, sorting out employees
who are performing well and those who need further training, as well pointing to which HR practices are successful
and which need to change.

Exhibit 1: Fly Ash Brick Manufacturing Process

Exhibit 2: Estimated Investment in Indian Rupees

Name of Cost Monthly Cost

Building Modification 1,400,000
Water supply arrangements 100,000
Machinery 2,000,000
Trucks 3,000,000
 Payload Machine 1,500,00
Total 8,000,000

Exhibit 3: Routine expenses per month in Indian Rupees

Name of Cost Monthly Cost

Building Rent 50,000
Administrative Cost 10,000
Office Supply 5,000
Electricity (For lighting) 10,000
Miscellaneous 20,000
Total 95,000

Exhibit 4: Expenses related to volume of production per month in Indian Rupees (For 0.20 million bricks)

Name of Cost Monthly Cost

Fly Ash 250,000
Gypsum 250,000
Lime 300,000
Sand 40,000
Electricty 10,000
Labour 50,000
Total 900,000

Exhibit 5: Personnel Costs per month in Indian Rupees

Name of Cost Monthly Cost

Workers 100,000
Office assistant 20,000
Watchman 15,000
Drivers 25,000