Computer Use in the Construction Industry :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Computer Use in the Construction Industry Technological advances are benefiting the construction business in many different ways. On-line services, estimating software, and blueprint design (CAD) are just some of the areas that have enhanced the building world. Commercial and residential contractors are suddenly seeing how computer technology can benefit their business and are now utilizing it more and more everyday. For the past thirty to forty years, construction, technologies, and practices had hardly changed. From the drawing boards to finished product, building science stayed very conventional and for the most part simple. According to Building Performance Construction Services, â€Å"Builders are adverse to change.†1 They had a system and it worked, so why change it? Statistically proven, over the past couple of years there has been a significant increase in competition and customer demand. Thus, forcing companies to use advanced building materials, techniques, and technology to keep up to date in the competitive world. Computer programs like estimating software, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Excel, and Access are all designed to draw, compute, and keep track of information for you. Estimating software uses pre-programmed data to come up with price figures; they are virtually error free and can be done fast, in a fraction of the time it would take to complete a task in longhand. Computer Aided Drafting, or (CAD), can draw plans that are exactly to scale and viewable in 3D from every angle imaginable. This allows new modern design techniques and style to become possible and put to use. Excel and Access create spreadsheets and compute equations to organize and categorize necessary material. Excel can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, as well as many other functions automatically which can then be applied to a document on the computer, saving a lot of time and paperwork. It is obvious that programs like these make the managerial side of construction much faster and easier. Using advanced equipment is another way computers have revolutionized the building industry. Electronic tools are constantly improving with the use of lasers, digital equipment and battery-power. Lasers for cutting or leveling purposes enable projects to be more precise and accurate. Digital equipment can save needed data on the jobsite to a card/disk, which can then be downloaded and accessed from a computer system. Advances in battery technology can now power many tools changing the way the construction process is approached.

Dba Financial Management Essay

1. What is Annuity kind of cash flow? Answer: Annuity is fixed sum of money paid every year in at any other fixed interval shorter than a year. This annuity may be by way of return of some principal plus interest payment of against money invested or by way of payment of other dues such as pensions after retirement. In any case it represents out flow of cash from one account to in flow of cash to another account. In this way all annuities involve movements of cash or funds. Therefore all annuities are cash flows that can be suitably represented in cash flow statements.An annuity will be represented as inflow of cash in the cash flow statement for the recipient of the annuity and out flow of cash in the cash flow statement of the person or firm paying out the annuity. 2. What do understand by Portfolio risk? Answer: In business and finance the term portfolio refers to the collection  of various investment of an individual or a firm in various bonds, stocks or other securities and instruments. Portfolio risk is refers to the extent of risk or possible variation associated regarding the amount of return the individual or the firm is likely to earn on the portfolio. Broadly a specific investment in a portfolio can be judged for its riskiness along a scale. On one end of this scale a risk less investment offers a guaranteed rate of return on the amount invested, but generally the quantity of return is low. On the other end of the scale are very risky investments which may end giving a very high return or may actually result in a heavy loss. The risk of the total portfolio is assessed on the basis of combined likelihood of variation in the combined profit or loss on all the investments in the portfolio. 3. What do you understand by ‘Loan Amortization’? Answer: Loan amortization is the process of paying back a loan over an extended duration of time along with the interest incurred. The interest to be paid for the amount borrowed, till the loan is completely repaid, is calculated in advance. This is divided by the total number of payments being made and added with the principal payments to arrive at an amount that consists of both the principal as well as the interest. The payments have to be made according to this amortization schedule, which is decided before the loan is issued and could be in the form of simple monthly or annual payments. Before the principal amount is issued, the terms for calculation of the interest are also fixed. 4. What is the Difference between NPV and IRR? Answer: The difference between net present value and internal rate of return both of these measurements are primarily used in capital budgeting, the process by which companies determines whether a new investment or expansion opportunity is worthwhile. Given an investment opportunity, a firm needs to decide whether undertaking the investment will generate net economic profits or losses for the company. The main difference however should be more evident in the method or should I say the units used. While NPV is calculated in cash, the IRR is a percentage value expected in return from a capital project. Due to the fact that NVP is calculated in currency, it  always seems to resonate more easily with the general public as the general public comprehends monetary value better as compared to other values. This does not necessarily mean that the NPV is automatically the best option when evaluating a firm’s progress. The best option would depend on the perception of the individual doing the calculation, as well as, his objective in the whole exercise. It is evident that managers and administrators would prefer the IRR as a method, as percentages give a better outlook that can be used to make strategic decisions over the firm. Another major shortfall associated with the IRR method is the fact that it cannot be conclusively used in circumstances where the cash flow is inconsistent. While working out figures in such fluctuating circumstances may prove tricky for the IRR method, it would pose no challenge for the NPV method since all that it would take is the collection of all the inflows-outflows and finding an average over the entire period in focus. Evaluating the viability of a project using the IRR method could cloud the true picture if the figures on the inflow and outflow remain to fluctuate persistently. It may even give the false impression that a short term venture with high return in a short time is more viable as compared to a bigger long-term venture that would otherwise make more profits.In order to make a decision between any of the two methods, it is important to take note of the following significant differences. Section B: Case lets CASE 1 1. Which type of financing is appropriate to each firm? Answer: – APT Inc. can go in for debt with warrants since it is nearly a zero debt company and is also willing to accept any form of security. Sandford Enterprises can go in for callable debentures since it has a low debt equity ratio combined with excellent track record of servicing debt. Its future cash flows also suggest a strong capability to service future debt. Sharma Brother Inc. can go in for issue of preferred stock considering that its fund requirements of $20 million cannot be met by debt issue. Sachetee Energy Systems can consider issue of common stock for meeting its expansion requirements. Ranbaxy Industries can issue convertible bonds or debt with warrant considering that it is averse to divesting management control. 2. What types of securities must be issued by a firm which is on the growing stage in order to meet the financial requirements? Answer: – for a company which is in a growing stage, issue of debt may be the most optimum mode of rising fresh funding, this is because future potential cash flows would be sufficient to service the debt obligation or make a premature payment. This would also be in line with the potential risk appetite of the organization to sustain its growth and earn incremental returns. Issue of equity is another option which such a company can look at. This would however depend on the management philosophy of retaining or divesting management control. A mix of debt and equity could also be a potential source of financing. Cost of raising debt or equity would be an important consideration in deciding the option. CASE 2 1. How would you judge the potential profit of Bajaj Electronics on the first year of sales to Booth Plastics and give your views to increase the profit. Answer: – Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 per cent of sales. The Perluence’s accounting dept estimated a 24 per cent markup as the average for items sold to Pucca Electronics. Bajaj Electronics, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj Electronics incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 per cent commission on all sales. a commission paid whether or not the receivable was collected. In addition to the sales commission, the company would incur variable costs as a result of handling the merchandise for the new account. As a general guideline, warehousing and other administrative variable costs would run 3 per cent sales. First of all, he considered the potential profit from the account. James had estimated first-year sales to Booth Plastics of $65,000. Assuming that Neck Booth took the, 3 per cent discount. Bajaj Electronics  would realize a 17 per cent markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. His department probably spent three times as much money and effort managing a marginal account as compared to a strong account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj Electronics at a rate of 18 per cent. 2. Suggestion regarding Credit limit. Should it be approved or not, what should be the amount of credit limit that electronics give to Booth Plastics. Answer:- Strand Electronics has 950 employees and handles a volume of $85 million in sales annually. About $6 million of the sales represents items manufactured by Perluence. He supervises five employees who handle credit application and collections on 4,600 accounts. The accounts range from $120 to $85,000.Thefirmsells on terms, with 2/10, net 30 mostly. Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 % of sales. The company was founded in 1977 by Neck and has grown steadily. The Perluence’s cost-accounting department estimated a 24 % markup as the average for items sold to Pucca. Bajaj, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 % commission on sales made to Booth, a commission that would be paid. a general guideline, administrative variable costs would run 3 %. James estimated first-year sales to Booth of $65,000.Assuming that Neck took the, 3 percent discount. Bajaj would realize a 17% markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. If Neck did not take the discount, the markup would be slightly higher. In addition to the potential profit from the account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj at a rate of 18 %. All in all, slow paying or marginal accounts were very costly to Bajaj. SECTION C 1. Honey Well Company is contemplating to liberalize its collection  effort. Its present sales are Rs. 10 lakh, its average collection period is 30 days, its expected variable cost to sales ratio is 85 percent and its bad debt ratio is 5 per cent. The Company’s cost of capital is 10 per cent and tax are is 40 per cent. He proposed liberalization in collection effort increase sales to Rs. 12 lakh increases average collection period by 15 days, and increases the bad debt ratio to 7 percent. Determine the change in net profit. Answer:- At 85 percent variable cost the gross contribution of various costs including cost of bad debt and and capital cost amount tied up as receivables to be collected will be 15 percent of the sales. From this contribution of 15 percent all other expenses except the bad debt and cost of capital tied up in receivable will change. Therefore we can calculate the impact of liberalization in collection on profit as follows. Original Amount Changed Amount 1. Sales [per year] 1,000,000 1,200,000 2. Contribution [15% 0f (1)] 150,000 180,000 3. Receivable [(1)*Days/365] 82,192 147,945 4. Cost of receivables [(3)*0.1] 8,219 14,794 5. Cost of bad debts [(1)*%] 50,000 84,000 6. (4) + (5) 58,219 98,794 7. Balance Contribution (2) – (6) 91,781 81,206 ———————————————————————————- We can see from above table that that the balance contribution available will decrease by Rs. 10,575 from Rs. 91,781 to Rs. 81,206. The profit before tax will also reduce by the same amount. The reduction in profit after tax will be: Reduction in profit after tax = 10575*60/100 = Rs. 6345 2. Explain the concept of working capital. What are the factors which influence the working capital? Answer:- The management of the current assets deals with the determination, maintenance, control and monitoring of level of all the individuals current assets. Current assets have short life span. Each current asset is swiftly converted into other assets forms. The  existence and necessity of current assets is implied for the efficient and optimal use of the fixed assets. This project reveals the various aspects of working capital management in general, and also at the same time sneaks into the practical aspect of applying theoretical concepts of the company. The importance of working capital management is reflected in the fact that financial managers spend a great deal of time in managing current assets and current liabilities. These include arranging short term financing, negotiating favorable credit terms, controlling the movement of cash, administering accounts receivables and investing short-term surplus funds. For the analysis part, the data collection was done by primary and secondary sources where the primary sources includes the personal interaction with the industry guide and secondary sources includes external and internal sources involving company annuals. Thus the presentation of data collected was done in the form of graphs and tables. In summer training; I was given the project related to working capital management and CMA forms which were discussed later in the project. For this purpose, I regularly interacted with my industry guide and the other staff of the Corporate Finance Department. For the preparation of the project, I had a look on the company profile and made a plan by going through its previous accounting reports. Then, I had analyzed the plan and accordingly I filled the CMA forms and projected as per the instructions of my industry guide.The basic objective of this project is to know the factors that determine the working capital requirements and to analyze the different approaches available for the financing. Basically, working capital is composed of various items. Most of the time you got inventories and retained profits. According to the US GAAP (Generecally accepted accounting principles), the inventories must follow any appreciation (or depreciation) of the items in inventory. Let’s say that you have a pencil in your company’s inventory whose value is US$1, 00. If from October 2008 to November 2008 the value of the pen would go from US$1,00 to US$1,20, your working capital would be affected in 20%. On the opposite, if the value had dropped to US$0,80, your working capital would have depreciated in 20%. But this is according one of the many accounting principles. On the other side, if you have money invested in any kind of product or fund, you have to adjust properly, reflecting its appreciation or depreciation. But in this case, other factors play an important role.

Gabriel’s Epiphany in James Joyce’s “The Dead” Essay

In James Joyce’s â€Å"The Dead,† through an epiphany the main character, Gabriel, realizes the true relationship between him and his wife, Gretta. The epiphany Gabriel experiences is the direct effect of his wife’s confession to having a love before she met him. Not just a love, but a true love named Michael Furey. Before Gabriel had heard this story he continuously looks at his wife thinking about how much he loves her and how much he wishes they could only feel the excitement of their relationship. His emotions and feelings are shattered when he hears Gretta’s story of Michael Furey. At first he feels anger toward her. Anger at the fact that he was not her first love. He is also humiliated to feel as he did before, foolishly in love, when it was quite clear their relationship was not what he thought it was. He thinks about how she still carries so much fondness for her dead lover and he grows envious that she had found her one true love. After staring at his wife asleep on the bed, he feels deeply saddened that he will never experience a true love relationship in return from his wife. He wants her to be happy, and he knows she is actually devastated even after all these years of appearing to be content in their boring marriage. He decides then that he will make it up to her. He will be the man she always wanted and needed. Gabriel makes the decision to move to Ireland, the country he detests in the beginning of the story. This is a sacrifice he will make to show his true love to his wife, Gretta. A sacrifice which in no way would have been possible if he had not experienced the epiphany within the story.

Analysis of “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke

â€Å"The Soldier† by Rupert Brooke Analysis â€Å"The Soldier†, is a British patriotic sonnet written by Rupert Brooke in 1914. It expresses love for the mother country which in this case is Great Britain. This poem describes the physical aspects of death and the writer’s opinion of it. Although death is the main point in this poem, it not depicted in a twisted and gruesome manner. Rather, death in this poem is a sacrifice. â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem. The purpose of patriotic poems during WWI was to motivate people to enlist for the armed forces.It is quite similar to a piece of propaganda, asking in a way for people to join the armed forces; to take his place should he be killed –â€Å"If I should die, think only this of me†. We know that this poem is patriotic because of the last three lines of the first stanza, in particular –â€Å"A body of England’s, breathing English air,† We also know this poem is patr iotic because it was written in 1914, when the war just started and spirits were high. After a while though, the enthusiasm dropped as people began to discover the nasty and cruel conditions of the trenches.By the end of war, famine and constant bomb raids had completely obliterated all signs of patriotism. In the first stanza, Brooke mentions his belief of the physical aspects of death for one’s country. The â€Å"foreign field† is where his body will lay forever. The soil contains the soul of a glorious man who died for his country. Brooke believes that if he dies there, the soil around his body will become a part of England as a result of the purity of his soul –â€Å"That is forever England,† The soldier was brought up by England and as a result, his thoughts and beliefs are both influenced by England.When he dies, all of his evil deeds and sins have been forgiven because he gave the ultimate sacrifice; to die for one’s country. Brooke also bel ieves that, because the motherland was so nice to him, he must give back what she has given to him; that he must lay down his life to ensure that the motherland stays a free country. It is the only thing that he can give back to the motherland to say thanks. Throughout this poem, England is personified as a mother. It demonstrates how important the soldiers of England really are to the country itself.Brooke writes this poem in a patriotic and joyful manner. He does not believe that dying for your country is a traumatic experience. This in contrast to another famously acclaimed poem by Wilfred Owen –â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† Brooke believes that dying for one’s country is a brave and honourable thing to do, especially during war. It states that should the person die, he should not be mourned, instead he should be looked upon as a selfless sacrifice to England.Although the poem itself is referring to one person; himself, the title suggests that this poem is repr esenting all soldiers, as when soldiers fight in wars, they lose their identity and become cogs in a big machine. To conclude, Rupert Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem about a soldier who had great love for his country. Brooke presents this sonnet as a piece of propaganda and encourages people to enlist for the armed forces. This poem describes the ideas of death in a mind of a patriotic person and gives us an insight into Brooke’s style of writing. Overall, this is a poem about honour and glory, about life and death.

Contemporary Masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contemporary Masculinity - Essay Example It is, thus, that images of masculinity and the implications of the concept are a topic of debate and academic research, questioning and exploration. Despite the stated, however, there remains a persistent tendency towards the maintenance of earlier images of hegemonic masculinity. Indeed, a review of Connell's notion of hegemonic masculinity will reveal the extent to which contemporary images of masculinity are being overtly countered and contested by the concept of hegemonic masculinity. Following a review of Connell's concept of hegemonic masculinity, this essay will argue that Connell's concept serves to shed invaluable light on the extent to which contemporary masculinity is experiencing crisis. This crisis, as briefly touched upon in the preceding, is a direct outcome of the dominant culture's refusal to accept changing notions of masculinity and its determination to maintain the gender status quo. Hegemonic masculinity is predicated on the longstanding notion that distinct gender differences exist between men and women.1 Hegemonic norms are accepted because "mass culture generally assumes there is a fixed, true masculinity beneath the ebb and flow of daily life,"2 where men are expected to be strong, independent, competitive, risk-taking, aggressive, powerful, display sexual prowess, be emotionally distant, and be dominant over women in both the private and public spheres.3 Gender differences underpin an unequal system of power relations where "men, as a group, enjoy [access to certain] institutional privileges"4 not afforded to women. Although this is not a recently constituted ideology, Connell holds that the dominance of hegemonic masculinity represents an endeavour to maintain this system of inequality through efforts to quell challenges to its institution. He states, "Hegemonic masculinity can be defined as the configuration of gender practice which embodies the currentl y accepted answer to the problem of the legitimacy of patriarchy."5 The social prescription for western hegemonic masculinity, aimed at preserving the legitimacy of patriarchy, thus includes elements of heterosexism, homophobia, and male-dominant gender roles. Connell stresses that hegemonic masculinity is a "historically mobile relation" noting that when "conditions for the defence of patriarchy change," such as with economic or political pressures like the global movement for women's emancipation, "the bases for the dominance of a particular masculinity are eroded."6 In fact, the institutional and cultural features that give rise to any one form of masculinity also create alternate versions of masculinity that support or conflict with core assumptions. For example, dominant conceptualizations of masculinity portray adult males as family breadwinners. This conceptualization, alongside dominant discourse and practices perpetuate this belief, irrespective of evidence to the contrary and, in so doing, affirm a gender based division of labour. As may be inferred from the aforementioned, despite the fact that the concept of hegemonic masculinity is increasingly being questioned by contemporary economic realities, not to mention socio-political ones, the tenacious hold that this concept has on mass culture is such that alternative realities are labeled exceptions to the rule. Connell does not only acknowledge the veracity of the above-stated but emphasizes the extent to which the

Slavery Story by Harriet Jacobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Slavery Story by Harriet Jacobs - Essay Example This clearly establishes Jacobs' own status as a person and to make a case against the dehumanization inherent in slavery. Moreover, these women were denied the right to bond, nurture and care for their babies. Indeed fact, it was not unusual but common for the plantation master to satisfy his desires with his female slaves and force them to bear his offspring. As Linda points out, children from such unions were often sold to protect the honor and dignity of the slaveholder's wife, who would otherwise be forced to face the undeniable evidence of her husband's lust. Notably, in an attempt to further humanize these victims, she addressed the women of the North, desperately trying to show them that unless they spoke out in protest, they were just as guilty as Southern slaveholders of supporting and perpetuating the system of slavery. In short, apathy towards the act of slavery is just as horrendous as the act itself. We immediately see the human calling in this piece because from the beginning, Jacobs identifies herself as a slave girl. She maintains focus on her female gender. Because she refers to herself as "a slave girl," she implies-and later states explicitly-that she is speaking not only for herself, but also for her sisters still in bondage. Truth be told, this is actually a documentary. In furtherance of Jacobs' establishment of her own status as a person and to make a case against the dehumanization inherent in slavery, Linda continues to exist in this tortured world. Linda could have left her master. As the story progresses we learn that Linda actually had many opportunities to escape. Determined, she chooses to give up her freedom and her own life to save her children. This is the natural choice of a mother. Thus despite the continued abuses suffered by Linda, she presented her story not just as a woman but as a mother. Finally, it is apparent that Jacobs was determined to convince the world of the devastating and dehumanizing impact of slavery on women. In so doing, she let us see the impact from several perspectives. We see it as a female, and as a girl growing into a woman. Further adding to the experience, we see her as a mother and as one who has the daily risk of loosing her babies to the plantation owner that raped her. It is sickening that a woman had to fear one of the most important parts of her life, the beauty of being pregnant. Indeed, perhaps Jacobs transcends the human nature, because while many of the children of these poor slave women were the result of involuntary sex, it did not interfere with the immediate maternal instinct. It is all of these moments that bring Jacobs' perspective as a truly human

MK 491 Seminar in Marketing-Report Research Paper

MK 491 Seminar in Marketing-Report - Research Paper Example Since then it has literally transformed to a giant firm employing over 10,000 people. Google Inc. is a household name for their search engine service. Google has become so big now that it has almost become a new word in English language. Research Question The Research question posed here is discussion of the product, pricing, promotion and distribution strategies adopted by Google Inc. Literature Review Google Inc. is one of the top technology companies in the world. It offers a range of products and services which caters to the needs of the users. This company is present across different domain in the Internet and most of the consumers use their products and services in everyday life. Google hence uses different strategies to market their diverse products and services. Since they offer such diverse set of products and services, they use different market segmentation strategy to reach out to their consumer base. Their positioning strategy has to be prefect so that they live up to con sumers demands. Similarly their pricing and distribution strategy has to be developed to make them be on profit terms with other competitors. Analysis and Findings Overall business and marketing strategy of Google For Google their biggest success factor is the search engine which they have created. Google alone earns millions of rupees through advertisements. For Google information gathering is the key to their success. It makes all the products and services in such a way that it caters to all the segments in the market. This makes non-profit and private use by users absolutely free of cost. The founders of Google have a strong liking to education and libraries. The atmosphere of the company is like a university where continuous research and analysis of their product and services are done. They strive continuously for better search methods so that more useful information is available to the consumers through as many means as possible. Hence all the employees are encouraged to create something new and are rewarded for their effort through means like freedom with work hours, free meals, competitive pay etc. It organizes Annual Code Jam international competition which aims at solving the mind racing problems, and the winner is given large amounts of money. This helps them to find bright new employees. Hence Google primary business strategy is the innovation which the innovation in their products and services which they brings in front of the consumers. They have been largely successful at their overall business strategy. Segmentation strategy The segmentation strategy of Google is very diverse. Google has a diverse product line and hence it is present everywhere to cater to a number of users worldwide. For instance Google Search and other products are available to users at over 110 languages and it is still expanding (Anderson, Lazarus, Loftsgaarden and Weiss, 2003). According to a survey conducted in United States it was seen that their Search Engine was popular among users less than 34 years of age. Among them 55% of the users are male. Their users are predominantly technologically adept. Most of the users are business professionals. Again the products like Google plus, Google hangout, Picasa indicate that they are targeting the young peoples who are in their colleges and like to engage in social networking. One of the best Google products is the YouTube