E-Logistics2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

E-Logistics2 - Essay Example This report describes the various challenges in global supply chain strategy of VF and provides recommendation to improve the â€Å"Third Way† supply chain system globally. Challenges of â€Å"Third Way† supply chain Strategy of VF VF produces apparel products from its own manufacturing plant as well as acquires apparels from other suppliers. The outsourcing strategy of VF focuses on flexibility. VF possesses strong manufacturing capacity and it can also outsource from suppliers to improve the manufacturing process and thus reduce the cost of production. The suppliers of clothing industry use term contract to produce particular garment in particular quantity. This strategy helped VF to shift production among suppliers in different locations for optimizing cost and respond to the changes in any business conditions such as changes in tariff or exchange rates and other factors related to cost. VF had responded to the market condition and implemented â€Å"Third Way† supply chain strategy to gain advantage of both in house manufacturing and outsourcing as well. VF had two critical elements in the growth strategy which were to expand sales outside the US and expand the ‘direct to consumer’ business. ... For example, Walmart, one of the largest jeans retailers of the US had launched jeans under their own brand. The apparel companies mostly concentrated on design and marketing rather than production. The production was generally a labour intensive method which had several disadvantages. This enabled the garment companies to outsource the production of their design in high competitive terms (Pisano & Adams, 2009). As the supply chain had become globalized, it was a great challenge for VF to find good supplier and develop good relationship in order to coordinate the production flows. The apparel companies do not possess appropriate skill and good bond for efficient outsourcing in Asian region. For this reason, a few Asian manufacturers had started to modify their business to provide fully incorporated supply chain to the apparel companies (Pisano & Adams, 2009). The economic recession of 2008–2009 was also another challenge of VF. Compared to other competitors, VF had managed the global recession much better, though it has also seen decline in sales by 9% in the year 2009. Their income had reduced by 30% in the same year, but the financial condition of VF was strong. It had relatively lower debt, good credit line and comparatively higher cash than their competitors. The biggest fear for VF was the long term impact of the economic crisis on the supply chain. Several garment suppliers were operating on low margin and did not have any financial cushion. When the volume fell because of low demand of garment products, suppliers were forced to shut down their business. The sudden closure of supplier’s business had proved to be troublesome for VF Company. For example, a supplier of VF had informed that it would close down its

3 works of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

3 works of art - Essay Example The gown looks like the nun uniform and she is lazily enveloped into the reverie or dream about the angel. This is an epitome of the spiritualism that an image can depict. Moreover, the environment that hooks up the angel and St.Teresa looks dreamy, implying the supernatural feeling that the paint is showing. In this paint, Caravaggio is showing a pretty realistic image of St.peter being crucified. He is keen on the posture of the people and the wood used to make the crucifix. It is a paint that shows the crucifixion of St.Peter as he asked people to do. He is crucified upside down as a symbol of not imitating his Lord Jesus Christ. The painting is so real that it shows the cloth that is wrapped around him to conceal his loins, the people lifting the cross and the obscurity of their faces in the shadows. The picture arouses feelings of sadness by looking at the way St.Peter has left his mouth open with his long beard and dully eyes, showing so much pain. The people lifting the crucifix are also showing fatigue since it is clear that they are straining to life the crucifix to its intended right position. This paint is a fascinating image that describes the evolution of the Catholic Church by Peter Paul Rubens. He is so artistic in the painting of women and men in their full physical features laying on each other in various postures. There is also the presence of leopards in shady trying to roar at the infants on the ground. This is a description of the spread of Catholic Churches across the world and the numerous challenges it has faced, behind the leopards, the adults and the infants is a dark blue sky that is not fully clear. It shows the beautiful sky, symbolizing the hope and feasibility of the Catholic Church

The Increased Need for Digital Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Increased Need for Digital Forensics - Essay Example es, especially cyber crime, there has been a heightened demand for digital forensic professionals to support law enforcement and judicial systems at all levels in order to prosecute these crimes successfully. Digital forensics, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a specialized private detective who examines various items of technology in the pursuit of locating evidence related to a criminal act (Tucker, 9). Digital forensics are also utilized in the business world as a means to provide solutions to certain business issues, however digital forensics for business is far less prevalent than in criminal analysis. Digital forensics requires the technician to examine devices such as the PDA, laptop or cellular phone in the pursuit of various digital clues which lead to either support or refute claims of suspected criminal activity. A digital forensic scientist, searching the digital contents of a computer printer, would look for potential evidence such as time and date stamps, images still retrievable on the printer’s paper roller, or even the specific network identity of the printer if it was, indeed, attached to an online network (Ashcroft, 18). If the owner of this hypot hetical printer was alleged to have been involved in a child pornography ring, as one example, residual ink images left on the roller or various computer files buried in the printer’s hard disk might indicate whether a given alibi is valid or whether the individual has actually been distributing sexually explicit, youth materials. The personal computer and the laptop provide a myriad of potential forensic evidence in the event that a crime has been perpetrated. In this situation, forensic experts examine personal email, image/graphics files, calendars, address books and document files (Ashcroft, 10) as a means to find out whether the individual (or group) can be linked to the criminal behavior. Computer-created files, such as cookies, back-up files, temporary files and hidden files

Ford automobile analysing the vertical integration Essay

Ford automobile analysing the vertical integration - Essay Example Generally, it is the level at which an organization controls the main suppliers and buyers, and aims at improving marketplace supremacy (Katie, 2013). In the early 20th century, Ford Corporation built a manufacturing empire unlike any other before or after based on vertical integration. Ford had chosen to produce the components and materials for its famous Model T passenger car instead of sourcing them from independent contractors or suppliers. The company also bought glass and steel mills to produce steels and window screens for its cars. In addition, Ford acquired huge tracts of land in Asia and Brazil to grow rubber trees to meet its requirements for tyre materials. These efforts culminated in the construction of the massive Rogue plant that ensured full control of all the resources that were necessary in the production of the automobiles. The first model T cars retailed at $850 but the price fell to $440 and eventually to $290 in 1925. The approach had been able to provide better quality cars at much lower prices and thus progressively increase the company’s market share. (Lu, 2011). On the other hand, General Motors, Ford’s main business rival, adopted the multi-divisional approach later on and integrated the various independent firms that were held under the umbrella firm. This ensured that the overall financial and directional decisions were made at the corporate headquarters and the operating decisisons were left to the various divisions. The large scale vertical integration was meant to achieve various objectives. Scholars believe that this was aimed at increasing control, capturing profitability from upstream suppliers, and exerting marketing dominance. This strategy was suitable with the prevailing market environment, which seemed to have enduring demand and low prices determined the market leader. However, despite the soaring sales figures, the approach also had some weaknesses. These included rigidity in asset deployment, modification of product lines and responses to demand changes (Harrigan, 2003). Analysis The Ford Motor Corporation held the dominant position in the automobile industry during the 1910s and 1920s. It held the largest market share and even briefly went over the 50 percent mark. It also reported the highest profits due to its better manufacturing innovation and a reputable brand name. in addition, its main competitors had less superior production technologies and felt the immense pressure from Ford’s market dominance and the low prices. Henry Ford was highly motivated by the vision of producing good and low-priced motor cars for the entire public and the development of technology used to mass-manufacture the cars. His ability to provide substantially lower prices than his closest competitors gave his company the flexibility to pursue these objectives. For instance, Ford’s Model T car was retailing at US$440 while the closest competitor was a Willys-Overland vehicle that was sold fo r US$ 895 (Rosenbaum, 1998). The company had started with the construction of its Highland Park plant in the 1910s, which consisted of a huge capital investment. The multi-storey building became the largest in Michigan state. Its large and open floors provided room for machinery arrangement, and the huge windows provided ventilation and natural lighting. This made the plant a good model for design of factories. In addition, it combined a foundry, a machine shop and a power plant, which brought various stages of automobile

The History of England to 1689 by Clayton Roberts Essay Example for Free

The History of England to 1689 by Clayton Roberts Essay For many years, historians have argued among themselves on how history ought to be seen and studied. There is a lot who consider that the fact concerning history is that history does not narrate accurately. There are also those who disagree to such a view- including Clayton Roberts, the author of â€Å"The History of England. † Clayton Roberts published his writings at the time wherein the prevailing thought was that history is â€Å"nothing but a reenactment of past thoughts in a historian’s mind† (Collingwood 282). His works rather stood out because in these, not only does he boldly assert that history tells truth, but even explains past events causally (qtd. In PSU Press 1). His belief was that, historical exploration is not hopelessly immanent, not irremediably comparative and that every man is not his own historian. The objectivity of history lies in the fact that historians widely agree upon the validity of these canons of evidence and rules of logic† (Roberts x-xi). For Roberts then, history is not merely a description of a sequence of events; rather these events are causally linked together in an orderly fashion, as if following a certain rule or law (George and Bennett 225). Such a view of history of his is very much evident in his work, â€Å"The History of England†. The manner by which he had arranged and discussed Britain’s experiences, the type of language he had used, and his overall writing style conveyed his theory on the effective way of proceeding to a historical inquiry into a subject matter, such as Britain’s history. Well-regarded as one of the more trusted resource materials for students or just about anyone who wished to get a general education of Britain, this author concurs that Robert’s approach does provide for a better understanding and appreciation of history. Theme As earlier discussed, Roberts held that events in history are not just a series of events that happen without any cause or reason. These are linked together in a cohesive manner and understanding how these are inextricably related to one another provides for a thorough discussion of history. This can be visibly seen in his book. In â€Å"The History of England,† he discusses different parts of the country’s history providing for smooth transitions in between to show that each and every event that happened has led to the later occurrences. Before he put in the part detailing the Protestant-Catholic religion, a section showing the growth of Protestantism preceded such, Catholicism still being regarded the primary religion at that time, to provide for the explanation of the impending colloquy between camps from the two aforementioned religions. He always answered the questions, â€Å"how† and â€Å"why† in every significant incident that he explained in his book. In Chapter Two of the book for example, he vividly describes the demise of the Roman rule. The subsequent chapter then goes on to discuss the conquest of Britain and the conversion of the people to Christianity- all resultant of the fall of the Roman Empire. Roberts also spoke of the wars in the 1300s and the 1500s and the significant events therein. But prior to discussing those hard times, he explained the systems of government and provided a descriptive account of the type of life that the people had, as well as the tensions and minor instances wherein people displayed their dissent with regard to those types of systems that governed them and their dissatisfaction with their current state of lives. The showing all these conflicts existing before tackling the waging of full-on wars provided the necessary â€Å"build-up† for readers to understand the true nature of wars- that they are not merely caused by an isolated event, but a combination of political and social factors that converge at a time, that which cannot be contained anymore or settled amicably. The manner by which Roberts organized the events in Britain’s history and the major themes he assigned them under also show his absolute subscription to the theory that events in history are invariably associated under a common factor or rule. In the Chapter of the Elizabethan Rule for example, he not only relays the events that happened under the woman monarch’s rule simply because these happened at the time she sat on the throne, he specifically included the events that he discussed under the said topic: Queen Elizabeth and her relationship with the Church and Scotland, the War against Spain, the Queen and the Government of England- all to characterize and capture what was meant by the Elizabethan rule and its long-term effects to the events thereafter, moreover, the existing English culture as a whole. Finally, the author used a variety of primary and secondary resources that were up-to-date, appropriate and adequate in the discussion of the topics he had set to give the reader a wide view of Britain’s social, economic, cultural, intellectual and political history from as early as the Paleolithic stage to 1714. One must take note that although he stressed dominant themes in every Chapter, he never espoused any single interpretation to such, and even provided suggested ‘Further Reading’ lists at the end of each chapter. Such is still keeping in line with his belief of the possibility of objectivity in history because he never asserted his account or interpretation to events that transpired as the gospel truth. The abovementioned situations are just some of the specific examples that show Robert’s consistency in maintaining his thesis that there is indeed a causal link between the various events that transpired in history. Though he has always been careful to note that in terms of major events, these causal links are not as pronounced as in the minor events, there is a relationship between them nonetheless, a lesson that people must not forget in studying history. Critique Robert’s â€Å"The History of England,† though lengthy and descriptive, is easy to read. Therein, it becomes clear that the author’s primary intention in using descriptive but simple language is to make his work easy accessible to people coming from different parts of the academe from the few highly specialized scholars to the broad popular audience who said that it is not surprising that this book is being used by a lot of students and professors who wish to get a general view of England’s history. Overall, Robert’s work is well-written and organized, primarily thanks to Robert’s painstaking attention to showing the links between the events that transpire in history. Not only has it taught me to scrutinize historical data from his work, but writings by other authors as well. To be quite honest, as a student of history who has read numerous history books by different authors who possess different styles in writing, I appreciate history more when my attention is focused in knowing and understanding why and how an event in history happened in a certain manner, rather than memorizing a multitude of names of famous people or significant dates in history. Robert’s style which was mindful of the relationships between events in time changed my perspective on studying history and has made doing so easier and more enjoyable. History for me became more than just a field of study wherein memorization of events, dates and names of people were of primary importance- that which was difficult for me to do. Now, not only do I find history more fascinating, I am also able to retain factual data with less time and effort than before. Studying the significance of knowing the relationships between the events, which Roberts espouses, has greatly contributed to such.

Changes During the Ageing Process

Changes During the Ageing Process Physiological and sociological ageing is an unpreventable process to which, each individual goes through. Although each ageing process varies greatly from each individual to another it tends to speed up as we age. â€Å"Ageing can be defined as increasing the number and proportion of elderly in society† (Calasanti Kathleen, 2006) We age from the moment we are born, however the changes that occurs during ageing results from losses that is gradual overtime. It is said that loses can often start from young adulthood (mid 20’s-30’s) because our bodies being able to adjust and maintain health in most individuals, it is said the loss in not shown until later on in life. â€Å"We lose 1% of organ functionality per year from the age of 30 years old† (Martin GM, 2007) â€Å"the majority of these changes are not seen until after age 70† (Critchley, 1931, 1934) The considerable difference in the rate of ageing and organ efficiency lies within the presence of disease and/or the ability of the body to adapt to external stress. The three main models of changes that we need to focus on during our ageing process are; physical, psychological and social. At any given time, one can be effected or all of them together which can impact on a person’s quality of life. As we’re all unique in our own right, each person’s ageing process can be different ageing cycle. â€Å"The pensioner population is expected to rise despite the increase in the women’s state pension age to 65 between 2010 and 2020 and the increase for both men and women from 65 to 68 between 2024 and 2046.† (Parliament, 2010) According to the NHS, individuals are living longer than ever before and our society is expanding. With the NHS explaining that â€Å"with the fastest rise in the ‘oldest old’, means that the overall number of people in our society withhealth or care needs has risen. In turn, this has altered the very nature of our health and care services, with older people now the biggest users† As we get older, it is common for some memory loss such as forgetting names or appointments, this is normal due to â€Å"memory being affected by age, stress, tiredness, or certain illnesses and medications† (NHS, 2014) Typically common illnesses and diseases occurs (however not exclusive to elderly individuals) is Dementia, Cancer and also Arthritis. Dementia is a progressive disease. Affecting all parts of the brain such as the frontal lobe, occipital lobes, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe. â€Å"Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. This includes problems with: memory loss, thinking speed, mental agility, language, understanding, judgement† (NHS, 2014) According to the Alzheimer’s Society there are â€Å"around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. Current statistics show that one in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and two thirds of people with dementia are women†. Research undertaken by Alzheimer’s Society has shown that young people also develop dementia and it is not exclusive to elderly people. According to Cancer Research, 2013 â€Å"Cancer is a disease caused by normal cells changing so that they grow in an uncontrolled way. The uncontrolled growth causes a lump called a tumour to form†. Age Concern UK, conducted a study in the years between 2009-2011 and found that the most top 5 cancer diagnosed for men aged 75 and over is prostate, lung, bowel, bladder and stomach cancer. Their research also found that the top 5 commonly cancer being diagnosed for women over 75 and over; breast, bowel, lung, pancreas and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer. Also shown during this research was that â€Å"36% of all cancers are diagnosed in the elderly† (UK, 2009-2011) Arthritis is not exclusive to elderly people and it is a myth to say that â€Å"only elderly people have arthritis† it also affects younger individuals also. â€Å"Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation within a joint. In the UK, around 10 million people have arthritis. Two of the most commonare osteoarthritisand rheumatoid arthritis.† (NHS, 2012) According to Arthritis Research UK, 2013: â€Å"Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis statistic shows that 8.5 million people are affected by Osteoarthritis.† â€Å"In people affected by osteoarthritis, the cartilage (connective tissue) between their bones gradually wastes away, leading to painful rubbing of bone on bone in the joints. The most frequently affected joints are in the hands, spine, knees and hips. Osteoarthritis often develops in people who are over 50 years of age. However, it can develop at any age as a result of an injury or another joint-related condition† (NHS, 2012) â€Å"The psychological aspect of ageing is a phase of personal integrity with despair† (Erik Erikson, 1950) during the final stages of the cycle of life; the individual is often seeking a sense of integrity and trying to avoid a sense of despair. Elder age often becomes a time of reflecting back on their life which allows a return of events during their own personal lifetime. â€Å"To the extent we have succeeded in effectively solving the problems that had arisen at every stage of life, we have developed a sense of completion and fullness that is to say, the feeling of full life† (Gullette, 2004). Societies views on ageing has been deemed as somewhat negative, it has been argued that the older population can be wrongly so, be a drain on society. Due to advantages in modern medicine and technology it has been clearly proven that there is a better quality of life for older people. The government has also contributed in helping improve quality of life to over 65’s by providing; state pension, free TV licence, free bus pass, winter fuel allowance, help with care nursing fee’s* (if individual doesn’t have any form of assets such as property*) and legislations in place for best interests of individuals and pushing them to remain independent where possible by staying in their own home rather than carting off elderly people into nursing homes or care homes once they reach retirement age. Elderly individuals do also contribute back to society such as volunteering, childcare for grandchildren and also, most continue to work and pay their taxes after the â€Å"state pension age† of 61 and 68 years old. Ageing is different from one individual to another because all human beings are unique in their own right, it’s hard to pinpoint how the ageing process affects each individual physical, intellectual abilities and psychological quality of life however, individuals needs change as they age and in order to meet a standard of quality of life their needs should be simultaneously met where possible. During life, we all often begin to experiences many types of losses this can include loss of many things such as material things; health, jobs, homes. Death of relatives, friends and pets. At times, this can come all at once or spaced out nevertheless; losing an object or an individual close to you can be overwhelming sadness period in anyone’s life which can result in problems physically and mentally such as depression. Dr Elisabeth Kà ¼bler-Ross’s pioneering research on grief and grieving has made a significant indent on the bereavement and support care of those individuals that are grieving. In fact such an idea or understanding of grief was a rare and novel idea before Dr Elisabeth Kà ¼bler-Ross 1969 research which inaugurated her â€Å"five stages of grief† which is detailed as; first stage, shock and denial and sometimes overwhelming, the second stage is anger. Dr Kà ¼bler-Ross explains that the realisation of reality emerges after the initial shock. The feelings of anger may be directed at the loved one whom passed over or people around the person who is grieving. Following from that the third stage of grief is said to be bargaining, the person who is grieving can be thinking the classic â€Å"should of, could of, would of† †¦ I wish I would have done this, I wish I would have done that. I wish I would have told them this, seen them more before passing etc. forth s tage of the process is said to be depression, a mixture feelings of sadness and mourning and the final stage of the process is acceptance; this phase is a mixture of accepting what has happened, knowing that you cannot change the past. Allowing themselves to continue living after a loved one has passed without feeling guilty about â€Å"moving on†. Although the five stages of grief model was initially developed to help health care professionals around the world understand the grief of their patients and their relatives who are on the verge of passing over, it has now been comprehensively adopted by individuals around the world not just medical professions but individuals who are facing to be in a situation of their loved ones passing over. The stages are arguably an experience during which, the sorrowful process of the experience of grief are somewhat, easier to understand the grieving process. The idea also provided an in-depth understanding of grief and for helping others cope through personal trauma of grief. Going through grief is understandably, one of the hardest things an individual can ever go through, but realising that they don’t have to do it all by their selves can help â€Å"ease† the pain from grieving. These days there is lot of support groups available for people who are grieving. The support groups can benefit others by sharing their loss and pain by openly talking about their circumstances and feelings is an active step for them to work through their pain and come to term with that has happened to them. Another positive is that by sharing the loss and pain with others going through the same thing, eventually the individuals find themselves giving compassion and reaching out to help others within the support group with the hope they will survive through the terrible personal trauma of grief. Although many theories has been developed regarding the ageing process, the theory of disengagement has generated the most interest to this day (Cumming Henry, 1961) according to their theory; â€Å"as people age, they tend to withdraw from society, and this can be mutual, with society†. Cumming Henry had argued â€Å"this was a consequence of people learning within their limitations with age and making way for new generations of people the fill their roles†. However, it is said that the disengagement theory is controversial, and many individuals do not agree with it. One negativity of disengagement is the low self-esteem that can occur of disengaging. This could have a knock on effect of simply â€Å"not engaging† with others if they believe they are not â€Å"worth it†. â€Å"This qualitative change will accompany the quantitative reduction in social interaction taking place between the elderly and society† (Masoro, 2006). Within diverse societies, it is argued that the disengagement theory is a negative one. When the disengagement theory was created by Cumming Henry, the tradition within society back then was allowing older people to live at home with their families rather than using any form of nursing and residential care. The activity theory was originally developed by Robert J. Havighurst in 1961; originally the activity theory was conceived as a response to then, the recently published disengagement theory of ageing. As mentioned above, the disengagement model suggested that it is natural for elderly to disengage completely from society when they realise that they are close to their death. According to activity theorists, as people interact with their environment and each other, they achieve a series of outcomes. As individuals engage within activities, it gives them something to focus on and keeps themselves as well as their brains active which can minimise depression and feelings of being unwanted. The activity theory has been to understand the emotional changes within ageing adults. Research has found that elderly individuals that has remained in employment, or being able to peruse hobbies or day centres etc. can actually improve a quality of life as it keeps themselves busy and actively engaging with others can improve their self-esteem dramatically. As we’re all unique in our own right, it’s hard to define ageing process for every single human being. But on average, whilst most over 60’s might still be in employment, having independence and remaining in their own home and others might be unable to mobilize and lost their independence and residing in a care home. Following from research of this essay, as long as all elder individuals needs and preferences are met, their quality of life is at a high standard and appropriate help and support is available then processing through the later adult ageing process will be significantly easier for the individual going through the ageing process and dealing with complications that can occur such as higher risk of developing illnesses that can occur as we age.

Causes of Construction Delays

Causes of Construction Delays This chapter gives an idea of what construction delays are, how are they defined and what are their types and comparison of them. Delays can be seen differently from different point of views. Causes of delays and categorization of them in various international contexts are also discussed. 2.2 DEFINING CONSTRUCTION DELAY A lot of work has been done before on construction delays and every author came up with his/her own definition. Assaf and Hejji defined delay as Time overrun either beyond completion date specified in a contract, or beyond the date that the parties agreed upon for delivery of a project slipping over its planned schedule. (Assaf, Hejji, 2006) Stumpf defined delay as Act or event that extends the time required to perform a task under a contract. It usually shows up as additional days of work or as delayed start of an activity. (Stumpf, 2000). And many similar definitions were given. Therefore construction delays can be considered as time lag in completion of activities from a fixed time as per contract or they can be defined as late completion or late start of activities to the planned schedule or contract schedule. When project delay occurs it means project cannot be completed within stated time, which means there will be extensions of time required which will further result in fine, increased cost due to inflation, termination of contract, court cases etc. or combinations of above stated factors. Delay can be seen as risk for the project and could be handled at inception stage or at least one can try to mitigate or minimize it. Risk is an integral part of a construction project; it is well known that no project is risk free. If risk is analysed at inception or planning stage it could be managed, minimized, shared, mitigated or accepted to give some good results. Delay can be considered similar to risk or a type of risk; as no construction project is free from delays, delay is also integrated part of construction projects. It depends on size of project as well. Therefore it is expected to analyse and manage delay in same fashion as risk. Delays are often result of a mismanaged event which must have been managed in a systematic process so as to analyse the effect of that event on the project and how to minimize chances of further delay. (Keane, Caletka, 2008). 2.3 CATEGORIZATION AND TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS Before getting on types of various construction delays there is a major categorisation which is required to be understood. Construction delays can be delayed in some major groups as listed below. El-Saadi (1998) categorized delay in four major groups. Critical or Non critical Excusable or Non Excusable Compensable or Non Compensable Concurrent or Non concurrent Alkaas S., Mazerolle M. and Harris F. (1996) and Ahmed S.M. et al gave following categorizations: Excusable Delays Excusable compensable delays Excusable noncompensable delays Nonexcusable delays Concurrent delays Fig. 2.1 Classification of delay based on their various attributes. Nuhu Braimah (2008) To achieve objectives of this dissertation and to consider delay as risk it is necessary to know about these types of delays and as per categorization in what category they lie. This basic knowledge helps in moving forward and determining strategies to mitigate these risks. Now in this part we will discuss these types of delay in detail: 2.3.1 CRITICAL AND NON CRITICAL In simple words Critical delays are those which cause delay to entire project completion date while Non critical delays not necessarily affect the project completion date but affects progress. In all the projects delays are considered at the project completion date. Delays can be combination of small and big delays that occurred during the whole project. Therefore critical delays are taken more into consideration then noncritical delays. 2.3.2 EXCUSABLE DELAYS Excusable Delays occurs due to events which are outside the control of contractor like heavy rains, storms, strikes, fire, client suggested changes, differing site conditions, change of government policy or their intervention, stakeholder intervention etc. Alkass S. et al (1996) says that when there are excusable delays, contractor is entitled to time extension in case date of completion is extended. Such delays can also affect non critical activities which must be considered with more detailed analysis or adjustment of float time. Excusable delays can be further classified in compensable and noncompensable delays. 2.3.2.1 EXCUSABLE COMPENSABLE DELAYS As name suggests excusable compensable delays are those in which contractor is entitled for extra payment (compensation) i.e. monetary compensation and time extension as well. But decision that a delay is compensable or noncompensable is taken as per contract between client and contractor. Natural disasters or some reasons which are out of control are not considered. Example of such delay could be that client doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t allow access to site even after notice to proceed is given; other such delays which are due to client are compensable. 2.3.2.2 EXCUSABLE NONCOMPENSABLE DELAYS Such delays are such where both contractor and client are not responsible for delay. Under such circumstances only time extensions are granted and no monetary compensation is provided. Such delays include act of God. 2.3.3 NON EXCUSABLE DELAYS As name suggests these delays are such that they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have any excuse or no excuse can be given for them. They arise due to carelessness or actions and inactions of contractors and subcontractors. For such delays no time extensions and monetary compensation is given to contractor if it has affected whole duration of project. In such cases client is liable to get liquidated damages. Example of such delay could be constructing something wrong which is not given in drawings, not completing work on time, improper resource allocation etc. 2.3.4 CONCURRENT DELAYS This is the most complex categorization of delay as it consists of two or more kind of delays regardless of their type which occurs at same time or overlaps some duration together. It is necessary to find out what type has caused overall delay in project completion. Therefore different factors like time of occurrence of delay, duration of delay, impact of them, float ownership etc. have to be considered carefully. Alkass et al (1996) said that; Concurrent delays which contains two or more excusable delays results in time extension. When compensable and nonexcusable delays are concurrent a time extension can be given or delay can be distributed between client and contractor. 2.4 CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS In section 2.3, categorisation of delays was discussed. Now in this section will deal with causes of delays. Lot of work has been done on understanding causes of delays. The two major categorization of delay causes one is Internal Cause another is External Cause. Internal cause includes delays caused by parties involved in construction project like Client, Contractor, Designer, Consultant these are four major parties then Subcontractors, material suppliers etc. comes. From external factors it includes act of God, strikes, stakeholderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dissatisfaction etc. Assaf and Hejji (2006) reflected various causes of delays which occur in large construction projects. They had a field survey of 23 contractors, 19 consultants, and 15 owners and found out and reflected on 73 causes of delays under eight different groups. All those 73 factors are given in table below. NO. CAUSES OF DELAY GROUP 1 Original contract duration is too short. Project 2 Legal disputes b/w various parties. Project 3 Inadequate definition of substantial completion. Project 4 In effective delay penalties. Project 5 Type of construction contracts. Project 6 Type of project bidding and award Project 7 Delay in progress payment by owner. Owner 8 Delay to furnish and deliver the site to contractor by the owner. Owner 9 Change orders by owner during construction. Owner 10 Late in revising and approving design documents by owner Owner 11 Delay in approving shop drawings and sample materials Owner 12 Poor communication and co-ordination by owner and other parties Owner 13 Slowness is decision making process by owner Owner 14 Conflicts between joint ownership of the project Owner 15 Unavailability of incentives for contractors for finishing ahead of schedule Owner 16 Suspension of work by owner Owner 17 Difficulties in financing project by contractor. Contractor 18 Conflicts in subcontractors schedule in execution of project Contractor 19 Rework due to errors during construction. Contractor 20 Poor site management and supervision by contractor Contractor 21 Poor communication and co-ordination by contractor with other parties Contractor 22 Ineffective planning and scheduling of project by contractor Contractor 23 Improper construction methods implemented by contractor. Contractor 24 Delays in subcontractors work Contractor 25 Conflicts between contractor and other parties Contractor 26 Inadequate contractors work. Contractor 27 Frequent change of subcontractors due to their insufficient work. Contractor 28 Poor qualification of the contractors technical staff Contractor 29 Delay in site mobilization. Contractor 30 Delay in performing inspection and testing by consultant Consultant 31 Delay in approving major changes in the scope of work by consultant Consultant 32 Inflexibility (rigidity) of consultant Consultant 33 Poor communication and co-ordination by consultant with other parties Consultant 34 Late in reviewing and approving design documents by consultants Consultant 35 Conflicts between consultant and design engineer. Consultant 36 Inadequate experience of dsigner. Consultant 37 Mistakes and discrepancies in design documents Design 38 Delays in producing design documents Design 39 Unclear and inadequate details in drawings Design 40 Complexity of project design Design 41 Insufficient data collection and survey before design Design 42 Misunderstanding of ownerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s requirement by design engineer. Design 43 Inadequate design team experience Design 44 Un-use of advanced engineering design software. Design 45 Shortage of construction materials in market Material 46 Changes in material types and specification during construction Material 47 Detail in material delivery. Material 48 Damage of sorted material while they are needed urgently. Material 49 Delay in manufacturing special building material Material 50 Late procurement of materials Material 51 Late in selection of finishing materials due to availability of many types in market Material 52 Equipment breakdowns Equipment 53 Shortage of equipment Equipment 54 Low level of equipment-operatorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s skill Equipment 55 Low productivity and efficiency of equipment Equipment 56 Lack of high technology mechanical equipment Equipment 57 Shortage of labours Labours 58 Unqualified workforce Labours 59 Nationality of labours Labours 60 Low productivity level of labours Labours 61 Personal conflict among labours Labours 62 Effects of subsurface conditions External 63 Delay in obtaining permit from government External 64 Hot weather effects on construction activities External 65 Rain effect on construction activities External 66 Unavailability of utilities in site External 67 Effect of social and cultural factors External 68 Traffic control and restriction at job site External 69 Accident during construction External 70 Differing site conditions External 71 Changes in government regulations and laws External 72 Delay in providing services from utilities External 73 Delay in performing final inspection and certification by a third party External Table 2.1 Causes of delays as per group Assaf and Hejji (2006) Their work gave a broad view over construction delays and their causes. Though their classification is quite broad, but it gives a more insight to various causes. Odeh AM and Battaineh HT (2002) presented following 8 major groups of construction delay. Client related factors which include finance, payment of billed work, interference in work, slow decision making etc. Contractor related factors include site management, improper planning, insufficient experience, improper construction methods, insufficient and unskilled work force etc. Consultant related factors include contract management, improper drawings, approval of drawings, tests at site etc. Material related factors include availability, quality and shortage. Labor and equipment factors include supply, productivity, equipment availability, failure etc. Contract factors include changed orders and mistakes and disagreements in document. Contractual relationship factors includes, disputes, negotiation, improper management of information system, improper work breakdown structure and task responsibility matrix. External factors like act of god, strikes, accidents etc. Most of the work done in field of causes of delays reflects similar causes of delays and 8 major groups. They all gave recommendations related to these factors but very few scholars suggested to forecast delay in planning stage. Khalil and Ghaftly (1999) said delay is important issue. In order to manage it more properly and to mitigate them deep investigation to this area is needed. Having idea of frequency, extent and responsibility of delay can provide insights of early planning to control these factors and improve project performance. 2.5 PERSPECTIVE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES Work from Chan and Kumaraswamy (2002) from Hong Kong industry gives four major causes of delay in Hong Kong industry which are as follows: Project scope Project complexity Project Environment Management related attributes The above four factors were studied with their constituent casual factors to gain more insight and understanding of their significance. They were summarized in following figure: Figure 2.3 Summary of principal factors affecting construction durations of projects He gave another table comparing factors causing delay in construction projects in various economies. It gives an overview of common factors in these economies. It gives a clear understanding of various countries at once. Factors Causing Delay Countries where survey was conducted US UK DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TURKEY NIGERIA SAUDI ARABIA HONG KONG INDONESIA Inclement weather * * * * * Labour shortage/ Low labour productivity * * * Poor subcontractorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance * * * * Variations (design change/ extra work) * * * * * Unforeseen ground conditions * * Materials shortage/ late material delivery * * * Inadequate construction planning * * * Financial difficulties * * * Delays in design work/Lack of design information * Poor site management * * * * Impractical design * Poor communication * * Inappropriate type of contract used * Lack of designerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s experience * Inaccurate estimating * * * Table 2.2 Source: Chan and Kumarswamy (2001) Ogunlana and Promkuntong studied and compared construction industry of Thailand and other economies. Study involved delays experienced in the High Rise Building construction projects in Bangkok, Thailand. According to them Resource supply problem were most acute problems of the construction industry in boom years. Project suffered delays due to inadequate supply of cement, technical personnel were overstretched, and demands from owners to do frequent changes etc. are the major causes for delay in developing economy. Sabasivan and Soon (2007) conducted study of causes of delay in Malaysian construction industry. They conducted a survey and 150 participants were involved. They came up with 10 most important causes of delay which are as follows: Improper planning of contractor. Poor site management from contractor Inadequate experience of contractor Improper payments and finance from client Subcontractors problem Material shortage Labour supply Failure and availability of equipment Improper management information system Mistakes during construction stage. COUNTRY RESEARCHERS MAJOR CAUSES OF DELAYS Saudi Arabia Assaf et al Slow preparation and approval of shop drawings Delays in payments to contractors Changes in design/design error Shortages of labour supply Poor workmanship Lebanon Mezher et al Owner had more concerns with regard to financial issues Contractors regarded contractual relationships the most important Consultants considered project management issues to be the most important causes of delay Saudi Arabia Al-khal and Al-Ghafly Cash flow problems/financial difficulties Difficulties in obtaining permits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“lowest bid win firstà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? system Jordan Al-Moumani Poor design Changes in orders/design Weather Unforeseen site condition Late deliveries Kuwait Koushki et al Changing orders Owners financial constraints Ownerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lack of experience in the construction business UAE Faridi and El-Sayegh Slow preparation and approval of drawings Inadequate early planning of project Slow decision making of owners Shortage of manpower Poor site management and supervision Low productivity of manpower Saudi Arabia Assaf and Al-Hejji Change in orders by the owner during construction Delay in progress payment Ineffective planning and scheduling Shortage of labour Difficulties in financing on the part of contractor. Hong Kong Chan and Kumaraswamy Project scope Project complexity Project environment Management related attributes Florida Ahmed and Azhar Design related Construction related Financial/economical Management/ Administrative Code related Acts of God Table 2.3 Summary of previous studies of the causes of delay in construction project some data from above table is taken from Sweis et al (2008) 2.6 SUMMARY: A total of 73 factors and 8 major groups of causes of construction delays were identified through intensive literature reviews in order to consider maximum factors. These factors will be helpful in data analysis so as to forecast delay at planning stage and treat it as risk so that risk management methodologies can be implemented to delay so as to mitigate and minimizing it. These eight major categories can be brought down as shown in figure. Fig 2.4 Classification of delay groups. All major 8 groups can be brought down to 2 major groups which are Internal and external causes. Internal is further subdivided in owner, consultant, contractor and resources. Resources are further subdivided in Material, equipment and labour. Overall if we need to classify groups for the causes of delay 5 major groups covers all 73 factors they are Owner, Contractor, Consultant, Resources and External. These causes and classification will help us to rank and treat delay as a risk at planning stage so as remedial measures can be applied. Though in spite of all studies and delay causes know till now it is hard to forecast delay because its very unpredictable, we cant analyse frequency of delay due to some reason in a project. Sometimes external causes are so dominating that co-ordination of internal groups get disturbed and project faces delay.