Monday, January 27, 2020

Single Stage Selective Tendering

Single Stage Selective Tendering The method of single stage selective tendering involves finding contractors, possibly from previous experience, and asking them to submit tenders for the project at hand. Because you choose your contractors yourself you can properly dig to find the best one. Past experience is always a help in making your decision, not only this but you can take into account the resources of the company youre using, their health and safety record and their references. Not only this but when choosing a contractor it is also sensible to take into consideration the type of work your doing, some companies will specialise in different areas. There are a few benefits to using single stage selective tendering, firstly you can choose your own contractor and remove bad performing contractors, secondly companies are competitive over it and lastly you can rotate your contractors ensuring you always have a fresh pair of hands. Two Stage Selection Sometimes, potential contractors may be invited to initial discussions about the project to provide input. This is usually only when a project has a short time scale or the client doesnt have much time to work with. After this initial discussion the client can invite his favourite contractors back for a second, which again is a good way to gather more ideas and different inputs on the project. After the second interview the client should definitely know who he wants on board and it the discussions should make it easier to select his contractor. This is a good way of selecting a contractor as you can gather a wide range of input from the first two discussions; it also allows the client to meet all potential candidates allowing him to make a sensible decision. In the second meeting it is likely the contractors will bring bills of quantities to submit as part of the final tender. Open Tendering Open tendering almost explains itself. A client will put some form of advertisement out for a contractor and all contractors are welcome to reply. The client can then make this decision based on portfolios, references or CVs of potential contractors. Open tenders usually occur when a service such a road cleaning is needed. The major disadvantage in open tendering is that many contractors who you have know nothing about, considering their costs and reputation too, can apply, meaning you could end up making a bad decision due to minimal knowledge. References are important in open tendering. Serial Tendering Serial tendering has a number of benefits to it. This is because when you choose a contractor for serial tendering he will be involved on a number of projects. The contractor provides a price for the first project and then uses this to estimate prices for the following tasks. This method of tendering is usually used when there are a number of similar projects taking place, for example a series of schools being built. The advantages to serials tendering are that firstly, the contractor gains valuable knowledge from initial projects to be used in the other projects and secondly the client is guaranteed a long term commitment from the contractor. OBJECTIVES IN TENDERING There are a number of different objectives you will set for yourself in the tendering stage of a project. These objects can have an affect on the tender costs, and if they are not met, it means your overall price will rise. Profit Margin The profit margin of a project is basically how much profit there is to be made, it is a figure taking into consideration all of the costs, once all these costs deductions are done we are left with a rough figure or how much money is to be made. Cost Costs are always a key thing to keep in mind; it will definitely be an objective for the contractors and client to ensure that they keep within their cost restraints. The lower the overall costs of your project, the lower the asking price will be. Some contractors will loose money from their own pocket if they do not keep to their initial set costs. Time It is important to ensure you keep within your timescale on a project, lengthy projects will cost more money than short ones and going over your time scale will have a roll on effect on the overall price. FACTORS AFFECTING THE LEVEL OF TENDERS Main Contractors The main influence in the levels of tenders is the value of a project. Small projects tend to have large lump sum overheads resulting in small profit margins whereas larger projects rely on massive financial commitments. There are numerous other factors that affect the levels of tendering: The number and reputation of other companies trying to secure a tender. The economic climate of a country. Bank of England Base rate higher base rate=higher loan repayment Specialism Location The location of a project can have a massive effect on the tender price. For Example, if a client chose a contractor based in the UK to carry out works in northern Scotland the tender price will be significantly higher. Not only will prices rise due to the fact that the contractor will have to get himself and his men and machinery to northern Scotland and back but sometimes, on long-term projects, the contractor will have to pay for temporary accommodation, including food and drink. Temporary accommodation will cost a lot and can have a great affect on the contractors tender price. Not only this but also, if the project is based somewhere like London, where living costs are substantially larger than the rest of the UK, this can have an effect on the tender price. Site Access The accessibility of a site can also have a significant affect on the tender price. If the site is in the middle of a busy city centre, this will make it hard for large plant to access; city centres also bring a lot of traffic which results in delays. If your site is small with not many access routes or roads it can deem difficult for larger plant to get in, some projects require new access points and routes to be made for larger plant to do their jobs. This obviously costs money, which results on a larger tender price. Site Conditions If the chosen site is unlevelled or bad it means that before works can even proceed, the site will have to be sorted out. This can cost a lot of time and money depending on the state of the site. Some sites are contaminated which will result in a massive operation to decontaminate the site and a massive increase in tender pricing. Sub Contractors Subcontractors are usually appointed in one of two ways. The first way is as a domestic subcontractor to the main contractor and the second is a nominated subcontractor by the client. When there is specialist work that needs to be done that a contractor cannot, he will send for a subcontractor who can do the work. Some subcontractors get recommend by the client. There are once again, factors that influence the prices: The location of the work The schedule of the subcontractor How specialist the work is The client/contractor relationship with the sub contractor. M4 Single Stage Selective Single stage tendering requires the potential contractors to attend one interview with the client before one is chosen. This method is usually used when the client is looking for a partnership agreement with a guaranteed price and profit share. Single rate is also good for projects that need specialist attention. It is a good method for the projects such as hospitals where the client can guarantee a max price. Two Stage Selection This kind of tendering is often used for the design and build aspect of a project as it is good for gathering a wide range of ideas from a number of potential contractors. A sensible contractor will bring ideas to save money to the client and whoever usually manages to save the most money will be hired. This is a good method for specialised needs as the information you gather from the contractors can inform you on whether of not they themselves can carry out the work, which will be cheaper, or whether they have good links with sub contractors that specialise in that area. Two stage selection is good for any building that needs specialist care and also for school and colleges as the client gets significant input from all the potential contractors in the first two stages. Serial Tendering Serial tendering is used when there are a number of similar projects being undertook. It is good because the contractor can use his knowledge from pricing the first building to then price the following projects too. Not all the projects have the same layout but are similar in material and plant need. This enables the contractor to get a quicker idea of price ranges for the other projects as he already knows what he is expecting. Serial tendering is used when a series of school are being built, it can also work for a series of police stations or hospitals. Serial tendering is also good for housing projects, shop chains and restaurant chains. Open Tendering Open tendering is the most traditional tendering method. It is when anyone is open to submit a tender and the client will go through the applicants and choose, who he believes, to be the most suitable candidate. Open tendering can work for any kind of building and also is used for general services like road cleaning. It is good because you get a wide range of applicants to choose from. Even buildings that need specialist work done can be open tendered as the contractors themselves can appoint subcontractors for that kind of work. There are a number of different factors that will have an effect on tender method to be chosen, the following factors can all have an effect on what kind of tender method you use; The location of the project, European construction works are usually dealt with differently to non-EU construction projects. Project size, massive multi-million projects sometimes need the combined help of a number of contractors, e.g. Channel Tunnel. Financial stability of construction company tendering for the work. Company reputation Company resources, including plant, labour and materials. Company competency, including health and safety aspects. The size of projects does have a big effect on the contractor you can use. For many small projects, worth around  £10,000 or less, the majority of clients would find a local contractor to do the job, however for the larger scale projects contractors can be brought in from all corners of the country. Not only size but also the type of work being carried out affects this too, as mentioned before, sometimes a number of contractors will have to join together, in what we call a consortium, in order to meet the high demand of resources needed. And lastly, the massive, high-value projects must be kept an eye on. To ensure they have the capacity to take on such a large financial debt and the associated cash flow requirements, the financial accounts of a prospective tender must be checked over a number of years.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Free YGB Essay - The Message of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

"`Lo! there ye stand, my children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the story "Young Goodman Brown", the prominent theme is that everyone has a dark side. As the dark figure clearly states, "Evil is the nature of mankind." Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" describes the hunger for virtue people of the early 19th century had, and how that virtue is all but a dream, through his tone and imagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the passage begins, the first word read is "Lo!" An audience reads this word, and immediately gets the feeling that someone of a supreme nature or of high power is speaking. "...[T]here ye stand, my children," again allows the reader to see that some sort of father figure is about to speak to his children. The next several words describe the harsh tone of how this "figure" is speaking. This dark tone coming from words like "deep and solemn" easily sets up how the figure is speaking to his children. However, the reader receives a glimpse of a past good in this devilish character. When Hawthorne writes that the figure speaks with "almost sad...dispairing awfulness," the audience sees that the dark creature at one time might have not been so melancholy, "as if his once angelic nature could yet mourn for our miserable race." This thought runs parallel to some form of biblical text where Lucifer, an angel of God, is damned out of heavens to become the ruler of Hell. Hawthorne's background of a religious family probably makes him knowledgeable about these histories. The phrase brings about a sense of the dark figure's previous peaceful past--how the figure was once a good soul, virtuous with the rest of the audience souls. The passage gives a down tone when it describes the feeling of the dark figure. One might also get a sense of the imagery the Hawthorne accomplishes when describing the distraught figure. The audience can see the creature talking with his deep dark voice, and the fear of what really is true about our society. The figure remembers being of an "angelic nature," how he too had a virtuous persona. Unfortunately, as the context of the passage conveys, there is a harsh reality that virtuous world is just a myth. This is against all of Young Goodman Brown's beliefs that there is no evil if one sets their mind to it, but the figure proves B rown very wrong.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

International Business Culture and Global Business

For an international business person, business traveller or expatriate, doing business in a foreign country poses some interesting cross cultural challenges. Getting to grips with a country's business culture, protocol and etiquette is important in maximising your potential and getting the best out of your visit. Greece is a High contect culture. In order to categorize it, we must first know what the difference between low and high context culture means.High vs. Low Context Cultures suggests the categorisation of cultures into high context versus low context cultures in order to understand their basic differences in communicationstyle and cultural issues. Communication style refers to ways of expressing oneself, to communication patterns that are understood to be ‘typical’. Cultural issues mean certain societal factors, such as the country’s status, history, religion and traditions. Cultural issues also include Hofstede’s individualism vs. collectivism dime nsion. Social nuances are important parts to consider when doing business in greece.To say ‘no' in Greece use an upward nod of the head. For ‘yes' tilt the head to either side. However, note that many Greeks now also use the European/North American gestures too so it can be confusing! The â€Å"OK† sign (circled thumb and forefinger) may be considered obscene. Never raise an open palm at face level as this is an insult. If you see a Greek make a puff of breath through the lips, they are warding off the ‘evil eye'. This is usually done after receiving a compliment. Try and avoid discussions involving sensitive issues such as with Turkey, the Cyprus issue, or the politics of the former-Yugoslavia.They are task-oriented, highly organised and prefer doing one thing at a time. They stick to facts and fi gures that they have obtained from reliable sources. They prefer straightforward, direct discussion, and they talk and listen in equal proportions. So it is impor tant to stand by your product with pride and transparancy in order to gain the trust of the consumers their, and also their business. The Greeks can be fairly laidback and as such meetings can be arranged at short notice. It is best to do so over the phone and to confirm in writing (fax or email).The handshake is the most common form of greeting in the business environment. Among friends or close acquaintances you may also see an embrace or kiss. Wait for the other party to initiate the move to this level if it ever comes. One other country I would relate to Greece is Iceland because there are rural lands, and busy cities as well. Iceland is also facing financial challenges as Greece is due to the EURO currency and has been severly hit by the european recession as well. The corrupt politics and regulations of the country's assets has led to some hard times inboth countries.However, there are still many opportunities to in doing business abroad to such countries, considereing the min imum wages are increasingly lower than that of America and there is a large percentage of educated individuals seeking employment in these hard times. Another factor is untapped resounrces, such as oil and precious metals of the earth. Lastly, I would say whenever doing business in any country we must remember to that we are guest, and work with ethics in mind and proper investment so that there may be a positive effect on the country's citizens view of international business ventures.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Everything Economics Book By David A Mayer - 1385 Words

Most people think that economics is a complex field to study, but with this book i found that i learned everything in the easiest way possible. With in the book, i learned about how economics works in a very easy way of understanding. From arcane graphs to marketing strategies this book had it all and more. In my next paragraphs i will begin to explain my favorite marketing strategies that i had found in the book â€Å"The everything Economics Book† by David A Mayer. As someone in the market, you should consider setting goals for yourself. Defining goals clearly and being realistic about ways to achieve them can help protect you from common mistakes such as spending too much or too little. Things like that are very essential to having good†¦show more content†¦I really agree with this strategy and would for sure use this in the future. I think that making products that a collaborated with certain things just grab people s attention and make both businesses strive for success. I know that if i saw two cool things together it would make me want to buy them even more. This idea is definitely one of my favorites and i think that it is one of the ones that would help out the most. My third strategy that i found interesting revolves around what the customers think. If you are going to be selling clothes to 16-25 year old people, you need to do research on all the new fads and what s hot around their age group. Most markets have found that medium and stick with what is going to make their customers happy. Most teens and young adults follow the â€Å"norms† or what s â€Å"cool† in the market, so if you produce things like that more people will begin to buy your product. For example, the upcoming trend are the long shirts, big jackets, and ripped jeans. When Kanye West came out with his â€Å"Yeezy† line, people went nuts for it. Since it is very expensive, stores like Tilly s, Zumiez, and Pacsun began making clothing just like it but for cheaper prices, and the market went wild. Now, everywhere you look whether on the website or in the stores you will see those select styles. Most of the time when they release their new line, it sells out very quickly because their is such a high demand forShow MoreRelatedPrinciples Of Economics : Micro Summer 1 20151856 Words   |  8 PagesGiovanna Kiamos Professor Rukhama Halim Principles of Economics: Micro SUMMER 1 2015 August 5, 2015 Monopoly Market Structure The word monopoly derives from the Greek meaning (monos ÃŽ ¼ÃÅ'ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š (alone or single) + polein πωÎ »ÃŽ µÃ¡ ¿â€"ÃŽ ½ (to sell). A monopoly is a market structure in which there is only one supplier of a product and/or service for which there is no competition or close substitute – a true testament to its Greek meaning. 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