Supply chain collaboration among Malaysian SME manufacturers

Malaysian 3rd Industrial Master Plan was developed to improve the country global competitiveness by positioning Malaysia as a major manufacturing hub and service provider in the global supply chain. To achieve this, it is suggested that Malaysian manufacturers especially SME should be involved in supply chain collaboration in their business operations. However, it is discovered that there are very few reported research on the supply chain collaboration activities among Malaysian SME manufacturers. The objective of this research is to uncover the supply chain collaboration activities among Malaysian SME manufacturers with their trading partners. This is to be done by determining the level of supply chain collaboration of Malaysian SME manufacturer and investigating the reason Malaysian SME manufacturers supply chain collaborations is at that level. In order to achieve the above objective, a mixed method of quantitative approach using survey method is employed to determine the level of supply chain collaboration and qualitative approach using personal interview method is employed to find out the reason for why Malaysian SME manufacturers’ supply chain collaboration is at that level. This research discovered that the supply chain collaboration of Malaysian SME manufactures with their trading partners is at minimal level. This is due to their current business relationship that they have with their trading partners do not required them to collaborate at higher level. On the other hand, Malaysian SME manufacturer are willing to have a high level of supply chain collaboration if long term business relationship could be established. Therefore, it is concluded that the type of business relationship or cooperation with trading partners can determine level of supply chain collaboration

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS THAT INFLUENCING SAFETY PROGRAM PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIAN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: CASE STUDIES

The construction industry is characterized as one with a poor safety culture globally. To achieve better site safety performance, emphasis has been placed on implementing effective safety programs. The main aim of this paper is to identify the Critical Success Factors that influencing safety program performance in Malaysian construction projects. In order to accomplish the aim of this study, the following objective was taken into consideration which is to study the factors contributing to the success of implementing safety program in construction projects. The study was carried out within Penang and Kedah States; it was basically focused on the respondents who involve in construction. Of 40 sets questionnaires were distributed, only 36 sets questionnaire returned and analyzed. After all the raw data obtained, the data were then inputted and analyzed with the software of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 17). The results of this study showed that good communication shall be treated as the most important factor, followed by clear and realistic goals, safety committee/safety officer, sufficient resource allocation and continuous participation of employee. On the other hand, work load/pressure was perceived as the least important factors. Apparently, these five factors have been given appropriate consideration in the construction sites and should be implied if it is not emphasized in construction industry in Malaysia.CSFs; Safety programme, Construction projects, Malaysia

DELAYS FACTORS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

The problem of project delays in construction industry is a global phenomenon; Malaysia is no exceptional. Delays are always considered as costly to all parties involved in the project and very often it will results in dispute, claims, total abandonment and blight the feasibility for project owners and retard the development of construction industry. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to identify the main causes and contributor to the project delays because delays can be minimized only when their causes are identified. Moreover, it is also aimed to investigate the most critical stage throughout the process of project development pertaining to the project delays as well as to recommend various methods that could be adopted by the construction industry players to mitigate the problems. In order to achieve the said objectives, a total of twenty one factors of delays which was then grouped under owner related, contractor related and consultant related delay factors and ten methods to mitigate the project delays were based on literature review. The structural questionnaires were distributed to the targeted respondents in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The findings from this paper shown that owner’s slow in decision making was perceived to be the most significant factor and main causes to the project delays. All of the respondents claimed that working drawing stage being the most critical stage in governing all of these owner’s related delay factors. Besides that, the contractor is deemed to be the main contributor to the project delays in Malaysia construction industry. It is assumed by all of the respondents that the contractor should be responsible for any delays at the construction stage which is considered as the most critical stage in governing the project delays. In order to mitigate the project delays, awarding bids to the right and experience contractor was suggested to be the utmost effective solution in resolving those contractor’s related delay factors.CSFs; Project delay, construction industry, construction project development, mitigates delays, Malaysia

Technology of crack detection in reinforced concrete structures

Some crucial signs of structural failure that are critical for repair would be cracks on the structures as well as constant exposure that can result in severe environmental damage. Being able to detect cracks on structures is becoming an essential aspect of the technology of the construction industry. Destructive Testing and Non-Destructive Testing are the two methods used for structural crack detection. This study focused on the techniques used to detect cracks. Several effective methods to detect cracks were carried out and compared to identify the most suitable method in detecting cracks on structures within the demographics of Malaysia. Image processing techniques (IPTs) through the photogrammetry method, surface crack analysis program and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) were carried out to examine crack detection through measurement and monitoring from images. The distance was determined in this study for the physical properties, using both conductibility and accuracy. The photogrammetry method was able to conduct distance at 0.1 - 40 m, with an accuracy of up to 0.005 mm. Therefore, the surface cracks analysis provided 0.10 mm accuracy, while results on CNN had an accuracy of 0.95 mm (98.22 % and 97.95 % in training and validation). Results from physical properties showed that photogrammetry had the highest accuracy, while CNN has the least accuracy. Hence, this study concluded that Photogrammetry method and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) were both the most effective methods to be used in providing clear information and effective ways to detect crack on structures

The Effect of Groundnut Shell Ash on Soil Stabilization

The purpose of this study was to focus on how the groundnut shell ash affect the soil stabilization. Groundnut shell ash was used in this study to replace the excessive reliance on industrially created soil enhancing chemicals (cement, lime, and so on) has kept the cost of stabilizing a road high. It was determined that groundnut shell ash may be used and effective as a soil stabilizing component after studying the stabilization of black cotton soil using groundnut shell ash. The ideal usage of groundnut shell ash applied to the soil is 6 percent. Particularly in engineering projects on poor soils, where it may be utilized to replace deep/raft foundations, groundnut shell ash and waste fibre reinforced soil can be an excellent ground improvement option. This can save both money and energy. The process of stabilizing foundation soils to attain desired characteristics or to improve the strength and durability of a less stable soil is known as stabilization. Differential expansion and contraction are possible when a soil's moisture content fluctuates. It is usually required to stabilize them in order to lessen volume fluctuations and strengthen them so that they can withstand the applied loads even when saturated

Waste Management Framework for Decommissioning of Offshore Installations in Malaysia

In the oil and gas industry, offshore platforms are increasing around the world and many of these platforms will reach the end of their operational life and as such, they have to be decommissioned. In many years to come, activities related to decommissioning which is the last stage in the life cycle of an offshore platform where wells are plugged and abandoned, the structures removed and the seafloor cleared of any waste resulting from the operations are going to increase. Many wastes will be identified during the process of clearance. To manage these waste, oil and gas operator have to need proper planning and waste management framework in order to have successful decommissioning projects carried ou

Penglibatan wanita yang mengikuti Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) dalam industri Oil & Gas

Persediaan wanita yang mengikuti TVET untuk menceburkan diri dalam industri oil & gas merupakan suatu masalah yang sering diperkatakan dikalangan wanita ketika ini. Permasalahan ini menjadi suatu persoalan dalam kalangan wanita tentang apakah persediaan yang perlu mereka lakukan dalam merencana kerjaya dalam industri oil & gas ini. Secara umumnya kajian ini adalah bertujuan mengenalpasti faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi pemilihan kerja dalam industri oil & gas, kesediaan diri wanita dari segi fizikal dan mental serta cabaran yang dihadapi dalam merealisasikan kerjaya mereka dalam industri oil & gas ini. Kajian ini telah dilakukan ke atas pekerja wanita yang telah berkhidmat dalam industri ini bagi zon selatan dan zon tengah. Seramai 110 sampel kajian yang terlibat dalam penyelidikan ini melalui pengedaran borang kaji selidik sebagai instrumen kajian. Data daripada 86 sampel kajian yang diperolehi dari soal selidik kemudiannya dianalisis dengan menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) versi 20.0. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan faktor yang mempengaruhi wanita untuk menceburkan diri dalam industri oil & gas ini adalah faktor gaji iaitu skor min sebanyak 4.41 dan diikuti dengan kesediaan dari segi mental dengan nilai skor min pada tahap yang tinggi iaitu 4.392. Dapatan kajian juga mendapati cabaran semasa mendapatkan pekerjaan adalah perkara paling mencabar yang perlu dihadapi oleh wanita iaitu dengan dapatan skor min sebanyak 4.242. Ini membuktikan bahawa wanita perlu mempersiapkan diri dengan sebaiknya sebelum menceburi industri ini. Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan di antara faktor pemilihan kerja dan kesediaan diri wanita. Kesimpulannya, wanita perlu mempersiapkan diri bukan sekadar dengan memperolehi keputusan yang baik dalam akademik, tetapi kecenderungan dan minat dalam meletakkan diri untuk bersaing dengan lelaki bagi membuktikan wanita turut berkemahiran dan mempunyai jati diri yang tinggi untuk berkerja dalam bidang yang sungguh mencabar

Adsorption Studies Of Heavy Metals On Activated Carbon Prepared From Agricultural Waste

Commercially available activated carbon (AC) is still considered expensive due to the use of non-renewable and relatively expensive starting material such as bituminous coal. Therefore, this study investigates the potential use of agricultural waste such as rubber seed coat (RSC) and corncob (CC) that available in Malaysia, as the precursor for the preparation of AC which can be applied for the removal of two types of heavy metal, which are Cu (II) and Zn (II) from aqueous solution. Physiochemical activation consisting of potassium hydroxide (KOH) impregnation plus carbon dioxide (CO2) gasification was used to prepare the ACs. The optimum preparation conditions of RSCAC-CU were found at activation temperature of 793 °C, activation time of 1h and KOH impregnation ratio (IR) of 2.46. As for RSCAC-ZN, the optimum preparation conditions were at activation temperature of 797 °C, activation time of 1h and IR of 2.61. Meanwhile, the optimum preparation conditions of CCAC-CU were found at activation temperature of 762 °C, activation time of 2.7h and IR of 3.25. For CCAC-ZN, the optimum preparation conditions were at activation temperature of 768 °C, activation time of 3h and IR of 3.5. All the activated carbons prepared were high BET surface area (>500 m2/g) and pore volume (>0.41 m3/g). RSCAC and CCAC demonstrated homogeneous and heterogeneous type pore structures, respectively. The effects of adsorbate initial concentration (10-100 mg/L), contact time, solution temperature (30-60 °C), solution pH (2-6), isotherms and kinetics of the adsorption systems were evaluated through batch adsorption test. The Cu (II) and Zn (II) adsorption uptakes increased with increasing initial concentration and optimum contact time. Adsorptions of Cu (II) and Zn (II) on all ACs were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption kinetics of Cu (II) and Zn (II) followed pseudo-second-order on all the ACs. Fixed bed study showed that the exhaustion period for Zn (II) was greater than Cu (II) and the increase in bed heights resulted in higher exhaustion period

Physicochemical, microstructural and engineering behaviour of non-traditional stabiliser treated marine clay

The presence of marine clay underlying foundation has been responsible for failure in several geotechnical structures and chemical stabilisation is the usual practice to improve the strength of soils. Recently, non-traditional additives are extensively used to solve this problem and their effects on geotechnical properties of soils have been reported by many researchers. However, publications on the fundamental microstructural behaviour of non-traditional additives in treating marine clay soils and their influence on the engineering behaviour are limited. Therefore, this research aimed at determining the stabilisation mechanism and the performance of marine clay soil mixed with two types of non-traditional additives, namely calcium-based powder stabiliser (SH-85) and sodium silicate-based liquid stabilizer (TX-85). Microstructural study from different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDAX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and pore size distribution had been conducted to elucidate the stabilisation mechanism. Unconfined compressive test, oedometer consolidation test and consolidated undrained triaxial compression test were conducted to assess the engineering properties of the stabilised soil. In addition, strip footing model tests were conducted to determine the performance of stabilised clay soils and the results were compared with simulation using PLAXIS 2D finite element. The laboratory tests showed that the addition of 12% SH-85 at early 7 days curing period had increased the compressive strength of treated marine clay by about 42 times while the addition of 6% TX-85 with similar curing period had increased the compressive strength of treated marine clay by about 3.6 times. The results of the microstructural tests indicated the formation of new gel products in the mixtures, which were identified as calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (NASH) for soils treated with SH-85 and TX-85, respectively. SEM images illustrated the formation of new cementitious compounds (CSH and NASH) which were shown within the pore spaces, resulting in the reduction of radius of pore spaces. In comparison to the untreated soil, the results of the physical model tests showed that the bearing capacity of strip footing on the treated soil at 7 days curing period increased significantly while the settlement reduced. In short, the selected additive had successfully increased the strength of marine clay at early period, thus the usage of selected non-traditional additives was considered as cost effective for geotechnical project

Capacity Planning in Virtualised Environments Using Model Driven Engineering

Capacity planning is an important activity in computing for optimising resource usage while avoiding performance degradation. The demand for computing resources is triggered by application workloads running on virtual or physical machines. With today's technology, resource scalability can be achieved through server virtualisation, by having scalable virtual machines running on a physical server. However, these scalable virtual resources run on limited physical resources, especially in small to medium scale data centres. The management of virtual and physical resources impacts upon application performance and introduces a cost for all parties. There is a need to measure the virtual and physical resource requirements in facilitating cost-effective capacity planning. This research identifies three main management phases for a capacity planning process for a data centre implementing server virtualisation: capturing application workloads, managing virtual resources and managing physical resources. This research proposes an approach that leverages domain specific modelling and model transformation to estimate resource requirements based on predicted application workloads for certain time periods. Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) was utilised to automate the identified process. A transparent, automated and repeatable MDE process for generating predictions for resource usage from workload models and sets of Domain Specific Modelling Languages (DSMLs) that allow resource and workloads logs as well as predicted workloads to be precisely captured using models were designed, implemented and evaluated with case studies. The MDE process exploits model transformation, comparison and merging, is modularised so that it can be configured for different kinds of capacity planning applications and technical infrastructures