Hong Kong Community College CC3305 Engineering Management Assignment One

Expected Learning Outcomes: • • • Understand the basic principles and techniques involved in management of people and engineering activities in the process of product design as well as the production of goods and services. Appraise and analyze issues relating to engineering management and professional ethics. Apply basic management skills in their professional career.

Case Study:

No single cause for cable car’s litany of faults
The latest suspension of Lantau’s cable car service on Wednesday came after a fourth technical fault in two months, but according to the operator the faults were all in different parts of the system. After hundreds were trapped in cable car gondolas for around 90 minutes due to a fault, preliminary checks have shown a 42 cm bearing on the haul rope pulley wheel at the Airport Island Angle Station to be slightly worn. “We found no safety problem with the system. It is the reliability of service that is in question,” said Frank Chan-fan, Ngong Ping 360’s Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, adding that the system’s six other identical bearings would be checked during a 10day suspension. He said the cold weather was unlikely to have caused the fault, since the cable car should be capable of withstanding Hong Kong’s humidity and temperatures. Government-appointed experts reviewing the cable car’s design after one fell to the ground in 2007 found it complied with international standards. Mr Lo Kwok-keung, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said damage to the bearing was so minor it might not have been noticed during regular maintenance checks. He said the part needed to be well lubricated, but if that had been done then the bearing might have been old and ready for replacement. Or it might not have been of sufficient quality in the first place. “Metal parts could get worn out because of heavy loads or high windspeeds over long periods, while cold weather caused metal to contract and could lead to damage,” Lo said. The cable car at Ocean Park has had fewer glitches over the years, but Lo said it was a different system, with a shorter route and half the parts of the Lantau one. Ngong Ping 360 Managing Director Wilson Shao said the incident was not related to a surge in passengers during Lunar New Year. Page 1 of 3 Sem 2 2011/12

Professor Soh Ai-kah from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hong Kong said the city’s climate should not be a problem for cable cars as the temperature range was small.
(Extracted from South China Morning Post by Lo Wei and Amy Nip on Jan 27, 2012.)

Case Questions: 1. State the managerial role that Mr. Frank Chan-fan has performed. Suggest another TWO roles that Mr. Frank Chan-fan will perform to deal with the cable car’s litany of faults. Justify your answer. To keep the cable cars in operations, which types of plans you should use to eliminate the cable cars litany of faults with considering the breadth, time frame, specificity, and frequency of use, individually? Give reason to support your answer. If the top management now sets the organisation goal as “Minimize service disruptions in the future”, establish the objectives in 8 key areas so as to accomplish the goal. If Ngong Ping 360 decides to suspend the cable cars service for 2 months maintenance, determine this is a routine or non-routine decision under certainty or risk or uncertainty. Justify your answer.

2.

3.

4.

Instructions: • • • • It is an individual assignment. Plagiarism will be penalized severely. Marks will be deducted for assignments that are plagiarized in whole or in part, regardless of the sources. You are required to answer ALL case questions from the “Case Questions” Section. Your answers must be typed, 12 pt, Times New Roman, within 2 pages of A4 size paper.

Submission Deadline: • • • Week 6, 7-Mar-2012 (Wednesday) at 6:30pm. Submit a printed copy of the answers to Dr. Raymond Wong’s pigeon box at 16/F., No. 200 or HHB-1658. Late submission is liable to a penalty of 10% of the available marks for each day late; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are counted.

Page 2 of 3 Sem 2 2011/12

Grade Description for Assignment 1 (25%)

Criteria

Inadequate F
Unable to understand and interpret the scenario. Fail to analyse all case questions.

Adequate D / D+
Partly understand and interpret the scenario accurately. Fail to analyse most of the case questions. Most of the arguments / ideas are inadequate and/or non-specific to answer the case questions. Many of the theories are irrelevant. Few arguments are grouped and logically sequenced. Moderately difficult to follow main idea. Some major errors in grammar, spelling, writing style, words and phrases are spotted.

Satisfactory C / C+
Understand and interpret some parts of the scenario accurately. Some of the case questions are correctly analysed. Some of the arguments / ideas are adequate and/or specific to answer the case questions. Some of the theories are relevant. Most arguments are grouped and logically sequenced. Able to follow main idea.

Good B / B+
Understand and interpret for the most parts of the scenario accurately. Most of the case questions are correctly analysed. Most of the arguments / ideas are adequate and/or specific to answer the case questions. Many of the theories are relevant. Majority of the arguments are grouped and logically sequenced. Moderately easy to follow main idea. Very few errors in grammar, spelling, writing style, words and phrases are spotted.

Excellent A / A+
Understand and interpret the scenario accurately. Correctly analyse all case questions.

Analysis (30%)

Theory Application (30%)

Coherence and Organisation (25%)

Arguments / ideas are seriously inadequate and/or non-specific to answer the case questions. Most of the theories are irrelevant. Arguments are not grouped and logically sequenced. Difficult to follow main idea. Major errors in grammar, spelling, writing style, words and phrases are spotted frequently.

Arguments / ideas are adequate, clear and specific to answer the case questions. All the theories are relevant.

Arguments are grouped and logically sequenced. Easy to follow main idea.

Grammar and Spelling (15%)

Some minor errors in grammar, spelling, writing style, words and phrases are spotted.

Grammar, spelling, writing style, words and phrases are used appropriately and accurately.

N.B. Marks may be deducted if the guidelines set out above are not complied with.

Page 3 of 3 Sem 2 2011/12