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Assignment Description

Social justice problems may affect different populations in unique ways. Social workers must understand the special challenges that may arise when providing services and supports for these populations, as well as the policies that may address the social justice problems that impact them.

The purpose of this assignment is to explore a social justice problem that addresses a specific population or subgroup (for example, access to health care, social services, immigration, or veterans’ mental health and services). This should be a problem that presents current challenges for social workers providing services and support. You will need to investigate the various forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination within this social justice problem and identify policies that are currently enacted to address this problem. Ultimately, you will choose one of these policies as the topic for your policy analysis in the coming assignments in this course.

To ensure you choose a viable and scholarly topic, explore the literature in your area of interest by doing article and book searches through electronic resources, including government, educational, and organizational websites. Exploring scholarly, respected literature will be the preliminary work for this assignment. The United States Congress website— reading list—will be an invaluable resource for your research during this assignment if you are exploring a federal-level issue.

 

Assignment Instructions – 4 PAGES –   Apa format

To complete this assignment:

Choose a social justice problem that addresses the needs of a specific population or subgroup that interests you. Use the Internet, United States Congress website, or any relevant state or local website that provides policy and social justice information to help guide your research. Also, refer to the resources above as needed to help guide your search.

After you have chosen a problem, write a 4 PAGES exploration of the topic and address the following:

·        Analyze the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination of your chosen population or subgroup that exist within this social justice topic (for example, based on race, religion, disabilities, gender orientation, socioeconomic status, or access to services).

o   In your analysis, describe how the oppression and discrimination impacted this population or subgroup.

§  Support this with data on the number of people affected that you have found during your research.

·        Analyze ethical problems associated with your selected social justice problem.

o   Use the NASW Code of Ethics web page, to guide your analysis:

§  What ethical considerations in your selected social justice problem must be addressed?

§  What are implications for social work practice and positive client outcomes?

·        Describe the current enacted policies for this social justice problem.

o   Research current enacted policies that seek to address this social justice problem. Important: These policies must be passed legislation currently in practice. Legislation can be at the local, state, or federal level.

·        Analyze how effective these policies are in addressing the needs of your chosen population or subgroup.

o   Do the policies effectively address the social justice problem? Provide a rationale that includes scholarly, peer-reviewed research.

·        Assess the impact these policies have had on your selected population or subgroup.

o   What policy constraints exist for this population or subgroup?

·        Compare advocacy methods for the selected social justice problem.

o   What are the strengths and challenges of advocacy methods? What additional steps could be taken to address the challenges?

As a human resource manager in healthcare, it is crucial to develop innovative processes and strategies that improve workplace performance while staying current with trends and research. Your role requires analyzing these trends and determining how to effectively implement them within your organization to create meaningful improvements in employee productivity and satisfaction.

Assessment Preparation

Select a health care organization and a specific division within it, with which you work or are familiar.

Organization – Wellstar Health System

Specific Division- Patient Access Services

Assume you are the human resources director for your selected organization.

In a recent meeting, executive management has determined they would like to improve health care workforce performance levels within a specific division of your organization.

Management has asked you to research and select 3 diverse strategies or processes (e.g., implementing a performance management system, utilizing technology-enabled training programs, establishing cross-functional teams, etc.) that use innovative management techniques, operational practices, or technology that could be applied to improve workforce performance within the selected division at your health care organization.

As the human resource director, you are involved in these types of initiatives because it’s an important part of HR process management, which includes continuously observing and improving the workplace environment and employee life cycle.

Reference the Improvement Strategies Process Example for a step by step run through of an example strategy or process.

Assessment Deliverable

Create a 1,050- to 1,400-word summary of your 3 selected diverse strategies or processes to improve workforce performance. In your summary:

• Summarize the gaps or “fixable items” that you intend to improve with these strategies or processes.
• Identify 3 key strategies or processes to improve workforce performance for your organization and division to address the gaps you summarized.
• Analyze how your strategies or processes affect workforce needs for service delivery for your organization.
• Analyze how each strategy or process could be implemented within your division and organization to improve workforce performance.
• Explain the potential cost of each strategy or process implementation.
• Describe your communication strategies for implementing and evaluating your chosen strategies or processes.
• Create SMART goal(s) and action items to implement your strategies or processes.
• Describe the process you will use to analyze whether or not the SMART goal(s) are met.

Cite 3 reputable sources to support your assessment (e.g., trade or industry publications, government or agency websites, scholarly works, or other sources of similar quality.

Include a slide with APA-formatted references.

BMS5002 Infectious Diseases Assessment Two : Diagnostic Algorithm 2026 |

BMS5002 Infectious Diseases Word Count 1000 (+/-10%) Assessment Type Coursework Assessment Title Meningoencephalitis Algorithm Academic Year 2026 BMS5002 Infectious Diseases Assessment Two Assessment Brief Assessment Information

Assessment Task

This assessment is based upon diagnostic algorithms concerning the diagnosis of meningoencephalitis. This is supported by the lecture content provided within the module. Further support and information will be provided in the workshop and lab sessions. This assessment is based on case studies of meningoencephalitis. Each group will be given their own case study. Any deviation from the correct case study will result in a non-submission. CAREFULLY read the case report and write a report addressing the points provided, using the algorithm and Table provided.

You should write up to 1000 words +/- 10%. Assignments must be written using the Cadmus platform in Moodle. No other formats will be allowed. Cadmus contains a fully functioning editor that is very similar to using Microsoft Word. Avoid copying and pasting material into Cadmus from other programs, as this will be highlighted to the markers. Instead, write everything in your own words directly into Cadmus. You may include figures, tables and/or diagrams. In workshops, you will be shown how to use Cadmus to write your assignment. When writing your assignment, do not include the information provided in the case scenario that you have been sent, as you will use up your word limit.

Completion of this assessment will address the following learning outcomes:

Explain how the different systems within the body function to prevent infections occurring and how pathogens have evolved strategies to overcome the body’s defences. Summarise the key clinical tests for identifying a range of microbes and the associated therapeutic strategies. Submission Information    Present any written aspects of the assessment using font size 11 and using 1.5 spacing to allow for comments and annotations to be added by the markers.    Complete the appropriate cover sheet for this assessment and append your work.      This assessment will be marked anonymously and should show your student number only.      Submit this coursework assessment task via Moodle-

Meningoencephalitis Algorithm

Table 1: Expected CSF Findings in Bacterial versus Viral versus Fungal Meningitis

Case Study One – Groups 1-3

Using the flowchart and expected CSF findings in Table 1, trace a diagnostic pathway for a 65-year-old patient presenting with acute confusion, fever, and a new-onset seizure. The initial CSF analysis shows it is clear, has lymphocytic pleocytosis [ 265 WBC (cell/µl) ], raised protein (300 mg/dl), and glucose levels were at 65 mg/dL.

Flowchart Deconstruction: 25 marks

Justify the rationale behind the sample type chosen and primary testing (e.g., cell counts / Gram stain) From the flow chart/algorithm, analyse and explain which pathogen(s) may be responsible, and why you have excluded the others. Critically evaluate the test(s) chosen to identify the pathogen.  Initial test results indicated that the pathogen(s) listed from the algorithm and what you thought may have caused the infection are not correct. Additional information states that the patient has just come from a holiday in South America (Brazil), where there is an unusually high population of  Ae.egypti  and Culex spp.

Critically explain what pathogens could be responsible but are not listed in the algorithm, and where you would add these pathogens within the algorithm. What diagnostic tests would you recommend and why? 25 marks Algorithm Improvement Proposal: 20 Marks

Based on recent advances in diagnostic technology (e.g., multiplex PCR panels, metagenomic next-generation sequencing), propose a specific modification to the algorithm. Where would you incorporate the new technology? Justify your proposal by discussing how it would improve diagnostic speed, accuracy and cost-effectiveness

Pathogenicity of the disease:

Discuss and explain the viral tropism and pathophysiology of HSV encephalitic infection  20 marks References, Grammar, Scientific terminology: 10 Marks Case Study Two – Groups 4-6

Using the flowchart and expected CSF findings in table 1, trace a diagnostic pathway for a 29-year-old patient presenting symptoms such as neck pain, fever, nausea, photophobia and personality change. Complete blood work illustrated anaemia,  lymphopenia without leukopenia, and serology indicated HIV infection with viremia and decreased CD4 count (<20 cells/uL). CSF and blood were taken. CSF was clear, WBC was 462 (cell/µl), protein was 230 mg/dl, and glucose levels were at 45 mg/dL.

Flowchart Deconstruction: 25 Marks

Justify the rationale behind which algorithm was used. The sample type chosen, as well as primary testing (e.g., cell counts / Gram stain) From the flow chart/algorithm, analyse and explain which pathogen(s) may be responsible, and why you have excluded the others. Critically evaluate the test(s) chosen to identify the pathogen. Initial test results indicated that the pathogen (s) listed from the algorithm and what you thought may have caused the infection are not correct. However, the suspected organism is not a virus; blood cultures grew a fungus, and further information indicated IV drug

Critically explain what pathogen(s) could be responsible but are not listed in the algorithm,  and where you would add these pathogens within the algorithm. What diagnostic tests would you recommend and why; 25 Marks Algorithm Improvement Proposal: 20 Marks

Based on recent advances in diagnostic technology (e.g., multiplex PCR panels, metagenomic next-generation sequencing), propose a specific modification to the algorithm. Where would you incorporate the new technology? Justify your proposal by discussing how it would improve diagnostic speed, accuracy and cost-effectiveness Pathogenicity of the disease 20 Marks

Discuss and explain the infection and pathophysiology of Cryptococcus neoformans CNS infection  References, Grammar, Scientific terminology: 10 Marks Marking Criteria

This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes (LOs):

Explain how the different systems within the body function to prevent infections occurring and how pathogens have evolved strategies to overcome the body’s defences Summarise the key clinical tests for identifying a range of microbes and the associated therapeutic strategies

1-     In this week’s lecture we looked at hard data vs soft data. Demonstrate that you know the difference between the two by locating an example of one of each in conjunction with a project and post a link to it that we can all access. Make sure to tell us which is soft and which is hard and why. Be prepared to answer my questions if I am not sure if the example is correct.

Cite the sources for both examples in APA format at the bottom of your original post.

 

2-     After reviewing the lecture and reading the article on Conflict in Projects, I’d like you to formulate a question that is on your mind about conflict. It doesn’t have to be super analytical and you don’t need to cite a source. The goal is to see what’s on your mind about this topic and post your question prior to looking at what others have on their mind. The similarities may surprise you

Module 5: Discussion Forum – Epidemiology

After studying the material of this module, answer the following questions:

• Why do you think visual displays of data are important in epidemiology?
• Share an example of when you have used visual displays of data in the past or have seen visual displays of data used by another source.
• Was the visual display helpful? Why or why not?

After your original post, you are expected to provide a meaningful response to at least two other students.

General Instructions for the Discussion Forum 

1. Post your answer as established by your instructor on the course calendar. Your comments must be written in your own words. You can offer examples and quotes to support your proposals. Citations of other authors must be properly documented (author’s name, title, date, etc.).
2. Post your comments to the response of at least two (2) of your classmates on or before the day set by your instructor on the course calendar. Your reaction may be based on personal experiences, study material, or additional information obtained from the Online Library (Links to an external site.) or others and may include:

• Some understanding is received from what is published, synthesizing the information, and offering new perspectives or suggestions.
• The validation or rejection of the idea (supported by your experience or research).
• New information broadens, adds, or contrasts perspectives (based on reading and evidence).

1. Remember that your work must be original and not contain material copied from books or the internet. You must respect the intellectual property of the authors and not commit plagiarism.
2. Examine the criteria used to evaluate your assignment to find out how to get the highest grade for your work. The assignments are graded or evaluated through rubrics or the distribution of points.
3. Before submitting your entry, read your message several times. This will ensure that it contains the exact information you want to communicate.

Submission Instructions:

• Submit your initial discussion post by 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday.
• Contribute a minimum of 450 words for your initial post. It should include at least 2 academic sources, formatted and cited in APA.
• Respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion posts by 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday. Ask a question, and provide a different viewpoint.

Module 5: Four Levels of Measurement and Study Design

Instructions:

1. Locate 4 research articles that demonstrate the four levels of measurement as follows:

• • Nominal
  • Ordinal
  • Interval
  • Ratio

2. Identify in each article at least one example of each of the four levels of measurement.
3. Explain why that level of measurement applies to the study you choose.

*Include the link to each article used when you post the assignment.

Submit your paper by the due date.

Use an Essay Format 

• You must present your writing double-spaced, in a Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier New font, with a font size of 12.
• Pay attention to grammar rules (spelling and syntax).
• Your work must be original and not contain material copied from books or the internet.
• When citing the work of other authors, including citations and references using APA style to respect their intellectual property and avoid plagiarism.
• Remember that your writing must have a header or a cover page that includes the name of the institution, the program, the course code, the title of the activity, your name and student number, and the assignment’s due date.

Contribute a minimum of (2) pages. It should include at least (2) academic sources, formatted and cited in APA.

Be sure to review the academic expectations for your submission.

Submission Instructions:

• Submit your assignment by 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday.
• Review the rubric to determine how your assignment will be graded.
• Your assignment will be run through Turnitin to check for plagiarism.

Instruction

Social Determinants of Health Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
Main Idea Excellent
Clearly presents main idea and supports it throughout the paper / 5 pts
Organization: Overall Excellent
Well-planned and well-thought out. Includes title, introduction, statement of main idea, transitions and conclusions. 3 pages long / 5 pts
Organization: paragraphs Excellent
All paragraphs have clear ideas, are supported with examples and have smooth transitions. / 5 pts
Content: Description and Overview of SDOH
view longer description Excellent
Exceptionally well-presented and argued; main ideas are detailed, well-developed, supported with evidence and facts as well as examples and specific details. / 5 pts
Content: Impact on healthcare
view longer description Excellent
Exceptionally well-presented and argued; main ideas are detailed, well-developed, supported with evidence and facts as well as examples and specific details. / 5 pts
Content: Specific area
view longer description Excellent
Exceptionally well-presented and argued; main ideas are detailed, well-developed, supported with evidence and facts as well as examples and specific details. / 5 pts
Content: Policy/Program/Initiate
view longer description Excellent
Exceptionally well-presented and argued; main ideas are detailed, well-developed, supported with evidence and facts as well as examples and specific details. / 5 pts
Conclusion
view longer description Excellent
Exceptionally well-presented and argued; main ideas are detailed, well-developed, supported with evidence and facts as well as examples and specific details. / 5 pts
References Excellent
5 Sources are exceptionally well-integrated and they support claims argued in the paper very effectively. Quotations and works cited conform to APA style / 5 pts
Grammar and Mechanics Excellent
Excellent grammar, spelling, syntax and punctuation. / 5 pts

 

Mary is a 16-year-old who has come into the clinic today requesting birth control. She became sexually active 2 months ago with her current boyfriend and she does not want to get pregnant. Her boyfriend does not like using condoms. Mary mentions that she has been having a “smelly” vaginal discharge for the past 4 days. 1. What should be your approach to taking a sexual history from Mary? 2. What more should you know about Mary’s sexual and social history? 3. What type of examination should you perform and what tests should you order? 4. What are your differentials? 5. What education, counseling, birth control, and follow up should you provide for Mary? Must include: A thorough understanding of the topic A critical assessment of all questions At least two differential diagnoses, if applicable At least two pharmacologic treatment modalities, if applicable A well-developed treatment plan A thorough patient education plan Your paper must be 5–6 pages in length not including the title and reference pages. You must reference a minimum of two scholarly sources in your paper. Use current APA format to style your paper and to cite your sources. Integrate your sources into the paragraphs and use internal citations pointing to evidence in the literature and supporting your ideas.

0LEC30BS Assignment Brief

Task

Purpose

Select one of the 4 questions listed below and write an academic argumentative essay on it.

Note: The business case example can be from any week in the module.

Approach

• Identify in your chosen question the debatable claim that invites a critical stance.
• Question yourself to be able to take a position and brainstorm to check whether you will be able support it with evidence and reasoning.
• Challenge yourself to attempt in your essay evaluation, comparison, and judgement, not just explanation or description.

Structure

We recommend a 5-paragraph structure (Introduction, 3 Body Paragraphs, Conclusion). For example:

1.  Business Measures

Intro: Background and stance developed in detail.

Body 1: Benefits of data-driven ethics.

Body 2: Risks and limitations.

Body 3: Case study from the module showing both sides.

Conclusion: Your position on whether more or less reliance is better.

2.  Service Industries

Intro: Background and stance developed in detail.

Body 1: Benefits of business models in health/education.

Body 2: Risks of this commodification.

Body 3: Case study and ethical implications.

Conclusion: Your stance on whether protection from market logic is needed.

3.  Globalisation & Ethics

Intro: Background and stance developed in detail.

Body 1: Ethical opportunities.

Body 2: Ethical challenges.

Body 3: Case study both.

Conclusion: Your judgement on whether ethical business is possible globally.

4.  Sustainable Business

Intro: Background and stance developed in detail.

Body 1: What makes sustainability genuine.

Body 2: How greenwashing works and why it’s hard to detect.

Body 3: Case study and stakeholder roles.

Conclusion: Your view on how consumers/investors can tell the difference.

Resources

• You must have a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 sources in your Reference List.
• You must refer to, at least, one of the last 4 Core Texts in the B&S Essay Source Pack, and you must include, at least, one reference to the corporate website of your business case example.
• You can include up to 2 B&S lectures, but you do not have to. We strongly recommend you to also look for sources in the module’s My Reading List, which is organised by topics.
• The last slide of your lectures and seminar PowerPoints, always includes a list of relevant readings. The Reference Lists in each of the articles of the Source Packs may also be useful. We also recommend researching for sources in the KCL Library or Google Scholar.
• All your sources must pass the CRAAP test, i.e., be current, relevant, authoritative, and purposeful.  All your sources must be written in English. They may have been originally written in a language other than English, but in these cases, they must also have been published in English.

Steps

1. Understand the Task:

Read all four essay questions carefully. Choose the one that interests you most and allows you to use examples from the module. Make sure you understand the key terms in the question (e.g. “ethical decision-making,” “market logic,” “greenwashing”).

2. Analyse the Question:

Identify the debate or tension in the question. Ask yourself: What are the two or more sides of this issue? Decide what your position will be (your argument or thesis).

3. Plan Your Essay Structure:

You may ask your seminar tutor for essay support during F&G hours for the following aspects of the assessment: checking you have interpreted the question correctly, discussing the outline, sense-checking whether the chosen business case is an effective example, consulting on references and their validity or relevance. Tutors will not read drafts of the essay.

4. Select and Use Sources:

Select sources that are relatively recent, unless you are referring to a core theory or past event.

5. Draft Thoughtfully:

Write in your own words. Avoid copying from lectures, AI tools, or websites, as well as inadvertently colluding with a friend after having shared ideas. Use topic sentences, transitions, and academic language. Avoid overusing quotes—paraphrase and analyse instead.

6.  Be critical:

Question assumptions, compare perspectives, and show awareness of complexity.

7. Revise and Proofread:

Check your word count (1200 words ±5%). Make sure your argument is clear and consistent. Review grammar, referencing, and formatting. Ask yourself: Does this sound like my voice? Could I explain this in a seminar?

 

Assignment/Submission Procedure

You must submit the assessment electronically via the KEATS module page. Please ensure you submit via Turnitin.

The assignment must include a completed cover sheet. This document can be found in the ‘Submit Assignment’ section on the module KEATS page.

Assignments are marked anonymously, and so you will need to submit using your student number (i.e. the number on your student card). This number should be clearly visible on the first page of the assignment. Please do not include your name on any part of the assignment.

Please name your assignment with your student number and class number (i.e. K1714743_BS4)

Assignments must be submitted on time. Penalties for non-submission and late submission are detailed in the King’s Foundations Student Handbook.

Word Limit

The suggested word count for this task is 1200 words. Title and reference list are not included in this total.

No penalty is applied for assignments which are up to 5% over the suggested work count. This means that the upper limit is 1260 words. 2% will be deducted for every 5% over the upper word limit (see the King’s Foundations Student Handbook for details).

Assignments exceeding this word limit by more than 5% will be penalised (see the King’s Foundations Student Handbook for details).

There is no penalty for under-length assignments; however, assignments that are more than 5% below the word count are unlikely to give adequate answers to the questions set.

Do not include visual data (e.g., graphs, diagrams) in your assignment.

You must also be sure to acknowledge any sources with correct referencing. Please note that in-text citations such as (Smith, 2021) are counted in the word count, so Smith, 2021 would count as two words.

All the sources should be adequately cited and included in a Reference List at the end of your submission; that is, your Reference List will include an entry for the Lecture/s and another one for the Core Text from the Source Pack.

Style and Referencing Guidance

You must present your work in a standard essay format, consisting of an introduction, body, and conclusion (note: you should not provide headings for these sections).

Use 12pt Arial or Times New Roman font. Written assignments should be 1.5-line spaced, with a single empty line between paragraphs.

You must fully reference your assignment (i.e., use in-text author/date/page citations and provide a full reference list at the end). Please use APA 7^th Referencing Style as per the KCL APA 7^th guidance.

Mitigating Circumstances

If you are unable to submit your assignment by the deadline above and you believe you have a valid reason for this, you must complete the Mitigating Circumstances process. Information and guidance can be found via the ‘Assessment’ section on Student Services Online.

Generative AI use for this assignment

Using AI tools like Copilot or ChatGPT can support your learning, but using them uncritically or unethically may negatively impact your final grade. If you copy AI-generated content without understanding or adapting it, your work may lack originality, critical thinking, and synthesis — all of which are required by the marking criteria. Over-reliance on AI can also raise academic integrity concerns. You are responsible for ensuring that your submission reflects your own understanding and meets university standards.

Level of generative AI use allowed in B&S: Open. 

• This level allows the use of generative AI for everything listed under the Minimal and Limited/selected levels. In addition, the use of generative AI to summarise, synthesise, simplify and translate texts is allowed.
• Please note that over-reliance on text produced by generative AI is likely to result in an unsatisfactory grade for progression purposes.
• You will be asked to acknowledge how you have used generative AI for this assessment on a cover sheet.
• As long as your use of generative AI is within the scope of appropriate use and you have acknowledged that use, there will be no negative impact on the assessment of your work.

Please see the King’s Generative AI Student Guidance for more details about what Open use of generative AI means.

Advice on the use of Generative AI – Please follow these 3 golden rules:

• Golden Rule 1: Learn with your chats and interactions with AI, but never copy-paste. Close the AI chat before working on your assignment and avoid using AI tools that write directly into it.
• Golden rule 2: Ask your tutor if you are uncertain about what is allowed in any given assessment.
• Golden rule 3: Ensure you take time before submission to acknowledge use of generative AI.

If you follow these three rules you are essentially ensuring that your assessed outputs are unlikely to breach academic integrity guidance in terms of use of generative AI.

Advice for this Assessment

Your response should:

• Use a clear paragraph structure: begin with a topic sentence, develop your ideas with evidence from both the lecture and the text, and end with a closing sentence that reflects your own interpretation.
• We advise you to include one example from the Core Text and the lecture materials to deepen your analysis.
• Avoid generic summaries—your goal is to compare and evaluate how the sources present the topic, not just describe them.

Other points to remember:

• Do not draft or write the essay with your classmates as you may risk collusion if the ideas submitted are the same and expressed in the same way.
• Do not share your work with classmates before the submission deadline.
• Cite your sources correctly using APA 7th style. Use the adapted reference under the Source Pack text title and cite lectures correctly, making sure you cite the correct person (e. Delgado Marin or Rushton).
• Make sure all the entries in your Reference List are edited consistently.
• Proofread your work for clarity, coherence, and grammar before submission.

Things you should check before submitting your work

• You have reviewed your document before submitting it.
• Your word count includes the individual words of in-text citations. E.g. (Smith, 2021) = two words to add to the word count.
• You submit the correct file format for that particular assessment, e.g. Microsoft Word/PPT or PDF. Check with the Module Leader if you are unsure.
• You are submitting the final version of your work (not a draft).
• You are submitting the complete file, not just the cover sheet.
• You are submitting to the correct module, correct submission portal and correct assessment link.
• You start the submission at least 1 hour prior to the deadline to allow time to deal with any tech issues and avoid a potential lateness penalty.
• If you have any technical issues, take a screenshot of the problem and email it to kingsfoundations@kcl.ac.uk immediately, along with the final version of your submission.
• Please also check: You receive a TII receipt for the submission. This can take up to a day to arrive in your email, but if you don’t receive one, it suggests something has gone wrong.

BTEC Level 3 Unit 4 Assignment Brief 

Learning Aims

In this unit you will:

A, Examine business functions and trade considerations that help engineering organisations thrive

B. Explore activity-based costing as a method to control costs and to determine if an engineering product or service is profitable

C. Explore how engineering organisations use quality systems and value management to create value.

Vocational Scenario or Context

You are working as a final year apprentice in a small engineering company. Your supervisor is pleased with the work that you have done so far to investigate the ways in which your company could gain a competitive advantage over other organisations, and your application of activity based costing.

Your supervisor has now asked you to investigate quality management systems and how these can be used to give your engineering organisation a competitive advantage over your rivals. Once you have done this, your supervisor would like you to carry out a value analysis exercise for a product or service so that you can identify areas where the value of the outputs could be increased.

Task 1

You are going to investigate how an engineering organisation can use quality management systems and value management processes to improve the value of the products or services that they manufacture or provide. You will also investigate international quality standards and the various quality systems that are used by engineering organisations to improve the quality of their outputs.

To do this:

Your tutor will provide you with a case study with background information for an engineering organisation that either produces a product or provides an engineering service. You should use this as a starting point from which to carry out your own research.

You should then investigate and report on:

• the quality standards that engineering organisations use to demonstrate that they have quality management systems in place. You should include information about both the ISO9000 and ISO14000 families of standards in your report.
• how an engineering organisation can apply quality assurance systems. To do this, you should investigate the implications of implementing Total Quality Management, including the PDCA cycle, for an engineering organisation.
• the reasons why an engineering organisation would want to apply a quality system; this should include reference to the fundamental purposes of implementing a quality system.
• how engineering organisations make use of quality control systems, and the activities employed to check the quality of a product or service; you should include information about inspection, sampling, testing, condition monitoring, planned maintenance and some of the other tools employed within a quality system, as well as the benefits of employing a ‘right first time’ philosophy.
• the principles and purpose of value management and its tools, including the impact of efficiencies on engineering activities.
• how quality management systems and value management can be used to give an engineering organisation a competitive advantage.

Having completed your research you are now going to carry out a value analysis exercise for an engineering activity. You will use your results from this activity to identify which aspects of the activity can be improved to increase the profitability and efficiency of the process being investigated. You should also suggest methods to improve the activity, identifying those aspects that will offer the greatest benefit to the organisation.

To do this:

Your tutor has already provided you with a case study with information for an engineering activity, such as the manufacturing of a product or the carrying out of a service. You should use this as the basis from which you carry out your value analysis exercise.

You should then:

• investigate and record the reasons for poor value for your given product or service; this could include aspects such as a lack of innovation within the organisation or factors such as poor communication.
• use your investigation as a starting point to complete and record a value analysis exercise for your given engineering product or service. Your value analysis should be divided into five distinct sections: information phase; analysis phase; creative phase; evaluation phase; and development and reporting phase.
• include information about the key issues relating to the engineering activity, including costings for the processes that make up the activity. You should determine which processes add value, and which are non-value added processes.
• evaluate the outcomes of your value analysis exercise to suggest and prioritise possible improvements for your given engineering activity and its processes.
• evaluate your findings from the quality management/standards report and the value analysis exercise to identify which areas can increase the profitability and efficiency of the process being investigated. In doing this, you should suggest methods to improve the activity, and identify those aspects that will offer the greatest benefit to the organisation, using evidence to back up your suggestions.

Checklist of Evidence Required

A report that includes: a) research exploring the quality management systems and value management processes used by engineering organisations; and b) an applied value analysis exercise to determine if further value can be created from a given engineering product or service, and an evaluation of findings based around the principles of value management and quality systems.

Criteria Covered by this Task

Other assessment materials attached to this Assignment Brief

Case Study: SY16 Engineering (provided with the assignment brief)

SY16 Engineering produces a range of shelving and racking systems that are supplied to customers in a modular form, for use in stores, warehouses and similar storage units. The company employs a number of processes to produce the racking systems, although they use a range of common components and materials, including angled steel sections of various dimensions, 6mm steel plate, and a range of fixtures and fittings. Materials are supplied in stock form, and are cut to the required dimensions in a machine shop, prior to the units being assembled in the assembly shop.

The company supplies a range of large and multinational companies with shelving and racking units, and must demonstrate to these customers that they have quality systems in place in order to be awarded orders and contracts.

The production manager at SY16 Engineering has had a number of complaints from members of staff who use corner brackets to connect racking units together. Each racking unit can have up to 36 brackets. The complaints can be summarised as follows:

• The brackets have 10 holes; however the holes on each face are different sizes.
• The design of the bracket makes it very difficult to tighten joints when the shelving units are joined together with nuts and bolts, with the fixings often being difficult to access.
• It is a time consuming process to use a range of fixings to assemble the units, which results in pressure from supervisors to meet production targets.

It has been decided that the bracket could be redesigned, although the current solution does work as intended. Identifying an improved bracket as a method of improving efficiency, the production manager has decided that carrying out a Value Analysis will help to identify costs and values.

Working with one of the supervisors in the assembly shop, he first identified the basic function and measurements of an ideal bracket as fixing two horizontal angle sections of steel to upright sections. Each horizontal piece is cut from the same stock section which is 40 x 40 mm, with a 5 mm flange thickness. The vertical angled sections are 60 x 60, with a 9 mm flange thickness.

 

With an engineering team, this was broken down into secondary functions, which were evaluated and are given below:

• Primary function – to join together sections of the shelving unit
• Secondary functions – to support loads without bending; to be able to be used in any orientation; to allow for standardised fixings to be used; to remove the necessity to use nuts.

Costs related to the existing brackets are given as:

The mean time to attach the components together with the original bracket is 3.6 minutes.

Assembly workers are paid at a rate of £6.86 per hour.