QSB2443 - Facilities Management

Facility Management is an interdisciplinary field devoted to the coordination of space, infrastructure, people and organization, often associated with the administration of office blocks, arenas, schools, convention centers, shopping complexes, hospitals, hotels, etc. The role of a facility manager is to ensure corporate and regulatory compliance plus the proper operation of all aspects of a building to create an optimal, safe and cost effective environment for the occupants to function. 

Coursework:  

This module is a 100% assignment based. The assignment was divided into 3 sections. In Section 1, we are required to find 5 different buildings and to determine the facilities and features used by each building. Followed with Section 2, we are required to study a case study on GBI and present the green features used under the building in our report. Section 3, we are assigned to discuss the differences between facilities management and construction management, discuss the components to be involved in car parking management and method to reduce energy consumption for common area facilities  

The lecturer of this module, Mr. Andrew Cheong usually shared with us his experiences with his previous projects. He showed us the pictures taken from each of his project which tends to catch our attention and enable us to understand better about facilities management. This module provides me with an opportunity to career brunch into the field of Facility Management in the future. In this module, i learned that it is not necessary that a Quantity Surveyor must stay as a Quantity Surveyor in the forever, with Facility Management knowledge, it advantageous me to be involved in the field of Facility Management.  Last but not least, this subject definitely will help me in the near future due to I have learn more and understand more about different kind of building and facilities there are in Malaysia.

QSB4414 - Construction Law

This module provides a better understanding on the principles of construction laws and its applications of law and remedies available for the construction project. Furthermore, it also tends to train students into adopting a systematic approach in analyzing disputes and liabilities respectively. 

Coursework: 

2 assignments were given for the students to accomplish. In the fist assignment, 2 students are required to work in a group to give a presentation on the lectures assigned by the lecturer. Presentation came together with Q&A session. In assignment 2, students were divided into a group of 10, to complete the assignments regarding the assessment of claims submitted by a contractor due to the termination of Contractor by the Employer.This assignment required students' understanding on the principle of construction law and also tested the students' ability to apply the principle in the assignment. 

Under this module, I have learnt how to identify, explain and distinguish the various law related to the construction industry. In addition, i found that in order to become a professional Quantity Surveyor in the construction industry, measurement is not the only skill we should be equipped with. It is important that the QS is equipped with contractual knowledge in administering the contract and assess contractual claim that are specially highlighted in this module. 

QSB4223 - Development Economics

This module delivered the process of property development and factors that influence the development process. Moreover, it also included the various techniques of the development appraisal and source of finance available. The importance of marker research of development process is also highlighted in this module in order to diagnose the viability of the development. 

Development Economic is one of the useful modules that focuses on the factors influencing the development in the construction industry. It also expose student to evaluate and analyse the viability of a particular project by taking into consideration of the market condition, economy and availability of financial resources.

Coursework: 

Under this assignment, we learnt how to calculate the financial appraisal of the project by using the Residual Method of Valuation. On top of that, we are also required to derive the quarterly cash inflow and outflow of the development project in order to identify the necessity of external source of fund. In addition, we are also required to calculate the net present value of the project to determine the viability of the project.

QSB4214 - Cost Value Engineering

This module implemented value engineering concept into the construction projects. Under this module, we studied the history, background, theories, concepts and principles of value engineering/value management in decision making process. With all these fundamental ideas, this module tends to help in cost planning and control stage by identifying the unnecessary cost and cost reduction exercise. In order to give further comprehensive idea on this module, it concluded with a series of discussion on the problem and constraint in the implementation stage based on more significant case studies. 

Coursework:

Students are divided into a group of 9 to 10 to complete the task given. We are required to identify the value management that had been implemented to an existing projects. In the function analysis, we had adopted compound approach to achieve both cost reduction and function increase of the project.  This assignment helped me to develop a deeper appreciation on the concepts through this assignment by applying them into the associated problems. I had also learnt that value management isn't about cost reduction but also the optimize the function of the project. Hence, the concept of Value Management must be clearly understand and realized in order to achieve an effective and efficient delivery of value in terms of design.

QSB4914 - Research Dissertation

My research dissertation title is "Affordability of Homeownership by graduates in Klang Valley". The purpose of this module is to guide the student in preparing a research dissertation which is compulsory for a honor degree graduate. In this module, students are briefed with the preparation of research report based on the individual title that has been chosen at the beginning of semester 5. 

Basically, the research dissertation studied on the issues/problems of the relevant topic and derived objectives to be achieved throughout the whole research dissertation. 

Students are guided by different supervisors with constant discussion meeting conducted once a week or more depends on the situation and supervisors. Student are required to submit a research proposal with problem statements and objectives included. Once the proposal was approved by the supervisor, literature review, methodology, data analysis and conclusion chapter will be carried out respectively and combined to form a full report. 

Both lecturer and supervisor provided a proper guidance on how a quality dissertation can be produced. On top of that, workshops were conducted to expose students in finding useful/relevant sources for the research dissertation. Their guidance and hard work were indeed important and helpful for a final year degree student and are very much appreciated. This module tends to sharpen the student's research dissertation skills which is indeed important for student who are interested in pursuing post-graduate education.