SRM776 Introduction to Construction Management Report Sample

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

School of Architecture and Built Environment

1. This document is to be read in conjunction with the Unit Guide for this unit.

2. It is the responsibility of each student to confirm submission requirements, including dates, time, and format.

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4. You will be required to complete Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 as an individual, while Assignment 3 is completed as a group. Further information will be provided regarding how groups will be allocated. Group members might receive different marks based on their level of contribution and engagement in group activities.

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9. Before starting your assignments, please access the University’s Study Support web page for useful advice: http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support.

ASSIGNMENT TASK

First, each student must research two construction industry employers in Australia. This research must be carried out using publicly available information such as websites. Under no circumstances are students to contact any employers. You will research and discuss any two (2) residential, commercial or infrastructure contractors (construction companies)/architecture/quantity surveying firms operating in Australia and discuss which company you would prefer to build your career with and why. This employer report should be about 1500 words in total.

Second, you must now find a relevant job vacancy from an online job portal related to the construction industry You have already prepared a baseline resume as part of the zero-credit point unit STP710 Career Tools for Employability. You should take this opportunity to improve these submissions based on the further knowledge you have gained in our seminars and classes. You should then tailor your CV to match that vacancy. You must also write a cover letter to accompany your application. In your cover letter, analyse how your skills, knowledge, and experience match the requirements listed in the vacancy. For this assignment, please assume that you have completed your degree at Deakin and are now applying for a job. Further instructions have been provided about this in the Additional Guidance section and on the Unit Site under the Assignment 2 Resources. Finally, you will prepare a one- page career development plan that outlines your career path for the five (5) years immediately following your graduation. You must include details on how you will get to where you want to be in five (5) years. It is recommended to use the any of the goal-setting criteria (e.g., GROW, SMART goal- setting or equivalent criteria).

Solution

The employer reports

Introduction

The current report is going to shed light on two construction companies in which one commercial and one residential. In this context, the commercial company here is CPB Contractors, headquartered in Chatswood, Australia, whereas the residential company is Northerly Group, headquartered in Western Australia. Later, the discussion also focuses on only one company most suited for building a career. As per the MBA Assignment Expert, Therefore, the employment report is based on the net pay and deductions of payrolls of the selected two Australian Construction companies.

Discussion

Background of CPB Contractors

CPB Contractors refers to the Australian Construction Company under the CIMIC (Civil-Military Co-operation) Group. The CIMIC group was founded by Stanley Leighton in 1949, however, the current owner and managing director of the company is Jason Spears (LinkedIn, 2023, a). The company is based on designing and building infrastructure across significant sectors such as roads and rail. Deference, resources, buildings and tunnelling infrastructures (CPB Contractors, 2023) The company business chain is not only in Australia but also in Asia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. In my opinion, CPB Contractors have the potential of retaining employees based on their business industry in the Australian territory. The name is CBP reflects the heritage and capability in construction such as civil, projects and buildings. The mission of the company has been to ensure universal access to online high-quality context and over-the-air telecommunication services, which are free of charge yet commercial.

Financial background of the company

CPB Contractors belong to one of the most popular and established construction companies in Australia. In this context, the company has achieved a net revenue of $1 billion in 2022 (Zoominfo, 2023). On the other hand, as reported by Market Screener (2023), there is a strong increase in nominal net profit by approximately 132%.

Figure 1: Strong Growth of CPB Contractors
(Source: Market Screener, 2023)

From the above figure, it can be derived that new orders of EUR 30.1 billion have been achieved by the company in the last year.

Number of currently working employees

CPB Contractors has been working under the CIMIC Group in which several team members are working for a long period. In this context, as reported by Australian Constructors Association (2023), the company has team members of more than 23,000 people in Australian operations in construction. As per my knowledge, the company is operating the major metropolitan rails infrastructure such as Gold Coast Light Rail Stage and even the Sydney Metro City. The high rate of employee retention in the company has indicated its work-life balance and employee satisfaction in a broader aspect. On the other hand, it has also developed my knowledge of the potential of the company in sustainable transport infrastructure alongside Level Crossing Removals. Based on the infrastructure, I can say that number of currently working employees is justified enough in the current period of time.

Net pay, Gross Pay of Employees

As reported by Indeed (2023, a), the average salary of project engineers of CPB Contractors is $130,201 every year. On the other hand, the highest pay for project engineers in CPB Contractors is $197,000 in 2023. Moreover, the gross pay of senior project engineers is $166,541 per year. In this context, the highest pay for senior project engineers is $166,541 per year. If I discuss the average pay for an environmental manager in CPB Contractors, it is almost $90,243 per year. As per my knowledge, $139,000 is the highest pay of the environmental manager of CPB Contractors.

Background of Northerly Group

The Northerly Group is a Perth-based constitution company which has been found by Michael Lawson in the year 2002 (Business News 2023). The mission of the company is to deliver the highest standard of quality while trying new things and making the overall system discipline for staying. As per my knowledge, being a residential construction company, the company has the aim of building something extraordinary from the start to the end. In addition, the company is focused on the creative spark in each of its projects, which has the ability to think beyond the ordinary in the modern age (Northerly Group, 2023). In my opinion, the company has specifications for innovative building solutions in relation to bringing value to each property. Based on high-quality designs, the company is building construction projects since 2002. As reported by LinkedIn (2023, b), the company is focused on supporting the Green Start Building code initiative. In addition, I have also developed my knowledge in maintaining transparency and well-defined procedures within the business. On the other hand, I have also understood that the company is highly focused on backing up Corporate social responsibility, social awareness, safety and sustainability in its day-to-day business operations.

Number of Currently Working Employees

As per the report of LinkedIn (2023, b), it has been found that the number of employees who are currently working in the company is approximately 50. The company started the business with 11 employees which have been increasing day by day. On the other hand, as reported by Datanyze, (2023), the number of employees of Northerly Group is exactly 56 in 2023. As per my knowledge, even though the company size is small, the company has been coming up with creative construction and projects day by day. In addition, the market revenue of the company is $22.8 million in 2022 based on its win-win solutions (Datanyze, 2023).

Net pay and Gross Pay of Employees

As opined by Felstead&Henseke, (2017), work-life balance and pay scale are the most significant factors that impact the mindsets of employees mostly. Based on the report of Indeed (2023), the pay and benefits of the company have got 3.5 ratings whereas the work-life balance of the company has achieved a 4-star rating in 2022. Employees of the company are also satisfied with the management and culture of the company. However, the net pay and gross pay of the company are not disclosed yet. Based on the strengths and skills of each employee, Northerly Group company hires while analysing the job roles and responsibilities of the employees. On the other hand, I have also developed my knowledge about the workplace culture of the company based on regular feedback and the expectations of the company on each of its projects.

Preferred Company for Building a Career With

Based on the above discussion and the provided case studies, I have a huge interest in CPB Contractors in terms of starting my career. As per the statement of Chinyio&Olomolaiye, (2009), construction should be managed with a huge responsibility which can ultimately help in voiding road accidents so far. In addition, the local council of the UK has reported that more than £¼ million in legal costs have to be amended by the railway authority due to road accidents in the last 12 months. Another case study by Stefan Olander from Chinyio&Olomolaiye, (2009) has stated that a railway project of almost 1.2 billion Swedish Kronor has been organised with the motive of noise reduction in Lund, Sweden. Therefore, when it comes to handling the railway projects like those, a commercial company like CPB Contractors is most significant. It can help in taking sustainable measures while overcoming road accidents on railways. From my point of view, I have a motive of starting my career with an established company which can also help me to explore and develop my skills in the construction industry. The reason for working in a company like a group is security based on its marketing leading position and global footprint. The company is best for its diverse and long-term career offerings within the construction industry. Apart from diverse and unique career opportunities, the company also share a sense of belonging and connection with the workmates (CPB Contractors, 2023, b). The company has been putting the workers first in relation to maintaining corporate social reep0nhsbility in the modern age. In addition, the pledge of the company is to offer the employees a great package to the employees in relation ensure commitment and pride to the employees. Moreover, the company is offering an innovative, focused and disciplined workplace with clear motives and vision (CPB Contractors, 2023, b). Working in such a great company can be a great start for my career as well.

Conclusion

The employment report can be concluded by addressing the basic outlooks of an employee before starting one career. In this context, CPB Constructors has great stakeholder management which has also helped the company to reach an annual revenue of $1 billion in 2022. On the other hm, the residential company named Northerly Group is a small company which has employees 56. In relation to starting a career, CPB Constructions can be the best place. As the company has a number of employees of 23,000 people, developing a new experience for a experienced as stipend like me is highly possible.
 
Cover Letter
To Hiring Manager
(Address)

Respected sir,

As experienced in the construction industry for one year as a stipend, I have gained experience in working in dynamic designs, attracting prospective clients, managing healthy relationships with foreign clients, and substantially maximizing revenues. I now possess the capabilities to move forward in my career and radically contribute to the company’s objectives as chief engineer at “Company’s name”.

My skills include proficiency in physics and mathematics. It is easier for me to resolve and identify the issues in engineering and I know to work with working with formulas that are complex for calculating and understanding the specifications of a building. It helps in making sure that the structure is following the central and state building regulations. I know the technical skills as well. It resources an understanding of the techniques of design and experience to develop the charts and models. I have hands-on experience using CAD or computer-aided software. Furthermore, I have technical knowledge in project billing, and quantity surveying along with the estimation and schedule of bar bending. I have experience when it comes to project management as well. I have overseen multiple big projects in the past from their start to finish. I have worked with engineers, architects and contractors and other professionals for ensuring that the project is on schedule. I have allocated tasks to other members of the team along with an evaluation of the timeline of the project for ensuring all my projects are completed on time. I have worked on my problem-solving skills as well. From the phase of planning to the execution and design, I have solved various problems in the past. I have faced complex technical problems which are related to the design of the building along with the demand of the clients and restrictions in planning.

The Highlights of My other Skills and Qualifications Include

1. I have done civil engineering at Harvard university.

2. Nurturing the strategic partners' relationships, relationships with customers, decision-makers and other stakeholders while enhancing business efforts.

3. In all the projects that I have worked on, it required teamwork. I could always work with my colleagues along with third-party and external vendors for completing the project. It helped me and my team for completing the project quickly ensuring the civil structure and buildings are meeting the quality standard that is expected.

4. I have also improved a lot on my verbal communication skills working over time. I always needed to have excellent communication skills to work with the architects and the construction workers.

5. One of my other jobs was to monitor the building process of the construction. My responsibility was ensuring compliance with the design of the documents, plans of the projects, plans of the budget and the rules which the project is associated with. It involved documenting the procedures and the process. I have the ability in handling and organizing such documents with the members of my team.

Please have a look at my experience and grant me the opportunity to meet you in person.
Sincerely,

Applicant’s name
 
Career development plan

Table 1: Career Development Plan
(Source: Self-Created)

Analysis

There are several ways of building mechanical knowledge within the construction industry. As I aim of being a construction engineer in future, I have to have an in-depth understanding of swaging, crafting, and managing the equipment. Blueprint in the construction industry refers to two-dimensional drawings, which also consist of all the details required for a project (Ammar and Nassereddine, 2022). The details of the blueprint can be required for requesting the permits while ensuring the determination of the construction schedule. As per my knowledge, it can also ensure to do the contraction itself eventually by the workers. Coordination has the role of preventing costly mistakes within the construction industry (Entrican et al. 2021). On the other hand, I have developed my knowledge about the significance of performing common construction tasks like hammering, sawing, cutting and drilling. In addition, as per my knowledge, it can be understood that manual dexterity has the way of allowing the contraction workers in relation to move their hands of the workers in a quick manner. I have a motive of undertaking the detailed way of holding tools and manipulating materials.

References

Ammar, A. and Nassereddine, H., (2022). Blueprint for construction 4.0 technologies: A bibliometric analysis. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 1218, No. 1, p. 012011). IOP Publishing.doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1218/1/012011

Australian Constructors Association (2023). CPB CONTRACTORS. Available at: https://www.constructors.com.au/members/cpb-contractors/ [Accessed on 24 April 2023]
Business News (2023). Northerly Group Australia. Available at: https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Northerly-Group-Australia[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Chinyio, E., &Olomolaiye, P. (Eds.). (2009). Construction stakeholder management. John Wiley & Sons.https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amir-Al-Khafaji/publication/321716466_Construction_Stakeholder_Management/links/5b169c294585151f91fb9a40/Construction-Stakeholder-Management.pdf

CPB Contractors, (2023, b). People & culture. Available at: https://www.cpbcon.com.au/en/working-with-us/people-and-culture[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Datanyze, (2023). Northerly Group Profile and History. Available at: https://www.datanyze.com/companies/northerly-group/353782963[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Entrican, G., Charlier, J., Dalton, L., Messori, S., Sharma, S., Taylor, R. and Morrow, A., (2021). Construction of generic roadmaps for the strategic coordination of global research into infectious diseases of animals and zoonoses. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 68(3), pp.1513-1520.doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1218/1/012011

Felstead, A., &Henseke, G. (2017). Assessing the growth of remote working and its consequences for effort, well‐being and work‐life balance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 32(3), 195-212.https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12097

Indeed (2023, b). Northerly Group. Available at: https://au.indeed.com/cmp/Northerly-Group/reviews[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Indeed, (2023, a).Project Engineer yearly salaries in Australia at CPB Contractors.Available at: https://au.indeed.com/cmp/Cpb-Contractors/salaries/Project-Engineer [Accessed on 24 April 2023]

LinkedIn (2023, a). About. Available at: https://au.linkedin.com/in/jason-spears#:~:text=Jason%20Spears%20%2D%20Managing%20Director%20%2D%20CPB%20Contractors%20%7C%20LinkedIn [Accessed on 24 April 2023]

LinkedIn, (2023, b). Northerly Group Australia. Available at: https://au.linkedin.com/company/northerly-group-australia[Accessed on 24 April 2023]
Market Screener (2023). HOCHTIEF : increases nominal net profit by 132% supported by outstanding cash flow performance // Strong growth in high-tech infrastructure and energy transition projects.Available at: https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/HOCHTIEF-AG-436197/news/HOCHTIEF-increases-nominal-net-profit-by-132-supported-by-outstanding-cash-flow-performance-St-43061939/?utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=20230223[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Northerly Group, (2023). Our Commitment.Available at: https://www.northerlygroup.com.au/our-commitment.aspx[Accessed on 24 April 2023]

Zoominfo, (2023). Who is CPB Contractors? Available at: https://www.zoominfo.com/c/cpb-contractors/374918411[Accessed on 24 April 2023]