Increasing Floorspace Construction Plan

Increasing Floorspace Construction Plan After the negotiation of the final contract, EID was given the authorization to begin the project.  But there was no formal notice to proceed and the duration of the project was not closely monitored or contractually specified. In the appointment of an owners representative during the design phase, to expedite owners decisions and approvals, Mr. Ian Leadbetter, a mechanical and software engineer, was appointed as the owner representative even though he lacked project management training and experience. Failures in submittal reviews Mr. Leadbetter was occupied with the software development and did not have a standardized process in place for the approval of submittals and other key project management owner processes. Design process failures There was no process that was in place to deal with the expansion of the production train. This change caused the software design work that was completed to be discarded resulting in Mr. Ledbetters need to focus on redesign of the software and not on his duties of facilitating and communicating information between all parties. Since there were no processes on order for submittal reviews and approvals, there was a significant delay in the delivery of the production train equipment. During the construction phase, there were numerous problems that resulted including inter-coordination of shop drawings to design causing the structure of the building to be designed five feet less than required for the production train, owner representatives conducting business with subcontractors without the contractor being present, and other problems with process and technical management. There was no communications plan in place for the project. Failures in completion schedule and getting occupancy permits There were delays due to a number of shortfalls in the project management system. The management failed to hold EID accountable for project completion and closeout causing delays in schedule.   EID did not provide the building occupation permit nor did they comply with scheduling requirements for utility tie-ins causing several weeks in lost production. b. The real objectives of Woody were as follows: Increase the production capacity by 25% Increase the flooring of the production plant Install air conditioning Install dust free painting and finishing shop Add additional compressor capacity Completely install a semi-automatic wood working production train Renovate the President and Vice-Presidents offices e. The projects success can be gauged by their adherence to cost, time, usage of resources and quality standards. Cost: Maximum cost allowed was $ 17 million. Having a control over the budget, without any deviations would be success criteria. Time: The maximum time allowed for the project was 18 months. Any deviation from this would reflect poorly. Quality: Adherence to both product and process quality would be important. Product quality can be determined by the Conditions of Satisfaction established by the customer, in this case the management board of Customs Wood Work. The second quality standard can be measured by the criterion set by the project team in order to obtain the final product. Process quality has to be developed at every stage. 2. Project Scope Set up in 1954, Custom Wood Works had diversified into the manufacturing of made-to-order kitchen and bathroom cabinets, furniture for wholesalers/retailers along with its traditional offering of customized furniture. The company had even taken up sub contract work supplying installing counter tops and cabinets for commercial constructions. With the mini-boom in the construction industry, Custom Wood Works was set to expand its manufacturing business. The company was looking to enter the field of manufacturing by computer controlled automation. To give a certain grandeur to this strategy, the offices of the President and the Vice-President were being refurbished. The scope of the project includes increasing the floor space available to the company with a focus on increasing the companys production capacity by 25%. It also includes setting up of a new semi-automatic wood working production train complete with air-conditioning facilities and a dust free painting shop. The project even includes renovation of the President and Vice-Presidents office. The additives to Woodys project plan should include Sales Assessment An assessment of committed sales contracts and projected contracts should be done to ensure that production can still be maintained during proposed construction and that customer demands for scheduling and delivery requirements are met. There should be a strategic planning session which includes administration, sales, and production to ensure a high standard for customer satisfaction during proposed construction process.  A detailed sales and marketing plan should be prepared and should have contingency planning in case the market falls in a certain sector.   Process and Recommended PMLC model A complete systems flow should be developed to include document, task and schedule accountability, and allow for the integrated coordination between the owner, design and construction teams, and governing agencies. A Woody 2000 project steering committee should be formed that includes the executive management team and key leaders of the project.   Strategic planning and focus groups A systematic strategic planning session with various groups in the organization should be organized. Sub focus group which includes finance, production and administration should be formed. All meetings would have very detailed meeting minutes to include new and old business, pending issues and accountability milestones.   A task-tracking log can be maintained in each of the key disciplines. Evaluate Design and Constructability Value engineering, systems analysis, interior and exterior specification selections, program requirements, and overall design development coordination should be included. Existing production output should be reviewed along with new technologies and the affect upgraded machinery would have on production. Existing production capability should be maintained in order to service existing clients.   Project sequencing and mobilization A complete interfacing of the Woody 2000 project program requirements with the existing operations to determine various solutions for construction mobilization should be included. Pre-construction schedule Woodys executive team should be included in the overall development of the pre-construction schedule with related tasks and accountability time lines. A mobilization plan must be completed in order to ensure that the existing production lines can be maintained without interruption. Financial Performa and feasibility Various alternatives to the proposed expansion including Financial Performa, implications of proposed construction, system for programming spaces, methodologies for hiring of design and construction teams, design development process, implementation process, cost controls, and quality control procedures, should be developed.   Contractor selection methodology A competitive bidding process for the selection of the General Contractor should be followed. A preconstruction conference would be held in which the construction documents would be handed out and the project parameters be discussed and established with contractors. b. Woodys plan in managing the project included the following: Appointing Spencer Moneysworth as the Project Lead Inviting Expert Industrial Developers to quote on the construction. A monthly cash flow was developed by Kim Cashman. Mr. Leadbetter was appointed to take over the day-to-day running of the project. Various vendors like Piecemeal Corporation etc. were appointed to supply the necessities for the impending construction. The installation of the mechanical equipment in the dust free paint shop was given to Amos Dent of Tinknockers Associates. The local inspection authority was asked to intervene and check for compliance with the regulatory policies. An additional line of project financing was opened up to meet the escalated costs, because of the delay in completion. An expensive marketing strategy was launched to win back the lost customers. For post project appraisal, project management consultant W. Easley Associates were retained. A new and improved project management plan should include the following: Programming guidelines 1.  Design review Review Architectural and Engineering Design Services Agreements and ensure that these agreements have definitive date constraints and design to budget parameters. 2.  Review Programming Objectives a. Confirm the Woody team overall desires, intentions, goals and objectives for their expansion and develop a complete needs assessment b. Confirm the long range facility strategies and the necessary sales and marketing strategies needed to keep the new production train generative for its proper production to payback ratio. 3. Review Programming Documents a. Confirm the assessment and audit of Owners existing facilities and determine specific needs to projected revenues.  Review existing operations to ensure that production is not affected by the construction process. b. Ensure the Owners facility needs are fully documented by the use of a program manual and needs assessment log. d. Coordinate with the executive team the overall requested program to decipher between needs and wants and obtain necessary approvals. 4. Review/Maintain Overall Project Budget (OPB) a. Confirm the Owners needs and constraints regarding overall project budget and develop concise budgeting throughout design development phase. b. Confirm coordination of the budget with the program to insure sufficient funds are set aside and that the sequencing of work is in line with projected cash flow. c. Determine cash flow requirements and projections for the duration of the master schedule and coordinate with the finance office. d. Prepare periodic reports to document the planned cash flow versus actual cash flow and report to the Woody 2000 executive steering committee. 5. Review/Maintain Overall Project Schedule (OPS) a. Validate the preliminary schedule and expand the final project schedule and identify major milestones and the critical path for project. b. Validate major team members needs, responsibilities and detailed scheduling of team members work including owner supplied equipment, subcontractors, and the entire project workforce. 6. Review Site Due Diligence 7. Zoning Surveys Coordinate and confirm approvals for proper permitting. a. Transportation Confirm the necessity of a traffic management plan to ensure that the 850 existing employees have ample parking and are not affected by the construction. b. Legal restrictions Confirm approvals for equipment and new paint shop area. c. Environmental reports Soils investigation Confirm that all soils reports are sufficient for the new building footers and structure. e. Existence and capacity of utilities and infrastructure Coordinate with the appropriate utility companies to confirm that all expanded utilities are scheduled properly and without delay. f. Determine applicable government and community agency requirements, approvals and permit. b.  Design Process 1.  Confirm Procurement Agreements Design Services a. Confirm list of consultants, contractors and vendors whose services may be required in the purchasing of design services. b. Monitor the development of agreements to be awarded to successful bidders, all required contracts must be based on hard numbers or guaranteed maximum pricing. 2.  Performance Compliance a. Coordinate the specification of materials with the Owners needs there should be careful consideration given to the production train equipment. b. With the design consultants, develop procedures for material testing and test reporting. 3.  Consultant Coordination a. Monitor the coordination of consultants and vendors in such areas as the production train equipment and other specialized equipment necessary for the expansion space. 4.  Program and Design Compatibility a. Confirm with the design consultants that the developing designs are compatible with the program, master schedule, master budget and quality expectations. b. Confirm with the design consultants that the design as developed is compatible with the Owners needs. 5.  Submittals a. Monitor design submittals and approvals. 6.  Insurance a. Confirm that design consultants have and maintain insurance in accordance with the Owners needs. 7.  Cost Control a. Manage procurement of conceptual estimates of construction costs. b. Assist with value engineering ideas. 8.  Financing a. Assist Owner with developing a process for managing use of the contingency fund. b. Make adjustments as necessary to project current and future cash flows. 4. Quality a. Maintaining quality in this case, includes Adherence to procedures and processes Enforcement of the processes Issuance of completion certificates   Procedures and processes Quality assurance of The Woody 2000 project can only be accomplished through proactive involvement of the management team, interaction with the Owner, and design personnel. The tools to accomplish the same include: Design reviews-Constructability reviews value analysis Submittal control and approval Pre-construction meetings for major building components Partnering Sessions at key intervals of the project to clarify project standards and goals Educating trade contractors in the QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) requirements of the project. Quality assurance and control of the Construction Manager and subcontractors and in field operations should begin during the design phase to determine that the contract requirements are clearly understood by all parties.   Periodic inspections must be conducted to ensure that all items are in conformance, or that non-conforming items are corrected.   Enforcement A regular quality inspection process should be documented. If the quality program is not implemented properly, a notice should be given to the parties involved, calling for an immediate resolution. 3.  Review and issuing completion certificate As certain phases of the project are completed, a list of expected deliverables should be given to the contractors. The subcontractors are expected to cross check the expected deliverables with the actual deliverables and call in the quality team for a review. On successful completion fo the review, the completion certificate may be given to the contractor. b. Leadbetter didnt invoke the quality specifications as he had not been trained in project management experience and lacked the desired skills. The result of it were the following The specification of the production train was changed to increase capacity resulting in the rewriting of the software. This increased debugging at the start-up. Review and approval procedures for the various specifications and drawings were not taken, because of which there was a delay in getting the approval. Change in the production plans made it imperative to add another 5 feet to the length of the building. Delay in receiving and reviewing the catalogue descriptions and other specifications. Failure to meet the local environmental compliance standards, as set by the inspection authority. Building occupation certificate couldnt be obtained. Owners inspection and dry-run tests of the production train couldnt be performed. Customer delivery dates were missed and general contractors cancelled their orders. Depletion in the finished goods inventory and hence loss of face and sales opportunities. Resultant delay in the completion of the project, ensured that costs escalated and required an additional line of financing to be opened up. c. The importance of quality for such a project is because of the following reasons Ensures minimum re-work. Would ensure complete utilization of the resources The project would be under the stipulated budget. Proper quality would refer to compliance of standards and procedures. The project can be completed within the stipulated time. 8. Communication and People Management a. Organization Chart Project Chart b. Leadbetter when appointed to take care of the project lacked the knowledge which would have made him an indispensable part of the project. He lacked project management training and experience. He did not have any grounding in the understanding of the project life-cycle and control concepts. But Leadbetter had specialization in the understanding of the semi-automatic manufacturing machinery, which was the area of expansion of the organization. As such, with the start of the production run, this knowledge would have proven to be an asset ot the company. Hence, imparting training in project management and nurturing of his skills would have helped the company. c. Communication Plan The communication plan addresses crucial items which should include: Responsibility Matrix, Team Coordination, Master Schedule and Specific levels of reporting for different levels of individuals within the project design and construction team. Individual team members should receive specific types of reports such as: project team meeting minutes; monthly executive reports, schedule; etc.   Project goals are to be established and documented so each team member understands the common objectives. A Procedures Manual (PMP) should be completed which has all approved processes and procedures for the project.   Progress meetings: These meetings are important and should be conducted at least weekly, with trade contractors and key subcontractors, to discuss current progress and accomplished milestone objectives, forecast the weeks progress and goals, address problems encountered and actions required to correct any deficient work.   This entails two primary goals: To provide a series of tools for accurate monitoring of the progress of the project. To provide thorough, accurate records of the project to protect the owner from potential disputes or legal problems. Therefore, the following is tracked and recorded on each project: This can be achieved through rade Contractor Daily Reports, Construction Photos, Daily Logs, Testing/Inspection Services, Shop Drawings/Submittals, Document Management, Progress Meetings, Schedule Enforcement, Progress Reporting, Safety Inspections etc. Contract Administration and Field Coordination: The project manager should oversee the coordination of efforts between each contract, including issues such as accessibility to the site, maintenance of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, eliminating disruption to on-going existing activities, tie-ins of utilities and roadways, compatibility of construction methods, construction phasing and utilization of construction forces. Information Management Systems: An Information Management System which implements, tracks and records all the various elements of Project management, planning, organization, meetings and reviews, site logistics, shop drawings, field orders, and document control, should be bought into place. Decision Tracking:   A decision tracking system can be designed to keep the project moving.   Whenever a critical issue is identified by the project team, the system would track the issue, its impact, its source, and the party responsible for the action on the issue.   As individuals take action on the issue, the system would track each action taken and identify the next responsible party in the process of reaching a decision on the issue.   As each issue is resolved, the decision tracking system would close the issue, but preserves the history of the decision process.   RFIs Requests for Information:   These forms can be used regularly to stimulate communication between all project team members, including the owner and architect.   These requests receive immediate attention and are invaluable in aiding the team members to anticipate conflicts before they become problems. d. Expected Communication during execution This should include Design Package Log:  Tracks drawings, specifications and key dates as needed. Pending C.O. Log:  This log tracks owner and designer wish list items and cost.   They allow for timely decisions while maintaining the project budget. Team Action List:  Tracks actions needed to accomplish schedule goals and facilitated those actions. Bi-Weekly Schedules and Meetings:  Meetings, facilitating communication and planning among team members.   These are directed mainly at trade contractors, but also need support from the owner and architect. Liaison Meeting:  Bi-Weekly meetings which includes owner representatives to facilitate major decisions and exchange valuable information.   Submittal Log:  Tracks all submittals by trade contractors requiring approval by the architect and engineers.   Daily Manpower Reports:  This report tracks trade contractors manpower.   This report is reviewed daily and weekly to monitor adequacy of work forces necessary to maintain schedule. CCA Status Reports:  Tracked changes (Contract Change Authorization) and the Owners contingencies available for changes.   Alternate/Value Engineering Log:  Tracks potential additive and deductive changes that the Owner may wish to implement.   Three-Month Calendar:  A three-month calendar with all upcoming meetings and major events can be included with all meeting minutes and updated weekly. 10. Cost Control a. Reasons for the initial high price of EID The initial bid of EID amounted to $ 20 million on a 18 month schedule. EID believed that Woodys would need considerable help with their project planning and had allowed for a number of uncertainties. EID allowed to undertake the work on a fully reimbursable contract. The counter offer EID made was to do the work on their cost but solicit fixed price quotations for all sub-trade work. Their position was reasonable because of 2 reasons: The hourly rate paid would cover all the direct wages/salaries, pay roll burden, head-office overhead and profit. This rate would apply to all engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning for which EID would employ another subcontractor for the building and design work The number of hours put in by EID can be monitored effectively by Woodys. b. 2 years after the project was first launched, there was no meaningful planning for completion. Owners acceptance, testing, dry-run and production start-up of the production train had not been carried out. Also the occupation certificate had not been availed. Due to late delivery of the production train, the tie-in of power and other utility connections scheduled for the annual 2 week maintenance shut-down could not take place. Customer delivery dates were missed and some general contractors cancelled their contracts and placed their orders for mill work elsewhere. Sales opportunities were lost too. All this put together resulted in the fact that, the project was only 85% complete because the delay in completion too was charged to Woodys account. c. Cost Control An experienced team of experts with knowledge of quantities and historical pricing, project management and field supervision, should provide the expertise on all elements relating to cost control, including budgeting, estimating, value engineering and the qualification of subcontractors.   The Woody 2000 project steering committee would receive formal reports weekly from Mr. Moneysworth and Mr. Cashman. The following cost control methods can be implemented throughout the pre-construction and construction phases of the project: Budget Planning In the budgeting phase of the project, the current projected costs of the project can be compared with the initial budget so that the cost doesnt escalate. It has to be ensured that the work involved meets the projected goals Estimating Definitive estimates should be made through schematic design, design development and construction documents stages of the project.  Work has to be done in conjunction with the various prime subcontractors in developing estimates that can be tracked in a similar format to simplify the reconciliation at each estimate phase. Conceptual Pricing: An in-house cost coding system can be developed, to expand into more detailed pricing as the design progresses.   A computer-aided quantity survey system would allow to accurately produce the basic quantities for the project. Cost Forecasting: Prior to the start of the construction phase, transfer the estimate into a cost forecasting format used by project management staff to track costs throughout the project to completion.   This estimating process built from each stage to a Guaranteed Maximum Price estimate, would check it against previous work. Cost Accounting/Tracking: Once the contract price is determined, the estimated labor, material and subcontractor costs can be allocated among standard cost accounts at a level of detail appropriate for tracking individual tasks against the project budget. Procurement and Labor: The procurement cycle begins as purchase orders, subcontracts and change orders are committed, then immediately documented and simultaneously recorded in the cost system.   Actual labor costs, together with work-in-progress, can be recorded on a weekly basis through the payroll system. Cost Reporting: Cost reports are comprehensive and responsive to the specific needs of the project.   Labor reports, printed at the job site weekly, can be used by project management to review progress and costs.   Vendor commitments and expenditures, sorted in various level of detail, can be monitored in several reports. Actual job cost detail can be reported on a limited date range, a group of cost accounts, or for the entire project to date.   Purchasing: A system must be followed that solicits competitive bids from subcontractors and suppliers based upon a set of defined bidding procedures.   In conjunction with the owner, this would identify qualified and capable subcontractors and suppliers taking into consideration their previous experience, workload, ability to perform, and financial capability.   Pre-bid meetings can be conducted for the purpose of assisting subcontractors in understanding the bid documents, design intent and project requirements Subcontractor Qualification: The subcontractor qualification process remains an important part of cost and project control.   However, subcontractors cannot be arbitrarily eliminated from the project unless warranted by serious business indicators.   The subcontractor qualification process is an important step in evaluating the apparent low bidders for capability to satisfactorily perform the scope of work.   Additionally, the evaluation can reveal early signs of weakness, which can be supported to ensure a quality performance. Pricing: Prices should be obtained from a minimum of three pre-qualified bidders for each category of work on the project.   The accuracy and dependability of subcontractor pricing should be directly related to the content of information furnished to the bidders.   d. Flow Chart for processing changes: Cost Forecasting Conceptual Pricing Estimating Budget Planning Purchasing Cost Reporting Procurement Labour Cost Tracking Sub Contracting 11. Risk Identification and Control b c. List of Woodys Actual Surprises: The allocated budget for the project was pegged at $17 million, with 18 months as the time frame for the construction. Mr.Moneysworth invited Expert Industrial Developers to quote on the planned expansion. The fixed price quotation which was given by the firm amounted to $ 20 million and an 18 month schedule. Mr. Ian Leadbetter was appointed for running the project, despite his lack of knowledge in project management training and experience. On suggestion of EID, that Woodys should take over the procurement of the production train directly, the entire production train specification had to be changed to increase the capacity and consequently the program codes too. Change in the production plan resulted in another 5 feet being added to the height of the building. Catalogue descriptions and specifications were not received until the foundations had been poured The surplus paint disposal method didnt meet the environmental standards as specified by the inspection authority Failure to obtain the building occupation certificate Failure of the tie-in of the power and other utility connections Response to the above: Costs arising from these changes, including the delay in the completion were charged tto Woodys account. To mitigate the effect of only 85% completion, Cashman was forced to scramble for an additional line of project financing at prime plus 2.5% interest. Liquid cash was spent at every such instance. A coordinated marketing effort was launched to regain the interest of the customer, which didnt have much effect. Possible Risk Management Plan: The implementers of the project could have followed a 4 prong Risk Management Plan: Risk Identification: Identify potential risks as a part of the project. Case specific potential risks can include securing permits and unfavorable weather conditions which may hamper the construction work. A 10% contingency can be accorded to the construction schedule. Care should be taken to ensure that schedule creep doesnt happen. There can be 4 categories of risk included as a part of the Risk Management Plan Technical Risk: This includes a review of the quality and performance goals of the project. Proper installation of the lag bolts, coordination with the drawing shops and the foundation contractor etc. come under this. Project Management Resources: This includes improper planning and allocation of resources and improper use of management disciplines. Coordination between the owners interface and the appropriate contractors can be a part of this. Organizational Risks: This should ensure that the there are enough human resources allocated to the project and that there are no conflicts between the project staff and the employees of the Custom Wood Working company. External Risk: These risks can be caused by external parties such as regulatory agencies, labor contracts and supplier restrictions. There should be proper coordination with utility companies and that all equipments and systems should be approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies. Risk Assessment This can be done by 2 methods: Static and Dynamic assessment. While static risk assessment is

Koyal – a Multi-Purpose Expert System – Md-Cob-Coa Knowledge Representation Using Prolog in J2Se

Koyal – A Multi-purpose Expert System – MD-CoB-CoA Knowledge Representation Using PROLOG in J2SE Prof. Sreedhar Babu Department of Electrical Engineering Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham Amritapuri, Kerala [email  protected] com Archana, Vineeth & Veena Department of Computer Science & Applications Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham Amritapuri, Kerala [email  protected] com Abstract— Expert systems are AI? s greatest commercial success. It is a research-oriented application area of AI. An expert system uses knowledge specific to a problem domain to provide â€Å"expert quality† performance. Predicate logic is being used for knowledge representation which is further programmed using PROLOG inference engine for deriving intelligent conclusions. The current research paper introduces a rule-based expert system that provides a medical diagnosis for determining the health problems and classification of birds and animals. The user has to have some knowledge about these topics so that he can query the system. Three knowledge bases are provided for each domain. The specialized computer language PROLOG embedded into J2SE is used to develop this system. Keywords-component: Expert System; Knowledge-base; Medical Diagnosis, Rule-based ES, Knowledge representation PROLOG; J2SE. 1. INTRODUCTION : THE KOYAL EXPERT SYSTEM The current paper of Koyal has mainly two modules: 1. 1. Knowledge Base 1. 2. User Interface 1. 1 Knowledge Base [1 & 2] Mainly, three knowledge bases are required for the system. They are bird? s knowledge base for identifying a bird, animal knowledge base for identifying an animal and a disease knowledge base for medical diagnose. The system uses this knowledge base for finding solutions. Knowledge is represented in rule-based format. The rule of the system is in the form of: IF first premise and second premise, and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. THEN conclusion This is semantically same as a Prolog rule: conclusion:first_ premise, second_ premise, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Premises are written as attribute-value pair. The attribute is represented as a predicate and the value as the argument to the predicate. Each knowledge base will have to have a high-level goal, which calls the sub goals to be satisfied. When all the premises are satisfied, then the final conclusion is obtained. . 2. User Interface The user interface is the Prolog interpreter? s interface, and the input data is stored directly in the program. It is implemented in Java by loading the prolog inference engine into the java program. The prolog program itself will provide a user interface. The predicate ask and menuask will provide these functions. The ask is responsible is for getting the information from t he user and remembering the user? s response. The ask predicate will have to determine from the user whether or not a given attribute-value pair is true. The ask prompts the user with the requested attribute and value and seeks confirmation or denial of the proposed information. The ask is represented as object-attribute-value triples where the attribute values are tied to various objects in the system. The menuask will further improve the user interface by adding a menu capability which gives the user a list of possible values for an attribute. The main precondition of our Koyal System is that a common user who has no knowledge about the specialized „domain? annot interact with the system and in such a situation the output accuracy will depend on the user inputs. 2. Description of the System Flow The system flow chart represented in the figure 2 displays the flow of the information from one process to another . We can say that it is a detailed representation of the structured chart in the Fig. 2. 1. 2. 1. User The user will enter the text and this text is passed to the inference engine. 2. 2. Inference Engine A rule-based syste m requires some kind of program to manipulate the rules – for example to decide which ones are ready to fire. (i. . which ones have conditions that match the contents of working memory). The program that does this is called an inference engine, because in many rule-based systems, the task of the system is to infer something from knowledge base. This inference engine will prove or disprove the goal/rules in the knowledge base and used to derive conclusions. e. g. a diagnosis, from the data using the rules. 2. 3. Knowledge base The knowledge base contains rules which describe general knowledge about a particular problem domain. 2. 4. User Interface The User Interface will interact with the user i. e. it will query the user for getting information to satisfy goals inside knowledge base. The predicates ask and menuask works here to gather information from user. 2. 5. Working Memory The working memory of a rule-based system is a store of information used by the system to decide wh ich of the condition-action rules in the knowledge base is able to be fire. It might be used to store intermediate conclusions i. e. the satisfied goals and any other information inferred by the system from the data (using the condition-action rules). Finally the inference engine will infer the working memory more solution. . Knowledge Representation Using PL [4 & 5] Since Predicate Logic is one of the oldest and most important logistical approach for reasoning, primarily developed and used in the area of mathematics by logicians as a means of formal reasoning and now it is vastly being used by the programmers for expert systems for its flexibility of accurate natural language representation, this paper also includes the various methods of knowledge representation supported by Predicate Logic that can be conveniently programmed with the PROLOG programming language. The major predicates that are being used in the paper include: The following symbols will be used for logical connectives. ~ not or negation & and or conjunction V or or disjunction ? if †¦ then or implication ? If and only if or double implication Valid statements or sentences in PL are determined according to the rules of propositional syntax. For the estimated validity of uncertainties, heuristics based on either fuzzy or neural network or neuro-fuzzy can be implemented. Let the predicate function B(X) be a bird with a particular name X, then the composite predicate B(X) which needs various functional variables to be satisfied type of family, color, head, voice, flight type, throat, type of food it eats, country, region, tail, size etc. †¦ Fig. 3. 1 represents the associate network for the classification of birds. For X = albatross, the functional variables are family type, color, size etc. are indicated, i. e. , if N1(F), N3(C) and N9(S) are the predicate functions with variables, family type, color and size of birds etc. , then the w. f. f. (well-formed formulae) can be written as follows, E1: ? X BIRD(X) E2: B (N1(F) & N2(O) & N4(N) & N5 (L) & N6(Bi) & N9(S) & N10(W) & N3(C) ) E3: B (N1 (albatross) & N2 (tubenose) & N4 (external_tubular) & N5(at_sea) & N6(hooked) & N9(large) & N10(long_narrow) & N3(white) ) E1 > E2 The various predicates for E2 are defined in E3 ? X B(X) > E3 resulting in X = laysan_albatross The various functional predicates of the composite predicate expression E1 specified in E2 as B (N1(F) & N2(O) & N4(N) & N5 (L) & N6(Bi) & N9(S) & N10(W) & N3(C) ) where F indicated family, O indicates order, N indicates nostrils, L indicates live at, Bi indicates bill, S indicates size, W indicates wings, C indicates color . . Working of the System: [6] †¢ User enters the problem which he wants to know about the particular domain. †¢ The entered query is analyzed and a keyword is extracted depending on the â€Å"domains†. †¢ The keyword is passed to the inference engine. †¢ The inference engine will call the high level goal of the knowledge base that starts the program. †¢ ask/2 and menuask/3 predicate will poses questions to the users and get enough information which is used to satisfy the sub-goals. †¢ Known/3 predicate is used to remember the answer entered by the user. The built-in predicate „asserta? stores the satisfied goals dynamically in the working memory. †¢ Another built-in predicate retractall/1 is used to delete clauses dynamically from the prolog internal database during the execution of a goal thus backtracking can be avoided. †¢ Finally the inference engine will retrieve the final goal from the working memory and provide solution to the user problem. Fig 4. 2 describes the various major predicate functions implemented in Koyal J2SE with PROLOG as supportive declarative language. 5. SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING [3 & 7] 5. Introduction to System Implementation Implementation is the stage of project. When the theoretical design is turned into a working system. At this stage the main work load, the greatest upheaval and the major impact on the existing practices shifts to the user department. Prolog files include knowledge base and user interface. The size of the knowledge depends on the awareness of the creator about the domain. By referring theses knowledge base the system will derive solution for the problems. Knowledge base is one factor which determines the expertness of a system. It defines a common vocabulary for researchers who need to share information about the domain. It includes machine-interpretable definitions of basic concepts in the domain and relationship among them. 5. 3 TESTING Testing methodologies are adopted in the course of any system development. Any systems performance is based on testing that it follows. Some of the most prominent methods are: †¢ White Box †¢ Black Box 5. 3. 1 White Box Under white box testing the modules were tested individually and all the bugs were eliminated. This testing method has been of little influence to the whole project since most of the modules have to be integrated for well functioning. 5. 3. 2 Black Box The core testing was undertaken under this testing. Once all the modules were integrated the whole system was tested to ensure that it matches with the specification. 6. THE CONSTRAINTS OF KOYAL EXPERT SYSTEM: 1. The knowledge of the Koyal expert system is domain specific. 2 . Identification of the keyword is critical 3. The user should have some knowledge about the domain otherwise the system will respond with less accuracy. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We humbly express our gratitude to Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, the Chancellor of Amrita Visva Vidya Peettam and the fellow faculty and student members of computer science for the successful completion in the prototype design and implementation phases. REFERENCES Websites: ? ? ? ? http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Expert_system http://www. wtec. org/loyola/kb/c1_s1. htm http://www. aaai. org/aitopics/pmwiki/pmwiki. php/AIT opics/ExpertSystems http://www. paine. org/students/lectures/lect3/node7. ht ml Fig. 5. is the architectural flow diagram of Koyal for the classification of birds, animals and the medical diagnosis. If the implementation stage is not carefully planned and controlled, it can cause chaos. Implementation involves careful planning, investigation of the current system and its constraints on implementation, design of methods to achieve the changeover, training of staff in the changeover procedure and evaluation of changeover methods. This phase of implementation has allowed us to integrate various cutting edge technologies in the project which involves the implementation of Prolog and Java. Testing phase included white box testing and black box testing thought most of the testing was performed as system testing. 5. 2 IMPLEMENTATION The implementation phase of software development is concerned with the translation of the structural design specification into source code. The primary goal is to write source code and internal documentation. Testing, Debugging and modification are performed in this phase also. The first step in developing an expert system has been the creation of a Prototype model of the actual system on the basis of the reference model available. In case of an expert system each system? s knowledge is domain specific so every system has its own advantage and disadvantage. We cannot consider the system as expert in every aspect. This will require time and much effort to develop such a spool proof system. After testing the prototype further modification were incorporated in it by including extra features and implementing the knowledge base part of our system. The prototype is then tested. After the user is satisfied with the function of the prototype the actual system is developed. JPL is a library using the SWI-Prolog foreign interface and the Java jni interface providing a bidirectional interface between Java and Prolog that can be used to embed Prolog in Java as well as for embedding Java in Prolog. In both setups it provides a reentrant bidirectional interface. jpl allows the loading of prolog engine to Java. Thereby we can load the prolog files which contain knowledge regarding the domains. ? Books: http://www. primenet. com/pcai/New_Home_Page/ai_in fo/expert_systems. html A Guide to Expert Systems by Donald A. Waterman Ist Edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. [2] Russell, S. and P. Norvig, 2002. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Prentice Hall, Second Edition. [3] Analysis and design of information systems by V. Rajaraman, 5th print, PH [1] Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems by Dan W. Patternson, PHI Pvt. Limited, Eighth Reprint 2000. [5] Expert Systems Theoty and Practices by Jean-Louis Ermine, PHp Publications, 2007 [6] Introduction to Expert Systems by Peter Jackson, Addison-Wesley, Pearson Education Asia ltd. , Reprint 2000 [7] Foundation of Artificial Intelligences and Expert Systems† by V S Janakiraman, K Sarukesi, P Gopalakrishnan, Macmillan Series in Computed Science, Reprint 2001. [4]

The Or Interracial Marriages Occur When Two Individuals Of...

Intermarriages or interracial marriages occur when two individuals of different races come together in matrimony. Approximately 400 years ago, North America’s first intermarriage was between a Powhatan Princess by the name of Pocahontas and English commoner John Rolfe. Their marriage was allowed due to the fact that the Jamestown higher-ups believed it would be good for them to have an Indian princess and any male offspring on their side. Unfortunately for the English, their plan did not work due to Pocahontas’ death while on a tour of England. After a war in 1622, the Powhatans were drove from the English territory. Later in 1691, the Virginia colony passed laws that banished interracial married couples. During that time an interracial marriage consisted of a union between whites and Negro, mulatto, or Indian man or woman (Glover). This caused other surrounding colonies to implement similar laws. By the year of 1958, approximately 16 states prohibited interracial marriages or implemented anti- miscegenation laws, this was until a particular love story changed everything. This love story was better known as Loving v. Virginia. An African American woman by the name of Mildred and a Caucasian man named Richard Loving traveled to Washington D.C. to get married because it was legal there. Upon arriving back to their home, they were arrested and banished for 25 years for violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act (Loving). The Lovings decided to flee from Virginia to avoid beingShow MoreRelatedCauses of Friction in Interracial Marriages Essay1425 Words   |  6 PagesCauses of Friction in Interracial Marriages The United States has witnessed a considerable amount of social and cultural desegregation between African-Americans and Caucasians. However, despite years of desegregation, social and cultural differences still exist. One of these differences that still exists is in the institution of marriage. Americans have been and are continually moving slowly away from segregation. In the past forty years, a multitude of changes have transformed schools, jobs,Read MoreThe Important Role of Family and Kin1089 Words   |  4 PagesFamily and Kin The use of the term family has many different interpretations depending on the person who is using the word. When some persons discuss family they are referencing individuals who are linked by blood ties and or marriage. Blood ties are understood as persons who have immediate identifiable genetic links. These links are close and reference parents, siblings and other close relations. Marriage involves social and political exchanges that allow parties who are not linked by blood toRead MoreEssay about Interracial Marriages Proposal3930 Words   |  16 Pages| Interracial Marriages | Proposal | | Tyler Smith | | SOCI 381 12/10/2010 Introduction To see a black man and a white woman walking down the street holding hands used to be unheard of. It was a relationship that, for the few who engaged in it, was kept as quiet as possible. During the fifties and sixties, interracial dating was not socially acceptable and there wereRead MoreInterracial Marriage And The Black Man Walking Down The Street Holding Hands2345 Words   |  10 Pages INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS Lewis Duncan Jr, Gateway Technical College Introduction Once upon a time white woman and a black man walking down the street holding hands used to be unheard of. It was a relationship that, for the few who engaged in it, was kept as secret as possible. During the sixties, interracial dating was not socially acceptable and there were consequence for those who were involved in such behaviors with various laws that were in play, such as the Jim CrowRead MoreThe First Black President, The World s Best Golfer, Or Twins?1787 Words   |  8 Pagesin the light of superstardom, they are each a child of a interracial marriage. In the 21st century there are approximately 1.6 million interracial relationships or interethnic marriages, with the marriages making up 3% (Troy, Lewis-Smith, Laurenceau, 2006). Interracial relationships over generations have changed from the way society has viewed them. As early as the 1600’s legislation has been banning black and white interracial marriages, and this law has stayed in place until 1967, and Alaba maRead MoreThe Causes Of Prejudice By Vincent N. Parrillo1209 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are two types of prejudice; psychological and sociological. Psychological prejudice focuses on individual behavior, where as sociological is focused more on a group. Psychological Prejudice is based on an individual’s behavior and occurs when an individual thinks and acts certain ways that can positively or negatively affect someone else. I believe that both Causes of prejudice are important, however in my opinion sociological prejudice can harm not just an individual but certain race or groupRead MoreHow Interracial Marriage Affects Children2853 Words   |  12 PagesHow interracial Marriage Affects Children What do you think that your reactions would be if your sibling or friend introduced their spouse, who happened to be from another race? Would you be taken aback? Would you never accept the situation? If that would be the case, it is the time to face the reality. These days, mixed-color families and couples are common. I have personally seen many cases. Interracial marriages happen everywhere. Even in Korea where people are proud of a five thousand yearRead MoreSeeking Asian Female By Debbie Lum1526 Words   |  7 PagesThe film â€Å"Seeking Asian Female† by Debbie Lum, follows Steven and Sandy’s journey to marriage. Steven searches for his dream wife within the Asian community and meets 30 year old Sandy, who too, is searching for her life partner, through the internet. Sandy later moves in with Steven and we unravel the positives and the negatives that they face culturally, socially and economically. Their language barrier proves to be a huge obstacle for them as they struggle to communicate with one another properlyRead MoreWhat Are Genetic Diversity?995 Words   |  4 PagesStates are a home to people from all over the world with different skin tones, languages, cultures, and features. The only way one can tell the differ ence between individuals are by their appearances. Since America is a diverse country, interracial marriage is a common thing. With interracial marriage being a common thing, babies with two more different genes is not surprising. Genetic diversity can improve the lifespan of a population and individuals and protect the body from foreign substances. WhatRead MoreRacism and Its Deep Roots in US History1688 Words   |  7 PagesRacism and Its Deep Roots in US History Throughout US history, white Americans often viewed the other races (or coloreds) as inferior. Even though slavery had been abolished, laws and practices inhibited the fundamental rights African Americans were entitled to. Thus the mentality of racism and prejudice thoughts had persisted in people’s minds. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Maycomb County, Alabama during the timeframe of the 1930s. Citizens of Maycomb County abide by a

European Exploration And Colonization Of The New World

The political, economic, and social reasons for European exploration and colonization of the New World Power was the main focus for the Europeans to explore and colonize the new world. The Europeans realized by possessing colonies in the new world, they would grow and have more power to challenge other nations. The Spanish became a competitor because they started to realize how valuable the new land could be to their country by obtaining new riches from the land. By discovering these riches, the country would become more powerful. Spain, England, and France knew they had to have something to set them apart upon colonizing the new land. One way England challenged the other nations was by generating wealth and materials from abroad. Their resources set them apart from the other nations. Economically, mercantilism becomes the driving force behind exploration and colonization. The nations believed the more precious metals and resources a nation owned, the wider a nation s wealth and powe r base could be expanded. The natural resources found in the new world were taken over by the European government in attempts to increase power. With all the emphasis being placed on the mercantilist philosophy, the Europeans believed if they did not control the colonies in the new world, their competitors would. Socially, colonization and exploration was a way to increase European spirituality. The Spanish exploration was rooted in the idea of converting indigenous people to their religion. AsShow MoreRelatedColonization Of The United States1074 Words   |  5 PagesColonization in America has demonstrated all of the US history themes of exploration, encounter and exchange in the Americas. From the beginning of colonization, in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, to the establishment of the first American colony, Jamestown in 1607, and to the creation of the thirteen colonies, there have been countless examples of exploration, encounter and exchange. The exploration of vast waters and u nchartered territory led to new and undiscovered land and America being colonizedRead MoreThe Expansion Of A Nation State Beyond The World1389 Words   |  6 PagesAs Europe climbs into a semi-peaceful time, many powers look for a way to expand their names beyond their claimed territories. Splicing through the 1850’s and beyond European powers spread through Africa, Australia, China, America, Japan and anywhere they could find a resource to be exploited. Many great discoveries and advances appeared due to these colonization’s and expeditions, scientifically and historically. Imperialism is the expansion of a nation state beyond their position, whether it beRead MoreWhy Did The Muslim World?1162 Words   |  5 PagesSpain, Portugal, Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands started exploring for new lands and colonizing them. Driven for power, trade, or expansion, many European powers colonized the New World. Yet when looking at the Muslim contemporaries, the Ottoman, Persian and Mughal Empires did not set sail for new land like their Western counterparts. Why did the Muslim world not partake in exploration and colonization of the New World, despite having equivalent wealth and technology? Factors limiting the OttomanRead MoreAfrican Slavery And The New World s Demographic Profile1014 Words   |  5 Pagesmaintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colony in one territory by a political power from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population. Colonization is the act of setting up a colony away from one s place of origin. Colonists settled British North America for different reasons. Some came for profits; others came for religious freedom. For those colonies established for profit, the BritishRead MoreColonization of America791 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the Europeans had discovered America, the possibilities for them were endless. Although mistakenly discovered, it greatly aroused the curiosity of many European explorers. There were new opportunities for them to expand, and in more than just one way. Chances to spread religion, boost their economy, and help themselves politically. As soon as Columbus returned, the pope issued a decree saying the world itself was an inheritance of Christianity. Spain and Portugal, the two main Christian powersRead MoreThe New World : The Mundus Novus1122 Words   |  5 PagesBefore any civilized country was established in the New World, the Mundus Novus, there were not many people from the 15th century that ever thought traveling across oceans could be possible nor did they know much about the world beyond their own communities. So, why did they take to the seas? Many historians believe this was motivated by the chance to explore, learn, and understand other cultures. The most willing to expand are the ones who will strive to succeed in the end. Little did they knowRead MorePositive Effects of Colonialism1322 Words   |  6 PagesBritain and other European countries, owned third world colonies. ‘Third world’ originally referred to countries that did not belong to the democratic, industrialized countries of the West (the First World) or the state-socialist, industrializing, Soviet Bloc countries (the Second World). This paper uses specific third world examples to summarize the main positive impacts of nineteenth and twentieth century colonialism, when colonial powers reached their peak. It focuses on European colonialism in AfricaRead MoreAmerican History Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Question 1 Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Iroquois developed a confederation to: control violence that may have occurred over territory conflicts. Question 2 The religious dissatisfaction, that ultimately played a factor in the colonization of the New World by Separatists, began in 1517 when which of the following men publically protested the Catholic Church? Martin Luther Question 3 Refer to the map entitled Indian Groups in the Areas of First ContactRead MoreEffects Of The Age Of Exploration1195 Words   |  5 PagesThe age of exploration is a period of time from the 15th century to the 18th century where exploration and new discovery grow rapidly for the Europeans. It represent a time of both good and bad when the Europeans founded new lands and colonize them, such as the New World. To them, they had greatly benefited as their power grew but for others, their land were invaded and lost many lives. The Spanish and the Portuguese are two main leaders of Europe that began the movement of exploration and colonizationRead MoreChristopher Columbus : A Hero Or Hero?1445 Words   |  6 Pages Christopher Columbus was he a hero or was he a villain? As attitudes change throughout the years and new discoveries are being made, history is constantly being rewritten. In the recent years, there has been much controversy over the â€Å"achievements† of the great admi ral Christopher Columbus. There have also been many books, articles, and historians that have described him as â€Å"one of the greatest mariners in history, a visionary genius, a national hero, a failed administrator, a naive entrepreneur