Farewell - An Effective Retrospective

Kia ora!

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate my classmates who have helped me get through this term, as well as everyone who's been visiting this blog. Your feedback has been instrumental in my efforts at improving my academic performance. Thanks a lot!

This post also marks the end of the first trimester. I hope that I've been a positive influence on you all as well. Let us all press on toward our goals! Cheers!

- Ike


"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time." - Mitch Albom

A Critical Reflection on SIE2016 Effective Communication

Privet!

As this term draws to a close, I look back on the past three months and realize that this Effective Communication program has benefited me in more ways than I thought possible. Having been in the working world for several years, I have given presentations to clients, prepared proposals and held meetings with both superior and subordinate. When I enrolled into the Singapore Institute of Technology, I assumed that I was already fluent in communication- and how wrong I was. I am truly glad to have gone through this program!

Through the instructional units in the program, I have been introduced to many tools that I can employ in order to convey ideas effectively, in both speech and writing, when addressing various audiences. My favourite among them is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, which is a five-step process of delivering a persuasive speech. As I expect myself to be presenting to clients once again when I return to the working world, I am confident that Monroe’s Motivated Sequence will prove useful to me when that time comes.

Besides refining the art of communication as well as improving my command of the English language, I believe that for myself, an even more important takeaway from this Effective Communication program is being able to engage in continuous learning through reflective practice. In this fast-paced culture of university learning, it is often so easy for us to rush toward the end goal of getting a degree that we sometimes forget to slow down and reflect on our actions in order to learn from our past experiences. Personal growth and self-development never stops no matter which stage of life we are in, and I will certainly continue my reflective practices even after I enter the workforce as an engineer.

- Ike


“He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.” - Jose Rizal

Technical Proposal - Letter of Transmittal

Date: 28 November 2016
From: Ike Domenden
To: Housing & Development Board
Cc: Brad Blackstone, Chris Kwa, Abiali
Subject: Proposal to Minimize Impact of Water Disruptions on HDB Residents

Dear Housing & Development Board,

I am Ike Domenden, a first-year student from the Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering programme at the Singapore Institute of Technology. Our lecturer, Mr. Brad Blackstone, recently tasked us to identify, analyse and solve a specific problem chosen from an approved range of industries including housing, building construction, rail engineering, energy, water resources and the environment. To that end, I was assigned to a project group with two other students, and we decided to research the issue of water disruptions in public housing flats with the purpose of finding a solution to this problem.

Attached is our proposal to achieve the abovementioned objective. This report includes the background of the water storage and supply situation in Singapore, our analysis of the problem of water disruption and its possible causes, as well as our proposed solutions to the problem, complete with technical details and comparison.

Should you require any further information with regards to the proposal, kindly let us know and we will gladly assist to furnish as required. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Best regards,
Ike Domenden
Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Building Services)
Singapore Institute of Technology 

Soups Don't Cook Themselves - An Analytical Reflection on the Technical Presentation

Bonjour!

A few days ago, our team gave a presentation to our class, with the topic being the implementation of an improved water storage and supply system that solves water disruptions in HDB flats. Despite being a technical proposal, our presentation was described by a few of our classmates as being simple to understand, and its concepts easy to grasp. Our reviewing lecturer also stated that we seemed quite laid-back and natural when speaking. Of course, our public speaking skills have yet to be on par with that of toastmasters, but I was nonetheless very pleased when our presentation was voted as the best in the class.

In retrospect, our success in conveying our idea to the audience was the culmination of the tremendous amount of effort spent on preparation. From the initial brainstorming stage to the discussion of technical aspects, and even the selection of visual aids for use in our slides and speech rehearsal, many long nights were spent exploring every idea as well as working out every detail of the technical proposal in the weeks leading up to our presentation. On a side note, good time management was also practiced, which ensured that we did not spend too much time on this proposal and end up neglecting our studies for other subjects.

In cooking, a lot of time is spent on preparing the ingredients used to make a dish. This includes marinating meats, whisking eggs and making sure that there are no missing ingredients before beginning to cook. That being said, as an aspiring engineer, I believe in being well-prepared, as companies will appreciate an employee who shows judiciousness and diligence in his work more than one who has a lackadaisical attitude. Therefore, in all that I do, I must put in my best effort and prepare myself to handle the assigned task well in advance, instead of waiting until the eleventh hour to rush through the task and submit last-minute mediocre work just to meet the minimum requirements.

- Ike


"There is no excellence without labor. One cannot dream oneself into either usefulness or happiness." - Liberty Hyde Bailey



Commented on parallel posts in the following blogs:
- Abiali's Journey to Fluent English
- Frankie's Collector's Item
- Jerry's Beyond the Unseen
- Ming Kang

Summary & Reader Response - LTA Article, Draft 4

Update: This is a post-assessment reader response draft, with revisions made to references (both in-text citations and bibliography).

Summary & Reader Response for Article: LTA – Draft 4

By Ike Domenden

In the news release titled “Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA, 2016) wrote that despite undergoing replacement works, the trains that have been in the media spotlight are safe for service. According to LTA, all new trains are tested before they are put into service. For the defective trains, immediate action was taken to prevent defects from resurfacing during train operation. Hairline cracks that were also discovered during inspection were confirmed to not affect operational safety. Nevertheless, to ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, all affected trains were sent back, one at a time, for rectification. Stringent checks were also performed regularly to ensure operational safety of all trains. However, although the LTA claimed to have exercised diligence and accountability in its corrective processes for the defective trains in question, there would have been no need for such action had it improved upon its pre-deployment checks.

The LTA’s news release suggests that it took well-planned steps to eliminate the possibility of future problems for the battery housing component by improving the housing design as well as engaging a different supplier. However, the news release fails to describe in similar fashion the steps to rectify the issue of the cracked draughtscreens. The LTA could have better described its “appropriate action” taken by including details, instead of leaving them to the reader’s conjecture. For example, the LTA could have released an official statement to clarify if it was the manufacturer’s installation process that had to be subject to proper review and revision or if it was negligence from the manufacturer, for the sake of convenience, that led to the installation error despite the installation process being reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, the omission of details such as these in the report may have inadvertently led to questions raised concerning the credibility of LTA’s quality checks. Such was the case when the People’s Power Party (2016) demanded further clarification from LTA as to whether it performed any “due diligence on quality checks” for the trains in question before deploying them.

The LTA’s news release also attempts to alleviate any concerns from the public by asserting that there were no adverse effects of the hairline cracks, which were discovered during routine inspection, on operational safety. To substantiate this statement, the LTA claims to have sought advice from its engineers, as well as the contractor and an external assessor. To further show that the LTA prioritizes safety over deployment availability, the news release mentions that despite presenting no risk to operational safety, the defective trains are being sent back to the factory for replacement works. However, the discovery of such a defect only serves to show that there have been lapses in quality control, as these hairline cracks were found to be caused by impurities in the material used during manufacturing. In an interview, former Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation’s Acting CEO Samuel Lai Man-hay stated that these defects show that the “quality control of the entire manufacturing process” may be compromised (FactWire, 2016). Therefore, the LTA should have conducted more comprehensive checks so as to ensure that defective trains are not being hastily deployed in order to meet operational needs.

In conclusion, although the news release strives to show that the issues with the defective trains are swiftly dealt with by the LTA, it is important that the LTA continues to endeavour to maintain high safety standards. Commuters’ expectations regarding public transport in Singapore may have grown as a result of being accustomed to train reliability for over two decades (Tan, 2015), and the LTA must consider that the investment of resources into improving pre-deployment processes is more efficient in the long run, as compared to expenditure on corrective processes to fix a problem that could have been prevented in the first place.

References:

FactWire (2016, July 05). Secret Recalls: China manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 25 SMRT subway trains after cracks found. Interview with Samuel Lai Man-hay. FactWire News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.factwire.news/en/MTR-securetly-recall.html

Land Transport Authority (2016, July 06). Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service. Land Transport Authority Press Room. Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9-b2455f17a66c#_ftn1

People’s Power Party (2016, July 07). People’s Power Party’s statement on defective trains from China. The Online Citizen. Retrieved from http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/07/07/peoples-power-partys-statement-on-defective-trains-from-china/

Tan, C. (2015, December 24). MRT’s past ‘teething problems’. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mrts-past-teething-problems

Technical Proposal - Problem and Purpose Statements

Problem Statement:

According to CP 48 (2005), high level water storage tanks in high-rise Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats store at least one day’s worth of water to cater to residents staying at the upper floors in the event of a water supply disruption in the main supply pipe from PUB. However, residents staying at lower floors continue to be affected by the disruption as their water supply comes directly from the main pipe.

Need therefore arises for the implementation of low level water storage tanks with a storage capacity of at least one day’s water usage requirement, in order for the residents staying at lower floors to be able to draw water reliably even during temporary water disruptions.

Purpose Statement:

The aim of this report is to propose to HDB the construction of two water storage systems, which will be located at ground level. These twin tanks will be connected in parallel, so as to supply water in a similar fashion to the existing high level water storage tanks while maintaining redundancy within the water storage system. This implementation will minimize the impact of water disruptions and improve the reliability of water supply for residents.

(Superseded) Summary & Reader Response - LTA Article, Draft 3

Update: Draft 3 has been superseded by Draft 4 (posted 12 November 2016).

Summary & Reader Response for Article: LTA – Draft 3

In the news release titled “Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA, 2016) wrote that despite undergoing replacement works, the trains that have been in the media spotlight are safe for service. According to LTA, all new trains are tested before they are put into service. For the defective trains, immediate action was taken to prevent defects from resurfacing during train operation. Hairline cracks that were also discovered during inspection were confirmed to not affect operational safety. Nevertheless, to ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, all affected trains were sent back, one at a time, for rectification. Stringent checks were also performed regularly to ensure operational safety of all trains. However, although the LTA claimed to have exercised diligence and accountability in its corrective processes for the defective trains in question, there would have been no need for such action had it improved upon its pre-deployment checks.

The LTA’s news release suggests that it took well-planned steps to eliminate the possibility of future problems for the battery housing component by improving the housing design as well as engaging a different supplier. However, the news release fails to describe in similar fashion the steps to rectify the issue of the cracked draughtscreens. The LTA could have better described its “appropriate action” taken by including details, instead of leaving them to the reader’s conjecture. For example, the LTA could have released an official statement to clarify if it was the manufacturer’s installation process that had to be subject to proper review and revision or if it was negligence from the manufacturer, for the sake of convenience, that led to the installation error despite the installation process being reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, the omission of details such as these in the report may have inadvertently led to questions raised concerning the credibility of LTA’s quality checks. Such was the case when the People’s Power Party (2016) demanded further clarification from LTA as to whether it performed any “due diligence on quality checks” for the trains in question before deploying them.

The LTA’s news release also attempts to alleviate any concerns from the public by asserting that there were no adverse effects of the hairline cracks, which were discovered during routine inspection, on operational safety. To substantiate this statement, the LTA claims to have sought advice from its engineers, as well as the contractor and an external assessor. To further show that the LTA prioritizes safety over deployment availability, the news release mentions that despite presenting no risk to operational safety, the defective trains are being sent back to the factory for replacement works. However, the discovery of such a defect only serves to show that there have been lapses in quality control, as these hairline cracks were found to be caused by impurities in the material used during manufacturing. In an interview, former Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation’s Acting CEO Samuel Lai Man-hay (2016) stated that these defects show that the “quality control of the entire manufacturing process” may be compromised. Therefore, the LTA should have conducted more comprehensive checks so as to ensure that defective trains are not being hastily deployed in order to meet operational needs.

In conclusion, although the news release strives to show that the issues with the defective trains are swiftly dealt with by the LTA, it is important that the LTA continues to endeavour to maintain high safety standards. Commuters’ expectations regarding public transport in Singapore may have grown as a result of being accustomed to train reliability for over two decades (Tan, 2015), and the LTA must consider that the investment of resources into improving pre-deployment processes is more efficient in the long run, as compared to expenditure on corrective processes to fix a problem that could have been prevented in the first place.

References:

Lai, M. H. S. (2016, July 05). Secret Recalls: China manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 25 SMRT subway trains after cracks found. FactWire News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.factwire.news/en/MTR-securetly-recall.html

Land Transport Authority (2016, July 06). Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service. Land Transport Authority Press Room. Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9-b2455f17a66c#_ftn1

People’s Power Party (2016, July 07). People’s Power Party’s statement on defective trains from China. The Online Citizen. Retrieved from http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/07/07/peoples-power-partys-statement-on-defective-trains-from-china/

Tan, C. (2015, December 24). MRT’s past ‘teething problems’. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mrts-past-teething-problems

Knowledge Is Power - Writing Letters to Request for Information

Hola!

Being tasked to solve an engineering problem as a group is no small feat, and some background information must be obtained in order to accurately assess the current situation and propose a feasible solution. One of these methods my group uses to acquire this information is to write letters to experts in the field.

As the engineering problem we chose was in the field of Building Services, we wrote an email to Dr. Moshood, an Assistant Professor teaching SIE (Building Services) modules, to seek his professional advice. The full contents of our email are shown below.

- Ike


--------------
To: Dr. Moshood Olawale Fadeyi

Subject: Request for Advice - Domestic Water Storage Tanks

Dear Dr. Moshood,

I am Ike Domenden, a first-year SIE (Building Services) student. As I am currently in Brad Blackstone's Effective Communication class, I have been assigned to a group of three including myself and tasked to identify an engineering problem and propose a solution. Following a discussion with Brad, I was told to seek your advice as you hold a great deal of knowledge with regards to Building Services matters.

The engineering problem that our group has come up with is the issue of water disruption in buildings due to cleaning and maintenance works being performed on their respective rooftop water storage tank.

From what we know, water storage tanks have internal partitions to ensure water output is not disrupted when one side is undergoing maintenance works. However, the partition warps over time, losing its watertight integrity. As a result, isolation becomes difficult to perform, and the tanks often have to be completely shut off in order to proceed with cleaning and maintenance works, leading to water disruptions.

To solve this problem, we are currently planning to propose the replacement of said tank into two individual physical tanks to ensure that isolation can be done effectively, so that any works being done on one of the tanks will not affect the overall water output.

Our group would like to consult you and obtain some background information on water storage tanks, so that we can have a better understanding before we prepare our proposal. The main items that we require clarification for are as follows:

1. Does every building have only one domestic water storage tank that serves water to the entire building?

2. Are different materials being used for water tanks? What are the pros and cons of each?

3. Is it better for us to focus on a specific type of building (HDB Flats, Shopping Malls etc.) when working on our proposal?

4. We plan to record an interview with experienced professionals or any relevant authorities, which we have identified as HDB, PUB, BCA and the local Town Councils. Which of these should we request an interview from in order to get a professional opinion on this matter?

We would really appreciate it if you could share your expertise with us regarding domestic water storage tanks. Alternatively, if needed, kindly assist us to direct these questions to the relevant people. Many thanks!

Best regards,
Ike Domenden
Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering
(Building Services)
--------------


"For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers." - The Bible, Proverbs 11:14

(Superseded) Summary & Reader Response - LTA Article, Draft 2

Update: Draft 2 has been superseded by Draft 3 (posted 10 October 2016).

Update: Draft 3 has been superseded by Draft 4 (posted 12 November 2016).

Summary & Reader Response for Article: LTA – Draft 2

In the news release titled “Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA, 2016) wrote that despite undergoing replacement works, the trains that have been in the media spotlight are safe for service. According to LTA, all new trains are tested before they are put into service. For defective trains, immediate action was taken to prevent defects from resurfacing during train operation. Hairline cracks that were also discovered during inspection were confirmed to not affect operational safety. Nevertheless, to ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, all affected trains were sent back, one at a time, for rectification. Stringent checks will also be performed regularly to ensure operational safety of all trains. However, although the LTA claimed to have exercised diligence and accountability in its corrective processes for the defective trains in question, there would have been no need for such action had it improved upon its pre-deployment checks.

The LTA’s news release suggests that it took well-planned steps to eliminate the possibility of future problems for the battery housing component by improving the housing design as well as engaging a different supplier. However, the news release fails to describe in similar fashion the steps to rectify the issue of the cracked draughtscreens. The LTA could have better described its “appropriate action” taken by including details, instead of leaving them to the reader’s conjecture. One such example could be adding the arrival of a conclusion: whether it was the manufacturer’s installation process that had to be subject to proper review and revision or if it was negligence from the manufacturer, for the sake of convenience, that led to the installation error despite the installation process being reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, the omission of details such as these in the report may have inadvertently led to questions raised concerning the credibility of LTA’s quality checks. Such was the case when the People’s Power Party (2016) demanded further clarification from LTA as to whether it performed any “due diligence on quality checks” for the trains in question before deploying them.

The LTA’s news release also attempts to alleviate any concerns from the public by asserting that there were no adverse effects of the hairline cracks, which were discovered during routine inspection, on operational safety. To substantiate this statement, the LTA claims to have sought advice from its engineers, as well as the contractor and an external assessor. To further show that the LTA prioritizes safety over deployment availability, the news release mentions that despite presenting no risk to operational safety, the defective trains are being sent back to the factory for replacement works. However, the discovery of such a defect only serves to show that there have been lapses in quality control, as these hairline cracks were found to be caused by impurities in the material used during manufacturing. In an interview with former Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation’s Acting CEO Samuel Lai Man-hay (2016), he stated that these defects show that the “quality control of the entire manufacturing process” may be compromised. Therefore, the LTA should have conducted more comprehensive checks so as to ensure that defective trains are not being hastily deployed in order to meet operational needs.

In conclusion, although the news release strives to show that the issues with the defective trains are swiftly dealt with by the LTA, it is important that the LTA continues to endeavour to maintain high safety standards. Commuters’ expectations regarding public transport in Singapore may have grown as a result of being accustomed to train reliability for over two decades (Tan, 2015), and the LTA must consider that the investment of resources into improving pre-deployment processes is more efficient in the long run, as compared to expenditure on corrective processes to fix a problem that could have been prevented in the first place.

References:

Christopher Tan (2015). MRT’s past ‘teething problems’ (2015, December 24). The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mrts-past-teething-problems

Land Transport Authority (2016). Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service (2016, July 6). Land Transport Authority Press Room. Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9-b2455f17a66c#_ftn1

People’s Power Party (2016). People’s Power Party’s statement on defective trains from China (2016, July 7). The Online Citizen. Retrieved from http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/07/07/peoples-power-partys-statement-on-defective-trains-from-china/

Samuel Lai Man-hay (2016). Secret Recalls: China manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 25 SMRT subway trains after cracks found (2016, July 5). Interview with FactWire. FactWire News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.factwire.news/en/MTR-securetly-recall.html

-------

Group Members for Summary Part:

Chris, Ali, Ike

(Superseded) Summary & Reader Response - LTA Article, Draft 1b

Update: Draft 1b has been superseded by Draft 2 (posted 28 September 2016).

Update: Draft 2 has been superseded by Draft 3 (posted 10 October 2016).

Update: Draft 3 has been superseded by Draft 4 (posted 12 November 2016).

Summary & Reader Response for Article: LTA – Draft 1b

In the article “Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA, 2016) wrote that the trains that have been in the media spotlight are safe for service. According to LTA, all new trains are tested before they are put into service. For defective trains, immediate action was taken to prevent defects from resurfacing during train operation. Hairline cracks that were also discovered during inspection were confirmed to not affect operational safety. Nevertheless, to ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, all affected trains were sent back, one at a time, for rectification. Stringent checks would also be performed regularly to ensure operational safety of all trains. However, although the LTA claimed to have exercised diligence and accountability in their corrective processes for the defective trains in question, there would have been no need for such action had they improved upon their pre-deployment checks.

The LTA’s article suggests that they took well-planned steps to eliminate the possibility of future problems for the battery housing component by improving the housing design as well as engaging a different supplier. However, the article fails to describe in similar fashion the steps to rectify the issue of the cracked draughtscreens. They could have better described their “appropriate action” taken by including details, instead of leaving them to the reader’s conjecture. One such example could be adding the arrival of a conclusion: whether it was the manufacturer’s installation process that had to be subject to proper review and revision or if it was negligence from the manufacturer, for the sake of convenience, that led to the installation error despite the installation process being reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, the omission of details such as these in the report may have inadvertently led to questions raised concerning the credibility of LTA’s quality checks. Such was the case when the People’s Power Party (2016) demanded further clarification from LTA as to whether they performed any “due diligence on quality checks” for the trains in question before they were deployed.

The LTA’s article also attempts to alleviate any concerns from the public by asserting that there were no adverse effects of the hairline cracks, which were discovered during routine inspection, on operational safety. To substantiate this statement, the LTA claims to have sought advice from their engineers, as well as the contractor and an external assessor. To further show that the LTA prioritizes safety over deployment availability, the article mentions that despite presenting no risk to operational safety, the defective trains are being sent back to the factory for replacement works. However, the discovery of such a defect only serves to show that there have been lapses in quality control, as these hairline cracks were found to be caused by impurities in the material used during manufacturing. In an interview with former Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation’s Acting CEO Samuel Lai Man-hay (2016), he stated that these defects show that the “quality control of the entire manufacturing process” may be compromised. Therefore, the LTA should have conducted more comprehensive checks so as to ensure that defective trains are not being hastily deployed in order to meet operational needs.

In conclusion, although the article strives to show that the issues with the defective trains are swiftly dealt with by the LTA, it is important that they continue to endeavour to maintain high safety standards. Commuters’ expectations regarding public transport in Singapore may have grown as a result of being accustomed to train reliability for over two decades (Tan, 2015), and the LTA must consider that the investment of resources into improving pre-deployment processes is more efficient in the long run, as compared to expenditure on corrective processes to fix a problem that could have been prevented in the first place.

References:

Land Transport Authority (2016). Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service (2016, July 6). Land Transport Authority Press Room. Retrieved from
https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9-b2455f17a66c#_ftn1

People’s Power Party (2016). People’s Power Party’s statement on defective trains from China (2016, July 7). The Online Citizen. Retrieved from
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/07/07/peoples-power-partys-statement-on-defective-trains-from-china/

Samuel Lai Man-hay (2016). Secret Recalls: China manufacturer for MTR secretly recalls 25 SMRT subway trains after cracks found (2016, July 5). Interview with FactWire. FactWire News Agency. Retrieved from
https://www.factwire.news/en/MTR-securetly-recall.html

Christopher Tan (2015). MRT’s past ‘teething problems’ (2015, December 24). The Straits Times. Retrieved from
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mrts-past-teething-problems

-------

Group Members for Summary Part:

Chris, Ali, Ike

Three Improvements to Make for This Trimester

Hej!

There are three things that I would like to work on with regards to effective communication.

The first and chief among them is to improve my vocabulary in order to use different expressions to convey my thoughts accurately.
The second is to use the appropriate tenses in various contexts, such as when referencing an article.
The third is to minimize verbosity in my writings, so as to make my statements concise.

I aim to see considerable improvements in these aspects by the end of this school trimester. To that end, I appreciate and welcome all feedback and discussion regarding any of my posts. Thanks in advance, and cheers!

- Ike


"The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be aware of none." - Thomas Carlyle

(Superseded) Summary & Reader Response - LTA Article, Draft 1

Update: Draft 1 has been superseded by Draft 1b (posted 25 September 2016).

Update: Draft 1b has been superseded by Draft 2 (posted 28 September 2016).

Update: Draft 2 has been superseded by Draft 3 (posted 10 October 2016).

Update: Draft 3 has been superseded by Draft 4 (posted 12 November 2016).

Summary of Article: LTA – Draft 1

In the article “TRAINS ON THE NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST LINES SAFE FOR SERVICE”, the Land Transport Authority (2016) wrote that the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) trains that have been in the media spotlight are safe for service. According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), testing is conducted on all new trains, including the Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang (KHI-CSR) trains in question, before they are put into service. For these trains, immediate action was taken to prevent issues with battery housing as well as cracks of the draughtscreen from resurfacing during train operation. Hairline cracks were discovered on the car-body bolster of the train during inspection. These were confirmed by LTA to not affect operational safety. Nevertheless, all the affected trains were gradually being sent back for modification. To ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, only one train was sent back at a time due to “time consuming and labour-intensive” rectification works. These replacements can be completed as early as 2019 as more trains will be sent back concurrently starting next year. LTA stated that they would perform stringent checks regularly to ensure operational safety of all trains.

TRAINS ON THE NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST LINES SAFE FOR SERVICE (2016, July 6). In LTA news page. Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9-b2455f17a66c#_ftn1

Group Members for Summary Part:

Chris, Ali, Ike

Reader Response to Article: LTA – Draft 1

While the LTA was seen to exercise diligence and accountability in their corrective processes for the defective trains in question, there would have been no need for such action if they had improved their pre-deployment processes.

The LTA’s article suggests that they took well-planned steps to eliminate the possibility of future problems for the battery housing component by improving the housing design as well as engaging a different supplier. However, the article fails to describe in similar fashion the steps to rectify the issue of the cracked draughtscreens. They could have better described their “appropriate action” taken by including details, instead of leaving them to the reader’s conjecture. One such example could be adding the conclusion of whether it was the manufacturer’s installation process that had to be subject to proper review and revision or if it was negligence from the manufacturer, for the sake of convenience, that led to the installation error despite the installation process being reviewed and approved. The omission of details such as these may inadvertently lead to speculation with regards to the stringency and efficiency of LTA’s inspection processes in general.

The LTA’s article also attempts to alleviate any concerns from the public by asserting that there were no adverse effects of the hairline cracks, which were discovered during routine inspection, on operational safety. To substantiate this statement, the LTA claims to have sought advice from their engineers, as well as the contractor and an external assessor. To further show that the LTA prioritizes safety over deployment availability, the article mentions that despite presenting no risk to operational safety, the defective trains are being sent back to the factory for replacement works. However, the discovery of such a defect only serves to show that there have been lapses in quality control, as these hairline cracks were caused by impurities in the material used during manufacturing. Therefore, the LTA should have conducted pre-deployment inspections with greater scrutiny, so as to ensure that defective trains are not being hastily approved in order to meet operational needs.

In conclusion, although the article strives to show that the issues with the defective trains are swiftly dealt with by the LTA, it is important that the LTA continually endeavours to maintain high safety standards. Commuters’ expectations regarding public transport are increasing, and the LTA must consider that the investment of resources into pre-deployment processes is more efficient in the long run, as compared to expenditure on corrective processes to fix a problem that could have been prevented in the first place.

A Formal Introductory Email Addressed to Mr. Brad Blackstone

Subject: Introducing Myself

Dear Brad,

My name is Ike, and I am writing to introduce myself to you as a student in your Effective Communication class.

Having graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, I worked in the built environment sector for two years and eventually made the decision to further my studies in the Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Building Services) programme offered by SIT.

My goal for studying in this programme is to build up my technical knowledge as well as improve on my communication skills. My short-term career aim is to be certified as a Professional Engineer, and my long-term one is to be involved in and ultimately oversee projects for iconic landmarks, both local and international.

In my spare time, I like to watch movies, try new foods and cycle around Singapore to explore new places. I also play the bass, and am currently the bassist for my church band.

I believe that utilizing soft skills in my daily interactions will enable me to become a better person, and I look forward to learning more about effective communication from you in the coming classes.

Best regards,

Ike Domenden
SIE2016 Group 1


Commented on parallel posts in the following blogs:
- Alcina's English Language Learning Journey
- Iskandar's English Language Journey
- Masyita's Formal Email

The Importance of English to Me

Before taking up full-time studies at SIT, I was involved in design work and site coordination in an engineering consultancy firm. This meant that I had to liaise with both clients and contractors to make sure the project design brief was being understood clearly by all parties.

When I was first assigned to the project, I noticed that the contractor management team was made up of foreigners who were not permanently residing in Singapore. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I found out that the management team spoke good English, albeit heavily accented, and was able to facilitate our joint coordination meetings effectively. Many of the blue-collar foreign workers were also able to report on their works using simple English. After speaking with some of the workers, I learnt that they decided to pick up English via classes and books, as it would make communication in Singapore easier, which would lead to them performing their jobs more efficiently.

Through observing the actions of the contractors, I have come to recognize the importance of English to me. Though everyone in the contractor team may have come from various countries, each with their own native language, they had all understood the need to learn English to be able to seize global opportunities and work on projects in different countries than their own. They had also taken active steps to resolve issues regarding miscommunication and enhance productivity by implementing English as a common language.

Singapore is an interesting melting pot of cultures, where many of us come from various racial and religious backgrounds. As a result, I often find myself engaging in casual conversations with others using an amalgamation of languages, including Mandarin and Malay. English, however, remains one of the most popular languages in the world for communicating ideas and instructions, and thus it is essential for me to improve my command of the English language so that I can convey my thoughts with clarity as well as courtesy in the workplace in order to be more effective.

- Ike

Greetings - A Reflective Perspective

Guten Tag!

This blog has been created for the purpose of improving myself with regards to effective communication.

Besides being a hub for the betterment of writing skills through peer review, this blog is also a space for me to reflect on many things, ranging from retrospection to current events.

If you would like to have a discussion regarding any of my posts, do feel free to leave your comments. Cheers!

-Ike

"The more reflective you are, the more effective you are." - Author Unknown