How to Make a Price Quote - Essay Example

Professional Issues and Ethics (First sur no qualifications like Dr. College Position in organisation Place of author A Professional Quote, the Implications. Issue 1. The quote must reflect the customer’s desired product, not something we have cooked up without discussion with our customer on their needs, and an analysis and interview would be a way to confirm that need. A quote must clearly show our company address, the actual quote broken down into component parts and describing those parts, at least briefly. Issue 2. The design must be suitable for the customer’s needs and as mentioned in Issue 1 after an analysis and interview we must remember the web site is for use by THEIR customers, as ultimately they are the ones paying for our work and they have an input to the design (if unknowingly). The design has to cover areas such as the approach to be adopted, the outputs from the work and the timescale (even if this is an estimate). The customer can sign off on the project then work can begin. This type of pre-project work cannot be hurried as it is the very foundation for the job and for the relationship with the client company, after all we want them to come back in the future. Issue 3. The web site must be within the law and the regulations for web sites, including: a. The Data Protection Act of 1998, which covers personal data held on a computer system, so a customer has to give their consent to any personal data to be collected about them for our client company, this must be encapsulated in the design. All data must be securely held, E.G. security controls against hacking or viruses must be in place. b. Computer Misuse Act of 1990, covering the area, in this case of unauthorised access to computer material, so nothing can be taken from the data collected from the client customer’s without them knowing it will be done, and modification of the contents of a computer is not allowed either. c. The Electronic Commerce Regulations (EC Directive) Regulations of 2007 covering areas, such as buying and selling online. Issue 4. It must also be up to the company quality standards, this will help to avoid failure of the project, most companies at least follow something like ISO 9001 which is written for a company quality system and will encapsulate the companies aims, organisation, management, etc. I must be committed to giving 100% to our quality regime. The quality must also include the web site is built to the correct rules and regulations, otherwise there could be a problem with an infraction of a law or regulation or being sued by someone. Relationship to Others in the Team. Issue 1. The team is the very centre of my working life, so I need to be very professional towards my colleagues and line managers. That means treating them with respect and giving my time where appropriate to their problems. By this attitude I will get assistance when I need it in return. In the ethics of the team I need to show honesty and integrity towards others, if I make a mistake I will say so, and I will expect others to do the same. Issue 2. I need to know or at least appreciate the legal areas such as the Employment Acts, Sex Discrimination Act or Industrial Relations Act, etc, if not in full then certainly how they pertain to my own role, otherwise I could unknowingly step over a boundary which could involve me and my company in an unnecessary lawsuit and create massive disharmony within the team. It could cost the company in time and money if such regulations are not followed. Issue 3. I need to communicate with the team, keep them informed about the work I am doing and know where they are on their jobs, so that if there are any delays or problems they show up sooner, not later where they could create a massive problem and delays. By communicating well I must be a good listener and appreciate a team member could well have a valuable input to the work. By discussing things at regular meetings and briefings we all stay together, so I will encourage team members to give ideas without being open to adverse reactions from others. Issue 4. The team must work together in harmony and in this area I need to help encourage people to get on, if there are arguments then they must be resolved, very often it is peoples very motivation that sets them against one another over an issue that can be proven as not really so important, they must be made to see that they are making a mole hill into a mountain, for this if they know I am already treating them with respect then they are more likely to agree a middle road. Issue 5. The team has to be aware there should be no project slippage they should not agree something with the client without first discussing it with the rest of us. A clients representative could ask for an extra or more work than was originally agreed but the problem is doing it could cause delays for others in the team, it is my responsibility to ensure if extras are needed the client comes to me only, then we can agree a new timescale if it is really necessary for them. Issue 6. I must ensure the team is safe in its work, this means they are keeping safe around the offices and not playing around in a manner that could cause injury or that they are building something for the web site that could be considered dangerous maybe flashing images which are not good for some people’s eyesight or add to their dislike of the site and put them off visiting it costing the client money and possibly a law suit against eye damage. My Own Work. Issue 1. It should be as good as possible, I must constantly strive to keep appraising my own work and confirm it is up to an exacting quality standard, it would be good to have other team members check out my work regularly to confirm it is OK, although their criticisms are not something I should object to. If I have my work appraised by my manager and there are criticisms then these must be addressed quickly. Issue 2. I must ensure my work is within the accepted company area for the particular job and that I am not going off on a trip of my own, I am staying with the team goals for this job and following the quality standards for such work in the company. It must be well thought out and to the agreed design with the client. Issue 3. I must follow all laws for the work and design of a web site, it must be legal wherever it is to be used if it is in Europe it should follow the European laws such as The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations or The Family Online Institute for their content description system. There are other laws for the USA, but not everywhere has the same laws or even likes for some content, so I must ensure if it is to be seen in somewhere my company has never done a web site for in the past, we have the correct design that will not offend. Issue 4. It must be remembered that the customer is not the final user of the web site it is their customers or users and so the quote must reflect the amount of effort needed to answer that problem and yet be competitive against the competition. (Hardin, 2011). The client must be happy that my design and support will keep their customer base or user’s contented. It is not going to cost them to re-engineer six months later when many people complain about a particular thing I have built. Testing at every stage is the answer to the problem, but it must be professional and a proven testing regime. Issue 5. The quote should show the pricing for each part of the web site build from getting a suitably named domain to services, such as payment to be made to our customer via credit card companies which must have a link to their payments pages, on the site. I have to ensure this is correct at the start of the project and then keep a close eye on it as the project moves ahead. The web site must be quoted including staffing, office costs and suppliers of any services needed from outside the company, then it is up to me to keep to these costings, and communicate changes to my line manager quickly and honestly. Issue 6. In my own work as in the team the project timescales must be reasonable for completion of the project. I must consult staff on how much time they need to create the web site or else the costs could spiral and my company will lose money on the project through lack of time, this includes the initial interviews and needs analysis of the client. So timing of staff, support people and any other overheads have to be given a time scale, also if the customer wants staff trained then this must be allowed for in the timing of the project as well. My Own Professional Development. Issue 1. I have to ensure my skills and knowledge is up to the latest in web site design and in managing others. I must take training when ever I can and do work to get my self in a good position when working on the training programme, so it does not interfere too much with my daily work. I should have some form of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) the best way of ensuring this will be to be a member of a body like the British Computer Society (BCS) which keeps up to date with trends and the latest skills needed for my work. I must also subscribe to magazines and other papers or online communications about my chosen industry. Issue 2. As a senior member of my team it is important to be able to keep my skills at a good level, even if I don’t do a particular job, I should be able to take over and work at it if needed as someone could go sick or have to stay away for a few days, etc. I must keep working with my line manager and try to ensure we have a good working relationship, not always easy with the amount of stress and time constraints we both have. Issue 3. I must manage people as well as anything else in my professional life so it is important I get good management training and keep up to date with it. the management of people and budgets is important but so is that of project management which is a very different discipline to line management as there are bigger demands on one’s time and skill level. So as in issue 1 here I must join a management body and read the latest literature to keep up to date. Issue 4. I must work at my team skills and improve them. The team is the most important part of the company for my actual work and its completion and so I must make sure I stay in touch and use the best techniques I can learn to help with this. Is there a way to encourage people I have not heard of before, could I get more motivation and interest by things like weekend courses with everyone, I need to learn about these things and get them working for me in the future. References Hardin, Stanley (2011) How to Make a Price Quote. 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