Determining the best options for facilities management (FM) service delivery in UK shopping centres

Abstract

There are a number of FM service delivery models ranging from in-house provision to total outsourcing, operating in the UK market. The portfolio of FM services and the range of options relating to the various combinations of service delivery have sparked many discussions and debates over the merits of certain modes of service delivery. Underpinning this circumstance, this research attempted to understand and explore how facilities management services in UK shopping centres have been managed and services delivered. This includes looking at how shopping centre managers determined the best options of FM service delivery in the shopping centres. As the research identified the dilemma of shopping centre managers, it aimed to develop an effective decision-making framework for assisting the shopping centre managers to select the best options of FM service delivery prior to the tendering process. This research adopted a quantitative approach to investigating facilities management services in UK shopping centres as well as determining the best options of FM service delivery. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the current practiced of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres. Apart from that, it will also investigate shopping centres managers' perceptions towards the factors and criteria in assessing the best options of FM service delivery. Meanwhile, in developing the decision-making framework, this research introduced the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as an alternative decision-making model as providing a basis of methodological framework for the selection of the best options of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres which is known as Facilities Management Outsourcing Selection System (FMOSS). The implementation and validation of this decision-making framework has been carried through the series of evaluation by using the pair wise comparison in the Expert Choice system and evaluation form. Those evaluations have been carried out by the selected shopping centres managers. The main findings of this research have identified that in UK shopping centres the current provisions of FM services in the majority are practicing outsourcing. In the meantime, the current options available of FM service delivery being practiced are single service contracts and bundled service contract. Based on FMOSS decision-making framework the results indicated that bundled service contract is the best option of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres. This is because bundled service contracts have resulted more in potential benefits and less in potential risks when compared to single service contracts. The factors that influenced the decision-making are favourable on cost and financial factors. Finally, this research has achieved the aim and the objectives of the study. This research has significance in helping the facilities management industry to understand more about the perceptions of shopping centres industry and theirs requirements towards FM services in shopping centres in order to deliver quality, innovative, cost effective and best in value services. A side of that, the FMOSS decision-making framework has significance in assisting the shopping centres managers in making the best selection of FM service delivery in shopping centres prior to tendering process; it is also provides the basis for a methodological framework for selecting the best options of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres and gives management of shopping centres an alternative approach to determine the best options of FM service delivery as well as improving their existing decision making process. This framework is identified as an original contribution of this research and would be beneficial to the shopping centres managers in making better decisions.