Facilities Management Industry Research Articles

Facility management knowledge development in Malaysia

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to clarify recent research on knowledge development in Facility Management (FM); identify types of knowledge and its degree of importance in the FM field within the Malaysian environment; and how does it benefit Hospitality Management (HM) in terms of managerial competency.Design/methodology/approach– The nature of this study is quantitative. Data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to various practitioners in the FM field in the private sector and government sector in Malaysia.Findings– The analysis results support that all types of knowledge, which was considered important, are required to develop a conceptual model of training syllabus for an intensive training program. The analysis results will be discussed in the context of hospitality management. In addition, a decision-making tree model was created to facilitate the training program in the future with the aim of developing a competency model.Research limitations/implications– Most of the participants have experience with the FM field. Future research is recommended to include the conceptual model of training syllabus in analysis information relating to managers directly involved with the orientation of HM.Originality/value– This paper presents a quantitative survey regarding the importance of knowledge in the FM industry in Malaysia and generally discusses the link between FM and Hospitality managerial competency. Further, this research delivers useful information for FM and HM managers who intend to further develop the practical training program based on the proposed decision-making tree model.

Modelling the impact of outsourcing decisions on facilities management service-level performance: a case of Nigeria’s public hospitals

The evolving trends within the facilities management (FM) domain over the past decades mean that it is becoming increasingly complex while the interrelationship between FM services provision and the decision to outsource has added more pressure to the issue of strategic decision management in FM. Using data from Nigeria’s public hospitals, a developed conceptual model is tested in an attempt to understand the underlying attributes of outsourcing decisions and their links to FM services performance. The hypothesized model employs structural equation modelling (SEM) methodology to examine the relationships between five latent constructs of the outsourcing decision and their relative impact on FM services performance. Findings reveal that quality consideration is one of the most significant drivers impacting on service performance of FM services in hospitals. What is surprising, however, is the rejection of the proposition that strategy-related factors impact on service-level performance while social factors do not have a significant impact on service-level performance. It is hoped that these findings will contribute to the current methodological literature on the use of SEM for analysing complex interactions within the FM industry domain while they will avail practitioners of the key components of the outsourcing decision that are having the most significant impact on service performance.

Case Study of Facility Performance and User Requirements in the University of Malaya Research and Development Building

AbstractThe facilities management industry is growing fast due to the increasing importance of quality, value for money, and effective utilization of the workplace. However, the implementation and development of facilities management in Malaysia has been relatively slow due to a lack of understanding and education. The aim of this study is to identify the perception of user requirements toward building facilities in the University of Malaya research and development building known as Wisma R&D. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from the respondents. This study finds that the building users were satisfied with the performance requirement and facilities in the building. Statistically it shows that the 26 building performance requirements have a significant relationship with building user overall satisfaction. It is generally hoped that this study benefits the parties who are involved in the building construction industry, namely designers, engineers, developers, and facility managers.

An empirical study of the complexity of requirements management in construction projects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate in-depth the current approach of managing client requirements in construction and to highlight the significant factors, which contribute to the complexity of managing the requirements in order to define a better approach. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of a leading international global built asset and engineering consultancy organization was conducted over two years. The case study was conducted principally using semi-participant observations supplemented with other qualitative data collection methods (i.e. interviews, questionnaires and document analysis). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings – The results highlight major factors associated with the complexity of managing client requirements information, which include: mechanisms for documentation, storage and access, distribution of requirements information between stakeholders and across lifecycle phases of a project, traceability management and the provision of effective change management incorporating dependency checking and impact analysis. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of the research is the use of an in-depth study of a single organization, which applied the same project management method across all the projects they managed. Further work is planned to develop the proposed framework fully, and develop a software platform to operationalize and evaluate its industrial applicability with construction projects. Practical implications – The implications of this research is that a better approach to managing requirements information is needed, which will facilitate the design, construction and operations of buildings within budget and time. An integrated framework and an associated tool are suggested to implement the approach. Originality/value – This study identifies major research gaps and problems in the architecture, engineering, construction and facilities management industry; proposes and presents Electronic Requirements Information Management framework to facilitate lifecycle management of the requirements.

Facilities management in Malaysia

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to understand the facilities management (FM) industry in Malaysia, looking at the development and focus in the industry in contrast with other countries where the FM industry is mature. The paper also focuses on the development hierarchy and initiatives taken by the Malaysian Government regarding public service in FM.Design/methodology/approach– The study adopts a mixed method approach. The first method used is an FM literature review; this is followed by a survey of Malaysian FM practitioners, which also acts as a preliminary study for this research.Findings– The paper proposes a set of elements in understanding FM development in Malaysia. These are categorised into seven key factors: level of growth, practice, service, profession, opportunities, demands and challenges.Research limitations/implications– The preliminary survey was carried out to ascertain the research gap and viability of the study. Although there was a participation constraint, it is believed that the responses have contributed significantly in indicating the way forward for this research.Practical implications– There is a lack of FM studies in the Malaysian context, which limits the knowledge and exploration of the research scope. This study gives more opportunities for future researchers to embark on research in this area.Originality/value– The paper gives comprehensive key factors defining development or progress of the FM industry in Malaysia. A further study exploring the element of FM service performance will be conducted based on a case study methodology.

KPIs for facility's performance assessment, Part I: identification and categorization of core indicators

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the previously established list of key performance indicators (KPIs), to identify and categorize the core performance indicators that are measurable and quantifiable. Design/methodology/approach – A literature-based qualitative approach is adopted for accumulating desired information on identifying and categorizing the core indicators. The list of KPIs established in an earlier paper is narrowed down considering the future research needs suggested by the literature. Findings – The quantifiable and measurable core indicators are identified and categorized in the form of a list. The core indicators are defined and the variables required to quantify them are described by citing peer-reviewed literature. Research limitations/implications – This paper represents the first step toward establishing a relevant list of quantifiable and measurable core KPIs. Future research papers could emphasize derivation of mathematical expressions for determining the identified core KPIs and validating these KPIs using simulation of real building data. Practical implications – The need to establish a concise and relevant list of quantifiable and measurable KPIs that could express more than one type of information about a facility's performance is identified in this paper. This paper presents and describes a narrowed down list of core KPIs, which could be utilized by facility management industry professionals while performing a holistic performance assessment. Originality/value – This paper provides a list of core KPIs that could express more than one aspect of a facility's performance and that is measurable and quantifiable.

The Implementation of Performance Measurement System (PMS): Malaysian Facilities Management (FM) Industry

Performance Measurement System (PMS) is an effective performance measurement tool and technique that is being widely implemented in the global industries. Literature has suggested the significant contributions of its implementation in enhancing the strategic service delivery and performance. However, there is little study undertaken to explore the PMS implementation in Facilities Management (FM) industry, particularly focusing on Malaysia. This study explores the PMS practice among FM practitioners and their knowledge in Performance Measurement (PM) generally. Findings from this study also proposed the 20 contributing factors that the FM practitioners believed are the barriers in implementing PMS. This research also suggests the future research opportunities in developing a PMS framework that can be used as guidance for FM service delivery in Malaysia.

BIM-based Intelligent Acquisition of Construction Information for Cost Estimation of Building Projects

Construction cost estimation, which is normally labor-intensive and error-prone, is one of the most important works in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management industry during a project's lifecycle. With the development of information technology, it is expected that the efficiency and accuracy of cost estimation for tendering of building projects (TBP cost estimation for short hereafter) can be greatly improved if it can be carried out automatically based on the design results using building information modeling (BIM-based design results for short hereafter). One of the major obstacle to realize the automatic TBP cost estimation is the acquisition of the construction information (e.g. construction method, equipment), which are necessary for TBP cost estimation but often not included in the design results. This paper aims to establish an approach to identify and acquire the construction information systematically in order to facilitate the automatic TBP cost estimation based on BIM-based design results. First, the process of TBP cot estimation based on BQ method in China is introduced and the related specifications are classified. Then a typical specification for TBP cost estimation is analyzed to identify the construction information that are required in TBP cost estimation and a typical specification for the requirement on design detail fulfillment is analyzed to identify the construction information that can be obtained from the design result. Next, based on the above results, the construction information that need to be established during TBP cost estimation are highlighted and an approach to acquire them based on BIM-based design results are presented. Finally, the applicability of the approach is discussed. For simplicity, the scope for the analysis is confined to TBP cost estimation of concrete construction of reinforced concrete structures in this paper.

Drivers of customer satisfaction and relationship quality in system delivery projects

In a survey of CEOs of multinational corporations worldwide, becoming more customer focused, increasing customer satisfaction, and improving customer loyalty were among the primary challenges their companies were facing. Research has shown that increasing customer satisfaction typically leads to improved financial performance of various types. However, little is known about the factors that drive customer satisfaction in project management. This research investigates 3129 system delivery projects in the facilities management industry to understand how customers' perceptions of project management performance at the different lifecycle phases of projects are associated with customer satisfaction and relationship quality. In addition the decision-making role of the respondent as moderator is also investigated. The findings show a significant and positive relationship between customer perceived project management performance at the different phases of the project and customer satisfaction and relationship quality. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the drivers of customer satisfaction and relationship quality in complex system delivery projects. Future research opportunities are also discussed.

Mobile Laser Scanning for Indoor Modelling

Abstract. The process of capturing and modelling buildings has gained increased focus in recent years with the rise of Building Information Modelling (BIM). At the heart of BIM is a process change for the construction and facilities management industries whereby a BIM aids more collaborative working through better information exchange, and as a part of the process Geomatic/Land Surveyors are not immune from the changes. Terrestrial laser scanning has been proscribed as the preferred method for rapidly capturing buildings for BIM geometry. This is a process change from a traditional measured building survey just with a total station and is aided by the increasing acceptance of point cloud data being integrated with parametric building models in BIM tools such as Autodesk Revit or Bentley Architecture. Pilot projects carried out previously by the authors to investigate the geometry capture and modelling of BIM confirmed the view of others that the process of data capture with static laser scan setups is slow and very involved requiring at least two people for efficiency. Indoor Mobile Mapping Systems (IMMS) present a possible solution to these issues especially in time saved. Therefore this paper investigates their application as a capture device for BIM geometry creation over traditional static methods through a fit-for-purpose test.

Lessons from Using BIM to Increase Design-Construction Integration

Building information modeling (BIM) has started to become a common practice in the architectural, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC-FM) industry. The benefits of BIM have been recognized in the AEC-FM industry, and numerous design firms and contractors reported benefits of utilizing BIM in their projects. However, the potential of BIM technology to facilitate design-construction collaboration and to reduce the construction coordination costs, schedule, and request for information (RFI)s has not yet been achieved. In current practice, design and construction phases are not well integrated. Conventional practice is to produce a conceptual design based on no particular construction sequence, means, or methods. Construction knowledge must be deployed to support design. In doing so, BIM that is suitable for construction documentation at fabrication level of detail also can be exploited. The term high-definition building information modeling (HIDEF BIM) is used to describe BIM that is detailed and precise enough to create shop drawings directly from the model. Additionally, the use of HIDEF BIM offers the opportunity to examine construction sequence to produce a design that can be less expensive, save time, and be of a higher quality. This paper explores the benefits of utilizing HIDEF BIM and the lessons learned through a case study.

Learning Opportunities and Career Implications of Experience with BIM/VDC

AbstractThis paper aims to identify the impact of building information modeling (BIM), or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), technologies on construction education and the architectural, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) industry, as well as the career implications for a person proficient in BIM. To identify the impact of BIM technology, an extensive review of the literature on BIM utilization in higher education and the AEC/FM industry was conducted. In addition, the lessons the authors have learned from years of BIM practices were introduced to further identify the specific benefits and challenges of adopting BIM in construction and engineering management (CEM) education as well as in the AEC/FM industry, for both vertical and horizontal projects. Surveys also were conducted to measure the estimating time contractors would save with a BIM-based estimating strategy compared with a traditional estimating approach. The findings concluded that personal skill sets in BIM have ...

Understanding the outsourcing of facilities management services in Uganda

PurposeThis study is aimed at analysing the current procurement practice of facilities management services in Uganda, from which the growth of facilities management in Uganda may be projected.Design/methodology/approachSurvey questionnaires were carried out, along with self‐administered surveys.FindingsIt was discovered that although some organisations insource a number of facilities management services, the majority is outsourced. The analysis showed that the most popularly outsourced services are security and catering. The most common driver for outsourcing was the necessity to gain quality services from another organisation's expertise. For the organisations that procure services in‐house, the most common motivation to do so was the desire to control the service quality and response time.Originality/valueOne of the key conclusions drawn is that the facilities management industry in Uganda – though not officially recognised – exists in a capacity separate to property management. It is a field that shows steady growth in line with the economy.

Semi-automatic and specification-compliant cost estimation for tendering of building projects based on IFC data of design model

Cost estimation for tendering of building projects (TBP cost estimation, hereafter) is one of the most critical tasks in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) industry. However, it is currently both time-consuming and prone to error because of the working complexity and comprehending deviation caused by the traditional two-dimensional representation of design. The advent of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology enables a potential solution to these problems through the support of open data exchange standards such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard. This paper discusses the key issues for semi-automatic and specification-compliant TBP cost estimation based on the IFC data of the design model, taking TBP cost estimation for the architectural and structural engineering of the cast-in-place concrete structure projects as an example. A Chinese national mandatory specification for TBP cost estimation is introduced as a representative specification and is interpreted into a computer-processable format. An IFC-based construction product information model of TBP cost estimation is established. A general process map and the involved key algorithms for semi-automatic and specification-compliant TBP cost estimation based on the IFC data of the design model are formulated. The application of the process map and algorithms in developing a prototype BIM-based software application for TBP cost estimation and the results of applying the prototype in an actual building project in China are presented. This paper lays a sound foundation for developing BIM-based software applications for TBP cost estimation in China, and demonstrates a feasible approach to satisfying the similar requirements in different countries. ► A representative specification is interpreted into computer-processable format. ► An IFC-based construction product information model is established. ► A general process map and the involved key algorithms are formulated. ► A prototype of BIM-based software application for cost estimation is developed. ► Results of applying the prototype in an actual building in China are presented.

Change communication: the impact on satisfaction with alternative workplace strategies

PurposeCommunication is fundamental to the facilities management (FM) role within organisations; especially when the FM department is implementing changes to the workplace. This paper aims to present an evaluation of an instance.Design/methodology/approachA self‐administered online questionnaire was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The research focused on responses to satisfaction with the communication methods rather than reviewing the merits of alternative workplace strategies.FindingsFindings included the impact of communication on staff satisfaction levels, the need to provide timely and relevant information and communication via a range of mediums and the need to ensure there was opportunity to participate in meaningful feedback. The key findings are substantiated with existing internal communication and change literature.Originality/valueThe research highlights the practical importance of the need to improve communication within the FM industry and especially in change circumstances.

Organizational Models for Non-Core Processes Management: A Classification Framework

This study investigates the impact of different organizational models for the management of non-core processes in the facility management (FM) industry and seeks to suggest which is the best in terms of strategic and operative advantages and disadvantages. A literature analysis of the empirical evidence as to business process outsourcing and, in particular, as to the practices of the FM business sector has been carried out. The analysis has allowed us to identify a total of 11 organizational models that are a consequence of five different strategic approaches. A comprehensive classification framework of the strategies and organizational models on the basis of two dimensions is proposed: the organizational role of a non-core processes manager (called a ‘facility manager’) and the typology of non-core process/service providers. The framework enables the identification and the explanation of the main advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and to highlight how a company should coherently choose an organizational model on the basis of (a) the specialization/complexity of the non-core processes, (b) the focus on core processes, (c) its inclination towards know-how outsourcing, and (d) the desired level of autonomy in the management of non-core processes.

Effectiveness and equity implications of carbon policies in the United States construction industry

With an increasing American public desire to regulate carbon emissions from stationary and mobile sources, and with more states adopting renewable energy standards and green building codes as an effort toward green environment initiatives, there is an imperative need to evaluate the effectiveness and equity implications of using different mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions in the construction and facility management industry. After all, building construction and operation contributes more than one-third of the carbon emissions in the United States (US). However, the impact of emerging carbon regulatory policies on the construction industry is still unclear. This paper presents a carbon regulation based duopoly model to evaluate the effectiveness and equity of various carbon policies including emission standards, carbon tax, and emissions trading. An empirical analysis of the US housing industry is conducted to illustrate the impacts on the industrial production, emission reduction target, market structure, technology selection, and carbon cost allocation etc. The results encompass emission reduction contributions from large and small firms, the extent of carbon cost burden pass-through to consumers, changes in house price, industry output, and market share. Especially, the analysis shows the market-based mechanisms outperform the emission standards in terms of effectively achieving emission targets while maintaining a stable industrial production. To meet the 17% emission reduction target, a carbon price of $22.3 per metric ton is expected for construction firms. About 54% of carbon cost will be passed through to the end consumers at this carbon price.

Plane-based registration of construction laser scans with 3D/4D building models

With the development of building information modelling (BIM) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management (AEC/FM) industry, the registration of site laser scans and project 3D (BIM) models in a common coordinate system is becoming critical to effective project control. The co-registration of 3D datasets is normally performed in two steps: coarse registration followed by fine registration. Focusing on the coarse registration, model-scan registration has been well investigated in the past, but it is shown in this article that the context of the AEC/FM industry presents specific (1) constraints that make fully-automated registration very complex and often ill-posed, and (2) advantages that can be leveraged to develop simpler yet effective registration methods. This paper thus presents a novel semi-automated plane-based registration system for coarse registration of laser scanned 3D point clouds with project 3D models in the context of the AEC/FM industry. The system is based on the extraction of planes from the laser scanned point cloud and project 3D/4D model. Planes are automatically extracted from the 3D/4D model. For the point cloud data, two methods are investigated. The first one is fully automated, and the second is a semi-automated but effective one-click RANSAC-supported extraction method. In both cases, planes are then manually but intuitively matched by the user. Experiments, which compare the proposed system to software packages commonly used in the AEC/FM industry, demonstrate that at least as good registration quality can be achieved by the proposed system, in a simpler and faster way. It is concluded that, in the AEC/FM context, the proposed plane-based registration system is a compelling alternative to standard point-based registration techniques.

Implications of a sustainability policy for facilities management organisations

PurposeThe paper aims to look at the prevalence of facilities management (FM) companies having in place a sustainability policy, and to understand the link between a sustainability policy, company characteristics, and the application of sustainable business practice.Design/methodology/approachThe research method was a data analysis of 65 facilities management companies. Frequency analyses, multiple correspondence analyses and Pearson's χ2 tests were used to test the link between the company size, the presence of a sustainability policy and the implementation of sustainable business practice.FindingsThere is a link between company size and the likelihood of a sustainability policy being created in the FM industry. The research shows there is a link between the presence of a sustainability policy and the implementation of sustainable business practice.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the method of data capture, there are no perception research areas, so the reasons behind companies' actions are not known. This can be developed in further research.Practical implicationsThe research shows the importance of a sustainability policy in forming commitment to sustainable business practice, as well as highlighting areas where the FM industry is lacking in commitment to sustainable business practice.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to study the implications of a sustainability policy in the development of sustainable practice in the FM industry. It also develops the link between the characteristics of FM companies and the level of sustainable business practice implemented.

Integrated Sequential As-Built and As-Planned Representation with D4AR Tools in Support of Decision-Making Tasks in the AEC/FM Industry

The significant advancement in digital imaging and widespread popularity of digital cameras for capturing a comprehensive visual record of construction performance in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management (AEC/FM) industries have triggered an extensive growth in the rate of site photography, allowing hundreds of images to be stored for a project on a daily basis. Meanwhile, collaborative AEC technologies centering around building information models (BIMs) are becoming widely applied to support various architectural, structural, and preconstruction decision-making tasks. These models, if integrated with the as-built perspective of a construction, have great potential to extensively add value during the construction phase of a project. This paper reports recent developments from research efforts in (1) automated acquisition of as-built point-cloud models from unordered daily site photo collections and geo-registration of site images, (2) automated generation of four-dimensiona...