Facility Management Companies Research Articles

Facility management in gated settlements: challenges in Turkey-Istanbul experience

ABSTRACT Over the last four decades, gated settlements have become widespread and managing them has become a controversial issue. In such estates, where homeowners’ associations are active in management, facility management companies (FM companies) and facility managers (FM managers) have become effective in providing professional support to private management. Parallel to this, the growing FM industry in developed countries has led to FM becoming institutionalised. However, unlike in developed countries, in Turkey, despite the existence of gated settlements around the city and the increase in the number of FM providers in these areas, institutionalisation has not been achieved. This has a direct impact on the management of gated settlements. The main purpose of this article is to examine FM practices, and their impact on the management of gated settlements in Istanbul, Turkey. The main method used to obtain data in the study is the in-depth interview technique. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with managers of large and well-known FM companies. The emerging issues are grouped under two headings: the failure of adaptation of FM and the nature of relationships between FM practitioners and others. The results show that the lack of institutionalisation makes it difficult for FM to gain legitimacy. Informal relationships increase, and the state is needed to regulate the system.

Development of a Campus Facility Management Operational Framework Using a Modified Delphi Method

An effective facility management process is crucial to overall firm performance and is becoming a core competency for organizations seeking to gain a competitive advantage. The recent literature on facility management reveals that poor facility management is a major cause of management inefficiency, leading directly to budget overruns, maintenance delays, repetition of work, variations, noncompliance incidents, unnecessary risk, and dissatisfied customers. Therefore, facility management firms should pay close attention to the most critical success factors in order to effectively manage and measure performance. This paper presents a multidimensional campus facility management performance framework (CFMPF) that addresses both operational and systematic factors. Facility management companies, owners, contractors, and consultants can use this framework to identify systemic weaknesses using key indicators to specifically assess the effectiveness and success of facility management. The significance of 45 key facility management success factors across seven categories was determined via a literature review, expert interviews, and the Delphi method. The seven process groups are: Campus Facility Work Force Management, Campus Facility Communication Management, Campus Facility Systems Management, Campus Facility Organizational Management, Campus Facility Financial Management, Campus Sustainability & Environment Management, and Campus Facility Assets Management. To verify the overall agreement via the Delphi rounds, the score percentage and standard deviation to mean ratio were examined. Mean value and interrater agreement (IRA) analyses were conducted to evaluate the correlation between the factors and facility performance. This research adds to the body of knowledge by presenting a systematic operational framework for campus facility management that identifies the underlying factors influencing performance and fills the gaps left by previous studies.

Perspective towards the Perceived Benefits and Challenges on Building Information Modelling - Facility Management (BIM-FM) Integration at an Early Stage of BIM Projects

Building information modelling (BIM) is the most recent facility management (FM) technology adopted in Malaysia. However, management and information technology (IT) system improvements are required for the adoption of this technology. Incorporating BIM and FM at an early stage of a project has the potential to yield significant benefits but may also increase project risk. Through a survey, this study aims at investigating the prospective benefits and challenges of BIM-FM integration in the early phases of a BIM project. 109 (55.6%) of the 196 facility management companies in Klang Valley answered a questionnaire survey that was sent to them. To determine the perceived benefits and obstacles of the integrated BIM-FM process, mean scores and standard deviations were computed. As a result, respondents perceived positively that integrating BIM-FM in the early phase of the BIM project will increase performance, improve collaboration and communication, increase FM business values, and reduce costs and time. In the meantime, all respondents agreed that organizational, process and technological factors influence the early adoption of BIM-FM integration in the Malaysian construction industry. This study substantially contributes to the current understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of BIM-FM integration in the early stages of BIM projects in Malaysia.

It's not just technical - Socio-technical challenges to the efficient operation of commercial office buildings

Facility management companies are the primary agents that mediate between building systems and users. As such, the impact of the socio-technical aspects within facility management companies can play a central role in operational energy management. In this study, we conducted and analyzed individual interviews with 11 building management professionals across two facility management companies. Participants included management, energy analysts, and building operator personnel, collectively working on eight commercial office buildings. Our interviews aimed to answer three research questions: (1) How is improving OE viewed, prioritized, and incentivized within the two FM organizations? (2) How are the current building settings and sequences of operations determined and documented by these FM companies? (3) What tools are used by these FM companies to analyze energy when making operational decisions? Using the results from our interviews and existing challenges identified in the literature, we identify nine primary challenges faced by these organizations and provide nine recommendations aimed at the industry. The recommendations cover organizational challenges, contracts with outside stakeholders, implementing sensors and tools, and the development of future tools. The diversity of the recommendations highlights the need for socio-technical analysis of facilities management companies and contributes to a growing body of this type of research.

Maintenance and Climate Impact – A Study of the Practice for Private Rented Out Housing Estates

The purpose of the study was to investigate the practice of building maintenance in Facilities Management (FM) companies responsible for managing and operating private rented out housing estates and how considerations for environmental sustainability and climate impact maintenance strategies. The study started with a pre-study including a literature review and consultations with experts to define the specific scope. The main study focused on preventive maintenance and renovation and included semi-structured interviews with managers from six of the largest companies in the market in Denmark. The study showed that the companies are organised in a similar way with departments for operation and maintenance, for renovation and building projects, and for sustainability and energy. The companies all had high professional internal competencies and worked actively with 10 years maintenance plans. The most important focus for sustainability was energy. The companies were engaged in becoming more sustainable and this was also given priority by property owners but less by tenants. The currently increasing energy prices will without doubt increase the focus on reducing energy cost also among tenants. However, the climate impact of maintenance is difficult to measure and document except for the consequences of energy reductions and changes in energy supply. A main benefit of preventive maintenance and renovation is reducing the need for producing new building materials and thereby reducing the related effects on resource use and climate impact. The results can give inspiration to other FM companies in Denmark and other countries to improve the sustainability of their maintenance practice. The study identified topics for further research and development.

Adopting quality management (QM) principles in managing facilities management service delivery

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the quality management (QM) principles in facilities management (FM) service delivery for office buildings. This is to create a quality culture that will enhance the performance of FM service delivery towards meeting the users' requirements and needs.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative methodology via a questionnaire survey for the data collection. In total, 24.41% of respondents from the registered FM companies in Malaysia attended the survey. SPSS 27.0 was used to interpret the collected data, which were then reviewed through descriptive and inferential analysis.FindingsThe study signifies that customer focus, leadership, improvement, evidence-based decision-making and relationship management indicate positive connections with FM service delivery in ensuring a cost-effective working process and meeting both user requirements and legal and regulatory corporate compliance. There are 18 elements of strategic, people and structural barriers that may hinder the implementation of QM in the FM service delivery. Correspondingly, the five main key enablers suggested being teamwork and participation, leadership, continuous improvement, process management and resources and competency development-based enablers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted during the pandemic crisis with limited access and response from participants. However, this in-depth study was still able to synthesize the imperative QM practice in FM among FM practitioners in Malaysia.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into the implementation of QM principles to cultivate a quality culture that will enhance the performance and productivity in FM service delivery specifically for office buildings in Malaysia. Prior to this study, there was a lack of research pertaining to these two themes: QM and FM.

A virtual meter-based visualization tool to present energy flows in multiple zone variable air volume air handling unit systems

Energy data estimated by virtual meters provide operational staff with an opportunity to improve building energy performance. Interactive visualization of virtual metered energy serves as a tool that can be used to identify energy consumption patterns and gain insights that can support operational decisions. This paper introduces a novel interactive visualization tool that applies visual analytics principles in developing a standalone application that illustrates equipment-level virtual metered energy trends. Users can interact with these visualizations via a user interaction panel designed to support operational decisions. Interviews with building operation professionals in two facility management companies are conducted to gain insights into visualization requirements that would assist decision-making processes. The use of the visualization tool is demonstrated using operational data collected from a commercial building located in Ottawa, Canada. The data are used to train inverse greybox models representing heat transfer mechanisms in an air handling unit and a variable air volume zone. Optimal values for model parameters are fed into the visualization tool to develop virtual meters that estimate the heat added or extracted by the air handling unit and the heat added by zone-level radiant heaters. The virtual metered energy is presented through a visualization interface that allows user interaction via processes including select, filter, explore, and compare. The potential of the visualization tool for assisting decision-making processes and improving building energy performance is demonstrated through illustrative examples.

SMART TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FIELD OF THE FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Facilities management is a set of solutions that helps to minimize the time and resources spent on real estate management issues and to extend the service life of the building and engineering systems. Smart technologies, which are discussed in the article, can be used to make facilities management more efficient. Facility managment can also be facilitated by a mobile app, the operating principles of which are described in the example in the article. During the research was interviewed by specialists of one facility management company. The analysis of the survey results allows us to conclude that facility management companies that provide their services in Vilnius use smart technologies, caste helps to perform facility managment services more efficiently.

An overview of green HRM practices among SMEs in Saudi Arabia

Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as the driving force for businesses in the 21st century, as it is practiced by many progressive organizations globally. GHRM is considered as a source that is capable of gaining sustainable competitive advantage. For SMEs, it will not only provide impetus to growth but also a path towards sustainability. The current study intends to identify the most relevant aspects of GHRM, considered important by SMEs. Moreover, the study also intends to examine what should be the focal area among SMEs from the perspective of GHRM. The study is significant due to the fact that most SMEs lacks formal and full-fledged HRM department/activities due to financial and size constraints. The current study is grounded on the methodology of a multi-criteria decision-making approach, as without a scientific background and analogy, a sound decision making is not feasible. The current study utilises the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision making tool to support the objectives of the study. The data for the study was collected from the human resource managers/owners of facility management companies, based in Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Based on the results derived from analysis, the study establish the analogy that facility management SMEs in Saudi Arabia are least concerned about the “Green HR Acquisition” but moderately concerned about “Green HR orientation, Training and development”, and are highly concerned about “Retaining highly competent employees in green HR practices”. The implication of the study will be useful for mangers/owner of SMEs, and academicians.

SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT PRACTICE AND SERVICE QUALITY: CRITICAL REVIEW ON MEDIATING ROLE OF OUTSOURCING SERVICE PROVIDER CAPABILITIES

The increased demand for properties become part of the investment assets in Hong Kong. Facilities management practitioners need to face the challenges of proper maintenance and services to maintain the value of the property assets. Based on the literature, facilities management companies can benefit from the share of market strength through their service providers. Hence, with the increasing demand for quality services, facilities management companies need to strive for survival and maintain their business power in the industry. Nonetheless, literature shows that the service quality in facilities management is lacking. Past research put less attention in conducting a critical review of research articles related to supplier management practice in the facilities management industry. Additionally, the review identified a missing link of supplier management practice and service quality with the presence of outsourcing service provider capabilities as a mediator. The critical review outcome assists the development of a framework to link the relationships among supplier management practice, outsourcing service provider capabilities and service quality. This paper attempts to provide important supports for facilities management companies to capture the disposition of the company. For having better leverage organizational context by exploiting relationships with outsourcing service providers, this paper extends Resource-based View Theory into outsourcing and service quality context. Thus, this paper attempts to fill important gaps in the above contexts. Finally, this paper suggests several recommendations for future study directions in the area of service quality in the facilities management industry.

Evaluating the Growth and Evolution of Facility Management in Innovating Integrating and Aligning Business Strategies to Achieve a Competitive Advantage

The South African Facilities Management (FM) industry has seen increased operational strategy complexity from single-site contractors providing basic janitorial services to highly integrated and bundled FM service providers. Despite these major changes, very little research has been conducted on evaluating the effectiveness of FM in innovating, integrating and aligning business strategies to afford FM companies and their clients a competitive advantage. The paucity of research in this area motivated this study which aimed to evaluate the growth and evolution of FM in innovating, integrating and aligning business strategies to achieve a competitive advantage for FM companies and their clients. It is accepted that the business strategies employed by FM companies are a function of the internal and external environments that they faced with. In evaluating the business strategies adopted by FM companies, it emerged that the FM industry relies on established evaluation models that are designed for strategic management purposes, as the FM industry does not have industry specific evaluation tools. In this article, the concept of FM is defined and explained. The emergence and growth of the FM industry globally is reported on. Special emphasis is placed on the South African FM industry. Established business strategies and conventional wisdom is tested against the backdrop of an emerging South African economy, within which the FM industry is still in its infancy. An empirical study that was conducted with FM companies based in Gauteng (South Africa) to determine the impact of FM in innovating, integrating and aligning business strategies to achieve a competitive advantage is reported on.

Legal issues of organizing solid waste sorting in apartment buildings

This work focuses on one of the most pressing issues of today’s management of apartment buildings, namely the legal issues of organizing the sorting of household waste. We have summarized significant gaps and contradictions in the legislation governing the relationship between facility management companies or housing cooperatives or associations and regional waste disposal entities. This work provides recommendations for optimizing the organization of household waste sorting in order to ensure the interests of residents of apartment buildings are accounted for.

Implementing sustainable facility management

Purpose The development of sustainable facilities management (FM) practices requires active and integrated engagement of the FM organization. Building on a three-year research project (2015-2018) within Nordic Built that aims to strengthen FM competencies in the Scandinavian countries, this paper aims to list and document the challenges and barriers of implementing sustainability as identified by the Scandinavian FM practitioners who took part in this research. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds on the understanding gained from using an interpretive sociological approach and uses qualitative mixed methods to collect data from four workshops, group sessions and expert group discussions with a mix of representatives including owners, property managers, facilities managers, consultants, teachers and academics. Four case studies were completed of refurbishment projects implementing sustainable solutions; these encompassed in-depth interviews with the stakeholders, site visits, observations of meetings and gathering project documentation. The data were complemented by a systematic literature review on a selection of topics focusing on articles referring directly to FM, the sustainability of FM, ends-user and stakeholder involvement, energy performance and sustainability. The challenges and barriers identified in practice were compared to those found in the literature. Findings The concept of sustainability, and its different dimensions and implications, seems to be well understood now by the practitioners who participated in this study, who claimed they were able to provide the required solutions. What seems to be lacking, though, is the possibility of convincing the end-users, who are expected to operate and maintain the facilities, to act according to the standards that these solutions require. It appears to be easier to focus on the technical aspects than on the end-users’ behaviors. The practitioners reported a shortage of social competencies and tools to deal with the situation, and despite an increasing awareness of smart technology, they lacked solutions to engage the end-users in optimizing the facilities. Besides, not all FM companies were well equipped to face the challenges imposed by the sustainable agenda; the small and medium enterprises in particular seemed to be struggling to implement the different dimensions of sustainability. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this research rests in the chosen research approach as it focuses on the FM practitioners. The contribution of the end-users’ perspective is not strongly represented or systematically explored, but is identified as a new topic that needs to be investigated further to provide further insight. This study focuses on refurbishment and/or retrofit of existing buildings and the operation of facilities. The authors do not embrace the design phase or the construction phase of new buildings. Practical implications The paper underlines the need for frameworks and concrete tools to help FM practitioners to integrate the social and cultural aspects of sustainability. It identifies end-users, both in housing and in offices, as creating a bottleneck to the implementation of sustainable FM. To gain insight into this bottleneck, the authors suggest implementing a sociologically inspired method using an integrative approach. Highlighting such issues will mean that future research will be able to define further solutions for managing and maintaining existing and future built assets and fulfilling sustainability requirements by engaging end-users. This study also emphasizes the need to introduce these topics as part of the curriculum for FM education. Originality/value This paper provides an update on the level of the development of sustainable FM in the three Scandinavian countries. This is highly relevant for Scandinavian practitioners, but the authors consider this relevant for international practitioners, researchers, academics and teachers and developers as well. Practitioners and researchers are invited to join in these efforts to explore how to find practical frameworks, tools, policies and instruments and new services that will improve sustainable FM practices.

IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION

Historically, U.S. contractors have a successful track record in international markets. They built that track record by bringing advanced technologies and applying efficient project management methodologies to projects. According to ENR data from the early 1980s to early 2008, U.S. contractors led the international construction arena. However, starting from 2009, Chinese construction firms lead the international construction with increasing revenue volume. The study analyzes the U.S. construction firms’ competitiveness in international markets between 1980 and 2017. The results of the analysis indicate that the U.S. contractors need to be competitive in creative financing. Creating joint ventures from companies that are active in Middle East, and Asia can improve the U.S. activities in those markets. To improve capabilities in delivering full-cycle services, U.S. construction companies can acquire facilities management companies. Involvement in emerging delivery methods and contracts such as build-operate-transfer, design-build-finance-maintain-operate, and public-private-partnerships can improve the competitiveness of U.S. contractors in international markets.

A study on the adaptive approach to technology-driven enhancement of multi-scenario business processes

PurposeProcess-oriented organizations are compelled to be innovative and continuously implement changes to meet customer requirements and gain a competitive advantage in accordance with the business process management approach. In the digital age, organizations develop business process support systems using agile methods and introduce adaptation skills in order to support their core business. Seamlessly integrating both practices into a coherent and practically applicable solution supporting multi-scenario processes infallibly remains a challenge. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe workshops identifying the key issues in an international capital group that consolidates facility management companies, as well as a related research review, have fueled a two-cycled Canonical Action Research (CAR) study.FindingsThe paper extends the current understanding of IT-enabled agility, proposing an adaptively improved infrastructure with a catalog of digital options that facilitates the composition of multi-scenario business processes.Research limitations/implicationsThe CAR was limited to the members of management board and the managers constituting the focus groups. The agile business process management (ABPM) model proposed focuses on adding novel functionalities/building new processes, leaving functionality lifecycle out-of-scope. ABPM empirical validation is limited to a single business/technical case.Practical implicationsReal-life solution for supporting dynamic business processes was delivered, as rigid IT solutions do not support quick assembly of customized business processes with abundant number of scenarios. The infrastructure enables composition of customer-tailored services based on re-usable digital options directory as well as enhances business process discrepancies/software bugs detection, reducing the cost of maintaining IT infrastructure for entire customer portfolio. A number of issues resulting from building IT solutions within a series of isolated projects with no coherent overall development strategy are mitigated.Originality/valueThe ABPM acts as a reference model for focusing on developing critical functionalities and limiting resources consumed by redundant features.

Outsourced property management: the regulations of the property manager

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify factors on property management level for analysing incentives for an effective property management in an outsourced setting.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on an interview study of a set of three real estate-owning companies and their contracted facility management companies’ property management teams.FindingsThe study concludes that the property manager within the facility management company is highly controlled by the contract between the real estate owner and the facility management company. However, this contract does risk the individual property manager to prioritise the wrong work tasks as she/he has to know exactly what to prioritise in each contract and consider in whose interest she/he performs each task, the real estate owner, her/him employer or the tenants.Research limitations/implicationsThe research in this paper is limited to Swedish commercial real estate sector.Practical implicationsThe insight in the paper is regarding how real estate owners create incentives for the facility management companies’ property management organisation and how that are perceived by the individual property manager.Originality/valueIt provides an insight regarding how the commercial real estate industry prioritises different work tasks and how incentives are created to enable effort.

Developing facilities management (FM) competencies for Malaysia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the significance of facilities management (FM) competency levels from three different stages, namely, strategic, tactical and operational levels, to propose a set of FM competencies for an enhanced FM industry in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe overall focus for this paper is to discuss on the area for each level of competencies for asset and facilities management (AFM). This is done through a questionnaire survey focusing on the competency areas posed by FM companies in Malaysia and a comparison review of all FM levels as outlined by the international professional bodies, namely, International Facility Management Association, British Institute of Facilities Management and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. This paper also looks at formulating a holistic framework for an effective AFM for the benefit of FM industry in general and Malaysian FM industry specifically.FindingsThe findings indicate that among the significant factors for the respective strategic, tactical and operational practice of FM are strategic: managing change, benchmarking and strategic facilities planning; tactical: risk management, emergency preparedness, FM technology, service-level agreement and supply management; and operational: space planning and management. This study also proposes a set of holistic FM competency areas which can be implemented by the FM industry in Malaysia.Originality/valueThis research sets a baseline for a set of FM competencies, an area of FM which has not been regulated in the FM practice in Malaysia.

Comparative Analysis of Newly-Built Housing Quality in Poland and Lithuania

Abstract The Presented research aims to analyze the Lithuanian and Polish housing markets in terms of the quality of life in new residential buildings. The article presents the concept of customer satisfaction in construction and criteria that define the quality of dwellings; the benefits, consequences, merits and demerits of the assessment of customer satisfaction are also named. A survey of customer satisfaction helps to evaluate the quality of dwellings according to their technical and functional parameters, as well as the degree of cooperation between customers and developers/contractors. The customer satisfaction index (CSI) was calculated for both countries. The results are useful for developers, contractors, facility management companies and building users.

Employee’s perspective towards strategy execution in facility management in Thailand

Purpose There is limited empirical research that investigates issues related to strategy and its execution in facility management (FM) business especially in Thailand. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the execution of the strategy of FM companies located in Thailand from employees’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative research approach. Five FM companies, both foreign and Thai firms, were selected as case studies in this research because of information accessibility and their leading position and reputation in the FM industry in Thailand. The interviews were conducted with the companies’ Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), directors, managers, officers, engineers, technicians and administrators. Findings The findings indicate that communication, training and development, as well as reward and recognition, are the three main and critical factors in executing the company’s strategy from the employees’ perspective in the FM business. Social implications This study suggests that strategy execution should be built upon a long-term relationship with employees, and company management should recognize the employees’ contribution to the company. Management should also raise employees’ knowledge and understanding of the execution of the company strategy. Originality/value This paper provides an enhanced understanding of employees’ perspective toward strategy execution in the FM business. It offers a basis for further study of human resources practices in the context of the FM business.

O PAPEL DO ARQUITETO EM EMPREENDIMENTOS DESENVOLVIDOS COM A TECNOLOGIA BIM E AS HABILIDADES QUE DEVEM SER ENSINADAS NA UNIVERSIDADE

Este artigo discute o papel do arquiteto em empreendimentos desenvolvidos com tecnologia de Modelagem da Informação da Construção (Building Information Modeling – BIM). O objetivo do estudo é identificar as competências ligadas ao BIM requeridas desse profissional e o apontamento de quais devem ser ensinadas na graduação, especialmente no ensino de projeto de arquitetura. Inicialmente, é apresentada a atual situação da implementação de BIM por empresas do setor de Arquitetura, Engenharia Civil, Construção e Facility Management (AEC/FM) no Brasil. Em seguida, é apresentado um modelo teórico para um fluxo de trabalho BIM que pode ser adaptado para ser utilizado no Brasil. Tendo como base esse fluxo, que se divide em oito etapas, o papel do arquiteto é discutido, assim como as novas competências requeridas desse profissional. Adicionalmente, o currículo de arquitetura é discutido para saber em quais disciplinas o BIM pode ser introduzido e quais conteúdos deveriam ser ensinados. O estudo se baseou em revisão da literatura, com a qual foi possível conhecer o que muda no ensino de projeto de arquitetura com o uso de BIM.