Carmel Lindkvist

Innovation in facilities management: from trajectories to ownership

Purpose – Innovation in facilities management (FM) is a complex process as FM is a diverse discipline. This paper aims to use innovation trajectories to explore this complex process through the introduction of a technology innovation in two FM services of security and workspace management. It also aims to consider the discourse of individuals within their trajectory to understand their positions toward the innovation.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐year case study was conducted and it was based in an in‐house FM department that was part of a financial institution. The specific methods used for the paper were semi‐structured interviews with key participants of the project. Critical discourse analysis was used to examine the data.Findings – Individuals who were involved in introducing the technology to the FM department were both internal and external to FM as innovation in FM does not happen in isolation to the organisation. Innovation trajectories were often intertwined or occurred simultaneously duri...

User-centered design for smart solar-powered micro-grid communities

CoSSMic (Collaborating Smart Solar powered Micro-grids) is an EU funded project aimed at developing a system for smart management and control of solar energy. The system must be relevant to a community of end-users and other stakeholders. Two processes are described here to contribute in meeting this aim, user-centered design and lean startup product design. We describe an iterative approach to the design of the system which incorporates these two processes and the impact it has had on results.

Pervasive technologies for workspace management

Purpose – Facilities managers have less visibility of how buildings are being used due to flexible working and unpredictable workers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current issues in workspace management and an automatic solution through radio frequency identification (RFID) that could provide real time information on the volume and capacity of buildings.Design/methodology/approach – The study described in this paper is based on a case study at a facilities management (FM) department. The department is examining a ubiquitous technology in the form of innovative RFID for security and workspace management. Interviews and observations are conducted within the facilities department for the initial phase of the implementation of RFID technology.Findings – Research suggests that work methods are evolving and becoming more flexible. With this in mind, facilities managers face new challenges to create a suitable environment for an unpredictable workforce. RFID is one solution that could provide facil...

Challenges and Opportunities Involving Facilities Management in Data Handover: London 2012 Case Study

There is an increasing interest of the usage of project data for the life-cycle with the evolution of Building Information Modelling, which promotes the incremental collection of data. This research considers the role of facilities management in developing data for handover at project completion by empirically studying the delivery of the London 2012 games. Eighteen interviews were conducted with project participants. Backgrounds of participants included project sponsors (client representative), delivery partners and facility manager professionals. Our findings suggest a number of approaches taken by a client for the transition of knowledge into the practices of facilities management. These approaches are 1) creating a culture for knowledge transfer in the project; 2) strategic knowledge transfer through guides and processes; 3) knowledge transfer through social interactions; 4) knowledge transfer through the representation of facilities management. There were a number of enablers identified that were aimed at progressing knowledge transfer into facilities management in the project to different degrees such as a transition phase for data handover of up to 6 months in projects. However, there were challenges that limited knowledge transfer as end-user links with the project came to an end with project completion. The contribution of this paper outlines how the client can involve facilities management professionals in the project through incorporating their knowledge during the data handover phase. However, this does not have to be one way and the implications of this study is that having a project representative after the data is handed over to the end user will further enable knowledge transfer from projects into facilities management practices.

Passing the baton? Handing over digital data from the project to operations

ABSTRACTFrom fieldwork conducted ahead of the London Olympic Games, we develop new understanding of how organizations hand over digital data from the project to operations. Prior research explains how practitioners negotiate meaning across boundaries in ongoing work. However, it gives little attention to hand-over, where one group disengages as another engages. We use the analogy of the baton pass in a relay race to articulate how hand-over requires attention to sequence, timing, passing technique and communication within a time-constrained window of opportunity. In our case study, the project delivery team transfer responsibility for sports venues and other facilities, and their associated digital data, to Games operators. We show how delivery professionals both project the nature of future work; and probe how meanings will be interpreted. They seek to extend the window to discuss and negotiate meaning with operators. Our study contributes to research on engineering projects and on the coordination of kn...

End user centred interactive software architecture and design: the creation of communities for a smart energy use

CoSSMic (Collaborating Smart Solar powered Micro-grids) is an EU funded project. It aims to develop both hardware and software which will include an ICT system for smart management and control of generated/consumed solar energy in neighbourhood communities. The creation process of energy monitoring and controlling of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) is described here. User Centred Design Workshops and face to face interviews were conducted with targeted neighbourhood communities in the Province of Caserta, Italy and the City of Konstanz, Germany. These workshops initiated the first part of the creation process and resulted in paper prototypes leading to functional and partially interactive hardware and software implementations. Thus linking the user to the technical development of the system. Furthermore a dedicated focus was set on the formation and sustainability of smart energy deploying user communities.

State-of-the-Art of Education on Solar Energy in Urban Planning - Part 2: Solar Irradiation Potential Tools in Education

This booklet describes an interdisciplinary summer school on solar energy in urban planning. Teaching methodologies and results are shown as an applied example of successful collaboration between teaching, research and practice, to serve as inspiration and encouragement for educators.