Matt Syal

Effects of Green Buildings on Employee Health and Productivity

We investigated the effects of improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ) on perceived health and productivity in occupants who moved from conventional to green (according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ratings) office buildings. In 2 retrospective-prospective case studies we found that improved IEQ contributed to reductions in perceived absenteeism and work hours affected by asthma, respiratory allergies, depression, and stress and to self-reported improvements in productivity. These preliminary findings indicate that green buildings may positively affect public health.

Emergence of green building guidelines in developed countries and their impact on India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of green building guidelines in developed countries and to analyze their influence on the evolution and adoption of similar guidelines in India.Design/methodology/approach – This research reviews the green building guidelines in the developed as well as the developing countries such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines for new construction (LEED® NC‐USA), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)‐UK, Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE)‐Japan, and LEED®‐India and further performs a comparative analysis of these guidelines.Findings – Based on the comparative analysis of LEED® NC‐USA, BREEAM‐UK, and CASBEE‐Japan, the characteristics that might have affected their current acceptance were identified. The catalysts and hindrances associated with the acceptance of LEED‐India in India were identified based on the comparative analysis of LEED® NC‐US...

Costs and Benefits of IEQ Improvements in LEED Office Buildings

Costs and benefits resulting from improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings are often hypothesized; however, the precise quantification of such costs and benefits remains a challenge. This research examined the incremental hard and soft costs of realizing IEQ improvements in LEED office buildings and related benefits to occupant well-being and productivity using a case study approach. Self-reported well-being and productivity data were collected by surveying employees occupying conventional offices compared to similar data upon their move to LEED offices. These pre- and postmove findings were analyzed using the life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) framework to calculate the potential economic gains of IEQ improvements to the organizations. The results indicate economically viable investments in LEED-IEQ credits and offers directions for future research. These preliminary findings may assist building owners/investors/policymakers in making better-informed building decisions towards IEQ improvements in buildings from the economic perspective of sustainability.

Framework of manufacturer‐retailer relationship in the manufactured housing construction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current customer relationship management (CRM) with regard to manufacturers and retailers in the US manufactured housing (MH) industry and to present an MH industry‐specific framework of CRM system.Design/methodology/approach – An overall CRM system was investigated through a questionnaire survey and interviews with industry experts. Based on the analysis of current CRM and the specific data collected, a framework of manufacturer‐retailer relationship optimization model (MRROM) for the MH industry was developed and validated trough the MH industry practitioners.Findings – MRROM describes the overall framework of an industry‐specific CRM solution for the MH industry and suggests a new paradigm for the MH customization process as a focus area.Research limitations/implications – This research only focused on the framework of optimal CRM system at the macro levels and an optimization model in the critically constrained manufacturer‐retailer relationship ar...

Framework of Manufacturer and Supplier Relationship in the Manufactured Housing Industry

AbstractIn an increasingly competitive marketplace, purchasing and supplier relationships are becoming a strategic function and a key factor for supply chain management in the manufactured housing (MH) industry. However, little research has been conducted in the field of supply chain management focusing on the manufactured housing industry. In this paper, key supply chain relationships and the critical issues in terms of supplier relationship have been identified, and a new framework of a supplier relationship management (SRM) called the manufacturer-supplier relationship optimization model (MSROM) has been developed. Specifically, the MSROM framework identified a variable supplier lead time, an inconsistent safety stock level, and a poor supplier evaluation process as the key constraints of the efficient supply chain performance. As a result, taking into account the supplier’s performance, a theoretical optimal level of safety stock was investigated and a new algorithm that adjusts lead time forecast wit...

Diffusion of green building guidelines as innovation in developing countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the ways of knowledge and application of green building guidelines and assessment systems as innovations diffuse in developing countries’ Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries. Design/methodology/approach – Building up on recent research on the India case, this study focused on Indonesia and Turkey and further studied “how green building assessment systems diffuse in developing countries”. A total of 110 experts representing individuals from private and governmental sectors from both countries responded to the conducted survey. Findings – Findings show insights to adoption of green building guidelines in developing countries, including their diffusion paths, barriers to their use and their applications. Additionally, the results are compared with the India case from the recent literature and analysed via the lens of the diffusion of innovation theory. Research limitations/implications – A random sampling of the AEC industries in dev...

Impact of manufactured housing component assembly redesign on facility layout and production process

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of the component assemblies redesign on the material handling costs associated with the facility layout and also, on the productivity of the assembly process. Component assemblies are the sub‐assemblies that are incorporated into the manufactured house as it progresses on the assembly line.Design/methodology/approach – Floor assembly is used as an example to demonstrate the impact of the component assembly redesign process. A step‐by‐step process of assembling a floor in the case study factory is described and changes to the process are proposed. The existing and redesigned floor assemblies are analyzed using the factory layout analysis models and the production simulation models.Findings – The proposed redesign resulted in a small savings of less than 1 per cent in the material handling costs and a substantial savings of around 20 per cent in the production time.Research limitations/implications – The work described in this paper is based o...

Expert knowledge elicitation for decision-making in home energy retrofits

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a knowledge elicitation strategy to elicit and compile home energy retrofit knowledge that can be incorporated into the development of an intelligent decision support system to help increase the uptake of home energy retrofits. Major problems accounting for low adoption rates despite well-established benefits are: lack of information or information in unsuitable and usable format for decision making by homeowners. Despite the important role of expert knowledge in developing such systems, its elicitation has been fraught with challenges. Design/methodology/approach – Using extensive literature review and a Delphi-dominated data collection technique, the relevant knowledge of 19 industry experts, selected based on previously developed determinants of expert knowledge and suitable for decision making was elicited and compiled. Boolean logic was used to model and represent such knowledge for use as an intelligent decision support system. Findings – A combinati...

Change Order Clauses in Standard Contract Documents

AbstractThis paper provides details and a comparative review of change-order-related clauses in major standard contract agreements. The information from the review is used to highlight the impact of the contractual agreements and their general conditions on change order procedures and pricing. The main categories of analysis include the change order process, direct and overhead cost items, and overhead and profit practices and percentages. Four sets of standard contract documents are reviewed: American Institute of Architects (AIA) A201-2007 and A401-2007, ConsensusDocs 200 and 750, Engineers Joint Contract Document Committee (EJCDC) C-700 and C-523, and Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) 2-2008/Canadian Construction Association (CCA) 1-2008. The comparative review points to the prevailing confusion and conflicts related to change order procedures and pricing among owners, designers, general contractors, construction managers, and subcontractors.

Role of Expert Knowledge in Home Energy Retrofits

The presentation of information to help homeowners make retrofit decisions has been identified as a major problem. While homeowners often depend on energy auditors and trade contractors as retrofit experts, information provided by them based on their knowledge, can be incomplete and even inaccurate. To the expert, knowledge is often implicit, usually committed to automaticity, and difficult to articulate. This research attempts to establish the determinants of expert knowledge in the home energy retrofit industry. Using literature review, Delphi, and nonprobability sampling techniques, 23 participants participated in the study. The findings identified key attributes of home energy retrofit experts. Based on these attributes, an expertise identification system, suitable for the selection of home energy retrofit experts was developed. The study contributes to understanding the role of expert knowledge generally and the home energy retrofit domain specifically and provides an effective metric for determining industry experts.