Michael Pitt

Measuring the performance of office buildings maintenance management in Malaysia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key aspects of performance measurement for maintenance management of office buildings, in order to enhance maintenance service delivery.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method was adopted with the selection of five buildings as the case studies. In total, 1,230 questionnaires were distributed to the end‐users of the buildings.Findings – This paper proposes a performance measurement system that is proved to be practical and suitable to measure the effectiveness of maintenance service delivery of office buildings.Research limitations/implications – Future research could focus on developing a performance measurement system from a strategic approach.Practical implications – The proposed performance measurement system is anticipated to facilitate the evaluation process for maintenance providers, as it has taken into account the key elements of a maintenance management system.Originality/value – The outcomes of this research are significant in their ow...

Improving service provision through better management and measurement of customer satisfaction in facilities management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of a customer performance measurement system (CPMS) to demonstrate how facilities management (FM) organisations can enhance their existing processes for measuring the customer satisfaction of their service provision.Design/methodology/approach – Customer performance measurement in FM is the process of capturing, measuring, and improving the satisfaction of FM customers. A generic CPMS was developed that FM organisations can adopt to improve their existing service provision. The CPMS was developed using a mixed methods approach was adopted. An instrumental case study was used to test the CPMS. The case study represented what was deemed as a typical FM organisation in the UK. The effectiveness of the CPMS application was first validated internally by the instrumental case study. A series of collective case studies were then used to validate the CPMS externally, by testing a series of other FM companies in the UK to provide further underst...

Healthy workplaces: plantscaping for indoor environmental quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the indoor environmental quality benefits of plants in offices by undertaking trials using live plants.Design/methodology/approach – Using two offices in the same building, one with plants and one as a control, daily tests were undertaken for relative humidity, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Results were analysed to identify any differences between the office with plants and the one without.Findings – Relative humidity increased following the introduction of plants and more significantly following additional hydroculture plants being installed, taking it to within the recommended range. Carbon dioxide was slightly higher in the planted office for the majority of the trial, although there was an overall reduction in both offices. Carbon monoxide levels reduced with the introduction of plants and again with the additional plants. VOC levels were consistently lower in the non‐planted office.Research limitations/impl...

Understanding the outsourcing of facilities management services in Uganda

Purpose – This 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/approach – Survey questionnaires were carried out, along with self‐administered surveys.Findings – It 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 organisations 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/value – One 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 fiel...

The Influence of Facilities and Environmental Values on Recycling in an Office Environment

With rising costs of landfill and waste management for businesses, it is increasingly important to understand how to gain high recycling rates through self-separation by occupants in the office environment. Through a detailed case study approach, this paper shows that the office environment does have a profound effect on environmental behaviour. The findings indicate that with careful analysis, facilities can be designed around behaviour to encourage the highest possible recycling rates. The paper shows that a generalised system of recycling for all facilities is not the way forward. Different organisational cultures may foster different environmental behaviours and thus require variable facilities to maximise participation. The paper also reveals the causes of particular types of recycling behaviour.

Designing and managing the Optimum strategic FM supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to overview carefully selected existing literature to enable further analysis directly concerned with facilities management (FM) supply chain structure, components, strategic issues, challenges and risk. Following the key aspects of assembly, design and, most importantly, management of FM supply chain are explored so that a guidance design framework can be put forward. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the optimum technique that can be applied by clients and FM service providers where FM functions are outsourced. The paper initially defines the network structure of the FM supply chain and then suggests a conceptual model for making decisions about FM supply chain network at the strategy level. Furthermore, the paper argues for both supply chain design and for critical node micro management in a transparent supply chain environment with the FM acting as the strategic lens through which the focus of the supply chain is achieved. Findings – This paper pr...