Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 20192

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Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark, Akademivej Building 358, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: facilities management; construction management; briefing, knowledge transfer; sustainable buildings; building renovations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The starting point for this Special Issue is the book “Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools: Research Results for Practice” (Jensen, 2019) edited by the Guest Editor [1]. The book presents research on Facilities Management (FM) since 2008 at a research centre in Denmark with particular focus on models, methods and tools applicable for practice. The research covered the following six themes:

  • Facilities that support users and activities;
  • Sustainability from goal to action;
  • Innovation and partnerships;
  • Transfer of knowledge from FM to building projects;
  • FM and added value;
  • FM organisation and development.

The book also presents five main challenges and processes for facilities managers and shows how the different models, methods and tools can be used to manage one or more of these processes. The five processes are:

  • Strategy development;
  • Organisational design;
  • Space planning;
  • Building project;
  • Optimisation.

This Special Issue aims to expand this research with further models, methods and tools of relevance to FM. This can include research with a practical application, but it can also include more genuine theoretical models, which can contribute to a deeper understanding of the field of FM. The research can be related to the mentioned themes and challenges, but it can also concern other themes and challenges.

Papers for the Special Issue should have a clear theoretical basis. Both conceptual papers and empirical studies are welcome. Related to the scope of the journal, a life cycle perspective on management of buildings and facilities will be favoured.

Reference:

[1] Per Anker Jensen (ed.) Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools – Research results for practice. Routledge, Oxfordshire, UK. June 2019.

Prof. Dr. Per Anker Jensen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • facilties management
  • working environment
  • sustainability
  • innovation
  • partnerships
  • knowledge transfer
  • added value

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 160 KiB  
Editorial
Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools
by Per Anker Jensen
Buildings 2021, 11(10), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11100490 - 18 Oct 2021
Viewed by 1850
Abstract
The starting point for this Special Issue was the book “Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools: Research Results for Practice” [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

26 pages, 751 KiB  
Article
Facilitating Building Projects’ Short-Term and Long-Term Value Creation
by Knut Boge, Amin Haddadi, Ole Jonny Klakegg and Alenka Temeljotov Salaj
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080332 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3556
Abstract
Real estate and buildings are some of facility managers’ most costly resources. Thus, knowledge about how to get the most out of building or renovation projects both in the short term and in the long term are of great importance for facility managers. [...] Read more.
Real estate and buildings are some of facility managers’ most costly resources. Thus, knowledge about how to get the most out of building or renovation projects both in the short term and in the long term are of great importance for facility managers. This paper investigates which factors are most important for building and renovation projects’ output or short-term value creation, and outcome or long-term value creation, i.e., the completed building’s effect for owners and users. Thus, the focus is not primarily financial and the buildings’ asset value. The study is based on a national questionnaire survey in Norway (550 respondents). Multivariate statistics (Principal Component Analysis and Linear Multiple Regressions validated with bootstrapping) were used to test the hypotheses. Short-term project management priorities, such as early involvement of technical contractors and FM providers, contract strategy and involvement of owners and users largely decide the qualities of the building, and thus the potential for long-term value creation. The most important factors for long-term value creation, i.e., buildings that facilitate the demand organisation’s value creation are the qualities of the completed building, project governance and involvement of owners and users during early phase planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)
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22 pages, 19496 KiB  
Article
Organisational Justice Analysis of Facility Managers’ Responses to User’s Post-Occupancy Feedback
by Abiodun Olatunji Abisuga, Cynthia Changxin Wang and Riza Yosia Sunindijo
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040144 - 01 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
There has been growing interest in how to foster collaborative relationships between facility managers and end-users to obtain user-centred post-occupancy data for improving design and user satisfaction. Despite this attempt, there is little understanding on how facility managers respond to user feedback and [...] Read more.
There has been growing interest in how to foster collaborative relationships between facility managers and end-users to obtain user-centred post-occupancy data for improving design and user satisfaction. Despite this attempt, there is little understanding on how facility managers respond to user feedback and its impact on user post-feedback behaviours. Drawing from theoretical insights from organisational justice, organisational response, and service quality studies and using a case study of higher education facilities in Australia, how facility managers manage user feedback to drive collaboration between facility managers and users during occupancy is explored. Various methods were used in this case study research, including document analysis, interviews, and observations. The research findings indicate that facilitation, timeliness, redress, apology and explanation, and attentiveness and efforts are applicable to facilities management (FM) services and could influence user post-feedback behaviour. Current responses to user feedback are not satisfactory, resulting in a poor relationship between facility managers and users that negates service acceptance and the engagement in a positive word-of-mouth. To foster more facility manager–user collaborative relationships in post-occupancy evaluation, and position FM as a service organisation, there is a need for improvements in current FM responses to user feedback and the effective management of user post-feedback behaviours. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)
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18 pages, 2190 KiB  
Article
Design Science and Co-Designing of Hybrid Workplaces
by Marko Lahti and Suvi Nenonen
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030129 - 20 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4408
Abstract
Background: Future places for learning and working are digitally and physically integrated hybrid environments. The archetypical context of learning is the classroom, and context of working is the office; especially in knowledge work. New information and communication technologies enable the spatial reconfiguration of [...] Read more.
Background: Future places for learning and working are digitally and physically integrated hybrid environments. The archetypical context of learning is the classroom, and context of working is the office; especially in knowledge work. New information and communication technologies enable the spatial reconfiguration of work opening possibilities for work to take place across multiple locations. This paper aims to explore how the conceptual framework of design-science research in Information Systems can be applied when the design object is a hybrid working environment. Methods: The case study method as a qualitative approach was chosen; because it involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. The empirical analysis of two hybrid working environments is based on Action Design Research (ADR)-entry points; where one analyzes two case studies stage by stage. By analyzing various stages in both case studies; one can identify co-designing challenges of hybrid working environments. Results: The results present four recommendations for co-designing of hybrid working environments. The use of hybrid working environment; the design of spatial solution; the identification of iterative processes; and the user experiences of presence and distance are significant. The Entry Point Analysis-tool can be used and further developed in analyzing and developing hybrid working environments. Conclusion: The results contribute to the tradition of usability studies. The usability briefing approach can be further developed by identifying the iterative processes inside the linear project management models. Additionally, design science research can find new insights from identification of the large stakeholder iterations more precisely. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)
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17 pages, 778 KiB  
Article
Searching for Flexibility in Corporate Real Estate Portfolio: Six Co-Working Strategies for User Corporations
by Natalia Echeverri, Tuuli Jylhä and Philip Koppels
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030115 - 14 Mar 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3648
Abstract
The increasing competitive pressures and dynamic user preferences have resulted in a fast-paced and uncertain business environment. In the face of these circumstances, organizations are looking into alternatives to incorporate flexibility to become more adaptive and responsive to change. In this line, co-working, [...] Read more.
The increasing competitive pressures and dynamic user preferences have resulted in a fast-paced and uncertain business environment. In the face of these circumstances, organizations are looking into alternatives to incorporate flexibility to become more adaptive and responsive to change. In this line, co-working, typically associated with freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups, has become a particularly interesting alternative in the market that has caught the attention of corporate occupiers. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify co-working strategies that can be implemented as part of the corporate real estate portfolio, in alignment with the flexibility demands of the organization. This nascent research topic is studied through 5 qualitative case studies including in-depth, semi-structured interviews with corporate real estate managers and related case documentation. The results evidence the different motivations that the organizations have when incorporating co-working in their property portfolio. As seen across the cases, organizations in different stages of maturity are implementing co-working as the main office location or as a temporary or complementary space solution, through six different strategies: (1) Swing Space, (2) Expansion Space, (3) Core and Flex, (4) Touchdown Space, (5) Testing Market, and (6) Temporary Projects and Staff. This research evidences that each strategy plays a specific role in the corporate real estate portfolio and implies different sources of flexibility that support the physical, functional, and financial flexibility demands of the organization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)
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14 pages, 255 KiB  
Article
Perceptions of Hospitality and Safety Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Brenda Groen and Hester van Sprang
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030113 - 12 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2782
Abstract
Entering a building is a ‘moment of truth’ and may invoke feelings of hospitableness. Physical environments and staff behaviour deliver ‘clues’ that may result in the experience of hospitality. The focus in a reception area may be on mitigation of risks, or on [...] Read more.
Entering a building is a ‘moment of truth’ and may invoke feelings of hospitableness. Physical environments and staff behaviour deliver ‘clues’ that may result in the experience of hospitality. The focus in a reception area may be on mitigation of risks, or on a hospitable atmosphere, with either a host or a security officer at the entrance. However, the division of tasks to either the pleasing host or the controlling security officer to a certain extent disavows the overlap between perceptions of hospitality and safety. This exploratory qualitative study combines a group interview with three managers responsible for hospitality and security in reception areas and Critical Incidents by staff and visitors (N = 51). Thematic coding was based on The Egg Aggregated Model and the Experience of Hospitality Scale. Results show that hospitality and safety are indeed two sides of the same coin. Usually people do accept security measures, provided that staff act in a hospitable way. A lack of security measures may seem ‘inviting’, but also decreases the perception of care for your visitor, and may cause uncertainty and therefore decrease comfort. A correct risk perception, flexible appliance of security measures, and a friendly approach connect aspects of ‘safe’ and ‘hospitable’ sentiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facilities Management Models, Methods and Tools)
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