Editorial

Citation

(2011), "Editorial", Facilities, Vol. 29 No. 3/4. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2011.06929caa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Facilities, Volume 29, Issue 3/4

This issue begins with a paper by Duffy et al. that is a thought-provoking consideration of how the reductionist approach (breaking things down into their constituent parts) continues to dominate our approach to workplace design. In contrast, the integrative process of design is fundamentally different in its outlook. However, the authors contend that the two approaches are indeed compatible. Based on two case studies from the pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare industries, the paper goes further in suggesting that the two approaches are complementary. It is encouraging to see that Facilities continues to receive the patronage of DEGW, one of the founding organisations of this journal and the facilities management profession.

Linking firmly to the reductionist “scientific” approach, the paper by Halim et al. explores an auditing framework for assessing the condition of engineering services. Adopting a socio-economic perspective, the auditing system is designed to help deal with the varied condition of plant and equipment. The resulting auditing approach should enable engineers to prioritise maintenance work required on engineering services, thus enabling a more rational approach to resource allocation.

In the paper by Forslund, the issue of performance measurement in logistics supply chains is considered. Given the amount of capital tied up in maintenance inventory, this presents a key issue for facilities operations. Specifically, the paper considers the “size” of the performance measurement system, measured in terms of the number of “actors” involved. Three inter-organisational performance measurement systems are considered in the paper (dyadic, triadic and supply chain) as well as the merits of the internal performance measurement approach. Based on a comparison of existing literature, the paper clearly identifies the merits and demerits of each approach.

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a widely accepted approach in developed countries, yet few studies are available from developing countries. In the paper by Adewunmi et al., a 29-item questionnaire is used to carry out an investigative POE in student hostels. The study shows the diversity of issues that are perhaps less common in the European of North American context.

Finally, the paper by Smith and Pitt examines the highly topical issue of plantscaping. Just how healthy is a plant-filled office? The paper attempts to provide scientific evidence underpinning the argument for the inclusion of plants in the office. Physical parameters including relative humidity, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured and compared with a control environment with no plants. Perhaps most encouraging from the results was the reduction in levels of volatile organic compounds. The office plants appear to be able to “mop up” VOCs, compounds which abound in office environments, and which are known to be the cause of ill health.