Search results

Discusses some of the strategic issues addressed in the design of an Internet system for two post‐experience courses related to facilities management. Covers the epidemiological assumptions relating to the Internet ‐ and how these fit with the requirements of the facilities management discipline. Invariably, Internet development in the UK university sector is perceived as “technical” and “non‐strategic” in so far as it relates to the broader learning objectives. Highlights the pragmatic and strategic issues that have been addressed in developing the Internet blueprint for the two courses and emphasises that an understanding of the learning objectives and associated learning strategy must precede any formulation of Internet solution. By doing so, the author hopes to provide an appreciation of the non‐technical “soft” issues that will ultimately determine the success or failure of an Internet solution.

This is the second of two papers looking at the use of benchmarking in the UK (the preceding paper appeared in the previous issue of Facilities). It looks specifically at the types of metric used to assess facility performance. The study is based on a survey of 25 of the top 100 UK organisations.

This paper describes a case study evaluation of an innovative educational facility at the University of Reading, designed by the American modernist architect, Rick Mather. The paper presents some conceptual concerns regarding “inquiry” based evaluation and advocates the use of “empathetic” evaluation currently practised in other industries. Questionnaire based approaches throw little light on the impact of building design on new workplace practices currently being experimented with in intelligent office buildings. Empathetic evaluation may help to redress this.

Examines the nature of the year 2000 date‐change problem and considers the implications for the operation of facilities. Describes a risk management approach which embraces both management and technical implementation. Emphasizes the need for clear understanding of what is meant by year 2000 conformity; how year 2000 conformity implementation should be managed by in‐house teams and in dealing with contractors. Highlights the level of understanding of the problem in industry at large and suggests a method for priortizing year 2000 conformity.

In this paper the author examines the prospect and benefits of remote building control. The convergence of Internet technology and building management systems is likely to transform facilities management. The paper explores the nature of this convergence. Information ranging from individual light sensor outputs to strategic occupancy data will be accessible to secure users on the Internet. The discussion considers what form this will take and some of the hurdles that need to be addressed.

Superlatives abound when talking about the impact of the Internet in business. Facilities management is no exception. However, simply becoming Internet enabled is not enough for facilities management firms. The Internet itself is undergoing a process of perpetual renewal. Firms already have Internet based systems that are obsolete. Systems have passed through a first phase of static delivery, through to dynamic delivery and we are now witnessing the emergence of intelligent delivery. This will result in an Internet environment that can be interpreted by machines (agents) as well as humans. This paper attempts to shed some light on this evolution. The author considers the groundswell of activity that is likely to take place as facilities management addresses the virtual value chain as well as the physical value chain. The discussion in the paper is based in the research explored in a forthcoming book Net Gain in Construction.

The emergence of intelligent buildings is likely to impose significant demands on facilities managers into the twenty‐first century. Whether we choose the term intelligent or not, building intelligence permeates through every feature of the modern building. The capabilities of the facilities management team are tested not only in terms of their technological know‐how. Perhaps more importantly it is technological uncertainty and organizational change which are likely to demand more sophisticated approaches to building design, procurement, project management, team working and operations management. The work environment that the modern building facilitates is undergoing a transformation. There is evidence of a need for a new way of dealing with the uncertainties and ambiguities of the intelligent building. In turn, this demands a fundamentally new approach to educating the facilities manager of the future. Looks at two courses in intelligent buildings which serve quite different needs in the educational arena. Discusses the extent to which such courses will fulfil the needs of the marketplace in helping to deliver more productive working environments.

Facilities managers have a host of skills to sustain the functionality of complex buildings, often not provided by them directly, but by the team of specialists they draw upon to effectively plan for the future, whether the resource be money, space or technology. Building intelligence presents a challenge in terms of understanding a wholly new approach to the building management. This paper asks if the intelligent building of today meets the needs of the facilities management team. Does it enable them to manage their asset more effectively? New technologies are converging that will enable a radically new approach to maintenance, enabling remote smart sensing or remote condition based monitoring (CBM). Some of the design and economic issues that arise from this radically new approach to managing built assets are highlighted and the possibilities for a maintenance environment, where wires, power cables and data loggers become a thing of the past, is described.

Argues that facilities management is an indispensable part of property management. Clarifies the role of the facilities manager and identifies some of the emerging issues which are directing their attention. Concludes that facilities management is currently at a crossroads in its evolution, and that a lack of professional clarity threatens to undermine further progress in the field.

Information used for performance measurement is very different from the kind of information used for control and monitoring. It tends to make use of aggregate data covering time intervals of months rather than minutes. Accuracy rather than precision is the overarching concern. Some performance indicators can be derived from building control data. Information such as conversion efficiencies of plant and energy efficiency of buildings can be calculated from monitored data. For the purposes of performance assessment, however, such data tend to be limited in scope. The advent of embedded web servers promises to change this situation radically. Not just data, but transformed information, can be generated by the coexistence of device‐people networks. Effectiveness becomes a measurable concept as web enabled devices create information designed for human interpretation rather than the interpretation of other computers.