Michael L. Joroff, William L. Porter, Barbara Feinberg and Chuck Kukla
Workplace agility is emerging as the highest priority for the providers of workplace services and infrastructure. ‘Agility’ means continuously improving work and the…
Abstract
Workplace agility is emerging as the highest priority for the providers of workplace services and infrastructure. ‘Agility’ means continuously improving work and the infrastructure that enables it. An agile workplace is one that is constantly transforming, adjusting and responding to organisational learning. Agility requires a dynamic relationship between work and the workplace and the tools of work. In that relationship the workplace becomes an integral part of work itself ‐ enabling work, shaping it and being shaped by it. This paper focuses on defining workplace agility and discusses the triggers that prompt agile workplace making. Strategies for creating agile workplaces are discussed and the idea of ‘rehearsing’ change is introduced. This paper is excerpted from ‘The Agile Workplace’, which introduces the business and technology forces that drive and enable agile work. The report includes chapters about change management, organisational responsibilities and performance metrics.
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Digital technologies allow people to change the workplace in a fundamental way. The connectivity enabled by these technologies has opened new opportunities for how, when, and…
Abstract
Digital technologies allow people to change the workplace in a fundamental way. The connectivity enabled by these technologies has opened new opportunities for how, when, and where people work. Those opportunities, when exploited, can help organisations be more effective in their use of human capital. Capturing these opportunities requires a mind shift whereby corporate real estate professionals perceive things differently‐and then act differently. That mind shift should challenge established values and assumptions about where value gets created as well as where people work and how people connect with others. The mind shift should, in turn, lead workspace professionals to rethink their approaches to workplace design, and stimulate new organisational patterns for creating, justifying and continuously improving workplaces and enterprise‐wide workplace portfolios. Pioneering work by SunMicrosystems and Hewlett Packard is showing the way. Other workplace professionals can effectively follow if they harness the connective power of technology as an integral part of workplace design. That design should begin with the work that needs to be done; create the best package of physical and cyber space to do it; and evolve as work requirements change.
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COLIN H. DAVIDSON, PHILIPPE L. DAVIDSON and KALEV RUBERG
The building industry, through its structure and its mandate, faces endemic information problems; expert systems are expected to impact positively. Expert systems are suited to…
Abstract
The building industry, through its structure and its mandate, faces endemic information problems; expert systems are expected to impact positively. Expert systems are suited to situations of uncertainty; knowledge and reasoning are separated, allowing easier updating. Knowledge acquisition from human experts is difficult and problems of information reliability arise, suggesting the scope for cooperation between knowledge engineers and documentalists familiar with the domain. In building, prevailing conditions seem to indicate the appropriateness of expert systems, particularly during the design phase; however, written documentation and general research results are rarely consulted. This highlights the need for an information ‘refining’ stage between production and use. It is easier to set up expert systems for specialised sub‐domains; however, on‐going research is attempting to develop a comprehensive approach to project‐specific information that would be operational from initial design through to completed construction. Criteria for a comprehensive design information system can be listed.
Herman Vande Putte and Tuuli Jylhä
Since corporate real estate management (CREM) emerged in the 1990s, it has been modelled in many ways. The Delft model views the corporate real estate management function as a…
Abstract
Purpose
Since corporate real estate management (CREM) emerged in the 1990s, it has been modelled in many ways. The Delft model views the corporate real estate management function as a coordinator of four distinct accommodation perspectives. Although the model has been used in education and practice for years, there is no consensus on its interpretation and application, and various versions circulate. This paper aims to first reconstruct the history of the conceptualisation of the Delft CREM model and then seeks to develop an understanding of its nature that provides clearer interpretations of the model.
Design/methodology/approach
Because the developers of the Delft CREM model did not maintain archives, the reconstruction of the model’s genesis is based on the developers’ publications from 1985 to 2015 and eight semi-structured interviews conducted with these developers in 2017 and 2018. The collected information, which was by its very nature incomplete and imperfect, was triangulated, contextualised and assembled chronologically. This served as the basis for an analysis of the model’s nature, which in turn generated a list of practical implications for its future application.
Findings
The historical reconstruction revealed two parallel but distinct lines of reasoning, whose resulting models appear similar but are distinct. One line of reasoning models CRE viewpoints, while the other models CRE management activities, i.e. the first line of reasoning models CREM across the organisation, while the second models CREM within the function. These two lines of thought have converged in the research-through-design approach of the developers, which evolved against the backdrop of a growing interest in the contribution of organisational resources to organisational objectives and the emergence of the demand-supply model in management practices in general and in the built environment in particular.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to reconstructing the genesis and analysing the nature of the Delft CREM model. It is not intended to provide a conclusive narrative, update the model or compare it to other CREM models. As is typical in oral history, it is based on imperfect documentary evidence and imperfect recollections. The reconstruction and analysis are stepping stones towards a more precise interpretation and application of the model in both research and practice, and may eventually contribute to its evolution. When using the model, it is recommended to (1) be clear about whether the model applies to the CREM department, the entire organisation or the organisation’s environment; (2) be clear about what is being modelled (activities, viewpoints or something else); and (3) use labels that reflect the selections made in (1) and (2).
Originality/value
The value of this paper lies in the historical reconstruction of the intentions of the developers of the four-view scheme, including the detailed analysis of its consecutive graphical representations and the investigation of its relationship with the seminal strategic alignment model.
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The US restaurant industry and the food‐service industry have undergone tremendous changes during the last decade owing to demographic changes, changes in the family structure…
Abstract
The US restaurant industry and the food‐service industry have undergone tremendous changes during the last decade owing to demographic changes, changes in the family structure, the increase in the number of working women and senior citizens, advances in technology (inventory management, customer order processing, accounting/financial systems, etc.), availability of financing, changes in the real estate industry (location, negotiation with malls, relationships with developers, etc.), intense competition, the growth in the types and number of marketing channels (including the Internet), increasing number of drive‐through customers, employee training requirements, changes in labor laws, the rate of implementation of technology, changes in food sourcing/purchasing, the growth of the franchising business model, and increasing regulation. These factors have combined to shape the strategic, legal, economic and operational considerations that executives and decision makers should thoroughly understand. This article discusses the issues and challenges facing one company in these two industries and how management and banks have reacted, and then explains strategies for the future. Also discussed are relevant considerations for financial sponsors and companies. Most data and analysis are as of April 2000.
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Outlines brief concepts of corporate real estate management. Showsthat this is oriented towards major clients of building services.Concludes that the intelligence technology…
Abstract
Outlines brief concepts of corporate real estate management. Shows that this is oriented towards major clients of building services. Concludes that the intelligence technology needed for this is already available in most organizations and all areas, from research to corporate management teams up to senior executives, must have support to carry out the required work in this area.
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The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of timescape and examine its impact on corporate real estate strategy, i.e. the people, process, space and technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of timescape and examine its impact on corporate real estate strategy, i.e. the people, process, space and technology elements of strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilises a qualitative approach to analyse secondary data in order to develop a conceptual framework of timescape for corporate real estate strategies.
Findings
Time is an integral part of strategic corporate real estate management. There are seven key elements that make up the timescape for corporate real estate strategies.
Research limitations/implications
This is a conceptual paper and future empirical research should be conducted to validate the propositions made in this paper.
Practical implications
The paper clearly identified the need to incorporate timescape into corporate real strategy formulation. The discussion on the impact of timescape on corporate real estate is useful in providing the impetus for managers who operate in a hyper‐competitive global business landscape to review their existing strategies.
Originality/value
This paper is high in originality as it pioneers the concept of timescape for application within corporate real estate management.
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Linda Too, Michael Harvey and Eric Too
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of globalisation on corporate real estate strategies. Specifically, it seeks to identify corporate real estate capabilities that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of globalisation on corporate real estate strategies. Specifically, it seeks to identify corporate real estate capabilities that are important in a hypercompetitive business climate.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilises a qualitative approach to analyse secondary data in order to identify the corporate real estate capabilities for a hypercompetitive business environment.
Findings
Globalisation today is an undeniable phenomenon that is fundamentally changing the way business is conducted. In the light of global hypercompetition, corporate real estate needs to develop new capabilities to support global business strategies. These include flexibility, network organization and managerial learning capabilities.
Research limitations/implications
This is a conceptual paper and future empirical research needs to be conducted to verify the propositions made in this paper.
Practical implications
Given the new level of uncertainty in the business climate, that is, hypercompetition, businesses need to develop dynamic capabilities that are harder for competitors to imitate in order to maintain what is considered a “momentary” competitive advantage. The findings of this paper are useful to guide corporate real estate managers in this regard.
Originality/value
This paper is original in two ways. First, it applies the strategic management concept of capabilities to corporate real estate. Second, it links the key challenge that businesses face today, i.e. globalisation, to the concept of capabilities as a means to maintain competitive advantage.
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Howard Cooke and Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek
The purpose of this paper is to examine a recent comprehensive corporate real estate (CRE) alignment model which was derived from previous CRE alignment models. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine a recent comprehensive corporate real estate (CRE) alignment model which was derived from previous CRE alignment models. This study proposes several modifications and additions based on business and decision-making literature to increase the framework’s multidisciplinary strength and extend its implementation phase.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature from various fields is reviewed and “lessons” incorporated into the framework. The business literature review began with corporate strategy theories cited in CRE alignment theory and extended to critiques of those and more recent theories. Likewise, decision-making and implementation both began with material cited in CRE literature and “rippled” out to encompass pertinent material.
Findings
The model used provides a robust framework, and this study has identified several areas that would appear to improve that model from a theoretical and practical perspective. Areas of further research are identified that appear to offer opportunities to further develop the framework.
Originality/value
Historically, there has been a tendency for new CRE alignment models to be created rather than existing ones being developed further. Here, a framework derived from a meta-study of CRE alignment models is reviewed, and improvements are proposed to further develop CRE alignment theory and its application in practice through the addition of viewpoints from the business field and more focus on the implementation phase of the model.
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This paper aims to identify typical sourcing strategies and business models in facilities management (FM) and map archetypes of value chains with complementary sourcing strategies…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify typical sourcing strategies and business models in facilities management (FM) and map archetypes of value chains with complementary sourcing strategies and value chains.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on literature and case studies from previous research. Theoretically, the paper takes a generic value chain as a starting point together with the recent ISO standard on sourcing process and a business model framework. A conceptual framework is developed and typical sourcing strategies and business models for FM are investigated. Archetypical value chains are established by a combination of sourcing strategies and business models.
Findings
The paper identifies eight archetypes of FM value chains divided in three groups according to whether the core business organisation occupies rented facilities and owned facilities or has facilities operation as a core business like serviced office providers, etc.
Practical implications
The results can be used on a general level by everybody who need to get an overview and understanding of the complex structure of the FM sector. Furthermore, the results can help all parties involved in the FM value chain to get a clearer understanding of their position in the chain and help them develop their sourcing strategies and/or business model, depending on their type of organisation.
Originality/value
While there is a huge amount of literature on sourcing in FM, there has only been limited research on business models and value chains in FM. The paper is original in combining an investigation of sourcing strategies, business models and value chains in FM.