Following increases in national demands on healthcare facilities and services, healthcare facilities management (FM) has gradually matured to become an established research and…
Abstract
Following increases in national demands on healthcare facilities and services, healthcare facilities management (FM) has gradually matured to become an established research and development topic. This paper reviews the state of the art in the main domains related to healthcare FM and defines the central themes in the development of a healthcare FM model. FM, maintenance management and performance management are reviewed in a wider context, and the main domains of healthcare FM are discussed. The five salient topics included in healthcare FM are maintenance management, performance management, risk management, supply services management, and development. These five core domains are interrelated, and can be integrated using information and communications technology, which provides the desired environment required for the challenging decision making and development prevalent in healthcare FM.
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Manish K. Dixit, Charles H. Culp, Sarel Lavy and Jose Fernandez-Solis
The recurrent embodied energy (REE) is the energy consumed in the maintenance, replacement and retrofit processes of a facility. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the…
Abstract
Purpose
The recurrent embodied energy (REE) is the energy consumed in the maintenance, replacement and retrofit processes of a facility. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the relationship of REE with the service life and life cycle embodied energy. The amount of variation in the reported REE values is also determined and discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach that is known as the literature based discovery (LBD) was adopted. Existing literature was surveyed to gather case studies and to analyze the reported values of REE.
Findings
The reported values of REE showed considerable variation across referred studies. It was also found that the reported REE values demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with the service life but a very strong positive correlation with the life cycle embodied energy of both the residential and commercial facilities.
Research limitations/implications
This review paper pointed out the importance of the maintenance and replacement processes in reducing the life cycle energy use in a facility. Future research could focus on performing case studies to evaluate this relationship.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the significance of REE in reducing the life cycle energy impacts of a facility. As facility managers routinely deal with maintenance and replacement processes, they hold an important responsibility of reducing the life cycle energy.
Originality/value
The findings of the paper would motivate the facilities management professionals to prefer long service life materials and components during the postconstruction phases of a built facility.
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Sarel Lavy, Elmira Daneshpour and Kunhee Choi
This study aims to investigate critical spatial factors that may affect the utilization rate of graduate student study space in higher education institutions (HEI). It is…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate critical spatial factors that may affect the utilization rate of graduate student study space in higher education institutions (HEI). It is anticipated that the results of this study could promote research productivity by more effectively engaging research space dedicated to graduate students.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative quantitative analysis based on survey results was implemented. The quantitative study compares the results of Department A of the university under study with other departments on the same campus. Logistic regression is used for quantitative translation of the categorical data.
Findings
Noise level and furniture quality (both for comfort and layout design) are almost equally the most significant factors for attracting graduate students to study lounges. Based on the results from this study, with quality improvements of noise level or furniture, the probability of user occupancy rates in graduate lounges would triple.
Research limitations/implications
Being a case study, the quantitative results are only applicable to the one university studied. However, the significance of noise and furniture quality as the prime factors for successful graduate study lounges could be bolstered with findings from other case studies around the nation and the world.
Originality/value
This study attempts to pay close attention to graduate lounge spaces within HEI. With the rising pressure on universities to offer greater benefits with the same space assets, this study helps facility managers create more efficient spaces at universities tailored for the modern style of education.
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Manish K. Dixit, Charles H. Culp, Jose L. Fernandez-Solis and Sarel Lavy
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of a life cycle approach in facilities management practices to reduce the carbon footprint of built facilities. A model to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of a life cycle approach in facilities management practices to reduce the carbon footprint of built facilities. A model to holistic life cycle energy and carbon reduction is also proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature-based discovery approach was applied to collect, analyze and synthesize the results of published case studies from around the globe. The energy use results of 95 published case studies were analyzed to derive conclusions.
Findings
A comparison of energy-efficient and conventional facilities revealed that decreasing operating energy may increase the embodied energy components. Additionally, the analysis of 95 commercial buildings indicated that nearly 10 per cent of the total US carbon emissions was influenced by facilities management practices.
Research limitations/implications
The results were derived from case studies that belonged to various locations across the globe and included facilities constructed with a variety of materials.
Practical implications
The proposed approach to holistic carbon footprint reduction can guide facility management research and practice to make meaningful contributions to the efforts for creating a sustainable built environment.
Originality/value
This paper quantifies the extent to which a facilities management professional can contribute to the global efforts of reducing carbon emission.
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Raquel Matos, Hugo Rodrigues, Aníbal Guimarães Costa, Maria Fernanda Rodrigues, Sarel Lavy and Manish Dixit
Facility management (FM) plays an important role in the attainment of a sustainable built environment during the building operational stage since it is responsible for decisions…
Abstract
Purpose
Facility management (FM) plays an important role in the attainment of a sustainable built environment during the building operational stage since it is responsible for decisions that influence materials’ durability, waste, cost reduction and energy efficiency. However, the integration of the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach in FM presents some difficulties in obtaining complete inventories for building components, tracking material flows and defining system boundaries. This paper aims to establish the environmental impact comparison between maintenance actions and replacement interventions performed during the life cycle of a steel frame from a building facade.
Design/methodology/approach
For this purpose, the effects of different repair/maintenance actions and end-of-life scenarios were analysed using two tools: an LCA building information modelling-based tool and an LCA open-source tool.
Findings
The results showed that repairing and maintaining the steel structure is essential for the safety and preservation of the steel structure. However, steel maintenance and repair practices that involve fewer environmental impacts need to be explored.
Social implications
It also emphasises the crucial role of facility managers in promoting sustainability and supporting informed decision-making throughout the building’s life cycle, thereby aiding in the pursuit of sustainable development and the goal of decarbonisation by 2050.
Originality/value
This study reveals that maintenance processes in building management have a greater environmental impact compared to material replacement activities, especially concerning the steel structure within the case study building, as assessed using two LCA software tools. The findings provide valuable insights into the environmental impacts of maintenance and replacement phases and underscore the need for further investigation into more sustainable maintenance practices within facility management. Additionally, the study raises public awareness and engagement in environmental responsibility, contributing positively to the achievement of a sustainable built environment.
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Sarel Lavy, John A. Garcia and Manish K. Dixit
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the previously established list of key performance indicators (KPIs), to identify and categorize the core performance indicators that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the previously established list of key performance indicators (KPIs), to identify and categorize the core performance indicators that are measurable and quantifiable.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature-based qualitative approach is adopted for accumulating desired information on identifying and categorizing the core indicators. The list of KPIs established in an earlier paper is narrowed down considering the future research needs suggested by the literature.
Findings
The quantifiable and measurable core indicators are identified and categorized in the form of a list. The core indicators are defined and the variables required to quantify them are described by citing peer-reviewed literature.
Research limitations/implications
This paper represents the first step toward establishing a relevant list of quantifiable and measurable core KPIs. Future research papers could emphasize derivation of mathematical expressions for determining the identified core KPIs and validating these KPIs using simulation of real building data.
Practical implications
The need to establish a concise and relevant list of quantifiable and measurable KPIs that could express more than one type of information about a facility's performance is identified in this paper. This paper presents and describes a narrowed down list of core KPIs, which could be utilized by facility management industry professionals while performing a holistic performance assessment.
Originality/value
This paper provides a list of core KPIs that could express more than one aspect of a facility's performance and that is measurable and quantifiable.
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Sarel Lavy, John A. Garcia and Manish K. Dixit
The purpose of this paper is to identify key variables that affect the quantifiable key performance indicators (KPIs) and to derive equations to measure these indicators…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify key variables that affect the quantifiable key performance indicators (KPIs) and to derive equations to measure these indicators. Qualitative KPIs are also discussed in terms of the aspects that need to be covered while carrying out qualitative performance assessment.
Design/methodology/approach
A combination of literature and an industry opinion-based qualitative approach is applied to develop equations to calculate the quantifiable KPIs. A facility asset management consulting firm is included in the process of deriving the equations. Key aspects of a facility's qualitative performance assessment are categorized and discussed by performing a literature review.
Findings
Mathematical expressions for core performance indicators are presented and discussed along with key variables. In addition, the information needed to quantify these core indicators is also discussed.
Research limitations/implications
This paper represents the second step towards establishment of a relevant list of quantifiable and measurable core KPIs, which were identified and categorized in Part I of this paper. In Part II, the authors derive equations to quantify the core KPIs. Future research is needed to use relevant information from industry for validating these equations.
Practical implications
A need for a concise and relevant list of KPIs was identified in Part I of this paper. Part II provides an approach to quantify the core KPIs based on information that is available in the industry. This research will help facility management professionals in not only selecting the indicators of choice, but also quantifying them based on available information yielding enhanced facility management decisions with measurable facility performance outcomes.
Originality/value
This paper provides equations and variables to measure a facility's physical, functional and financial performance using both quantitative and qualitative performance assessments.