PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING WITH DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the strategy, selection and perception of facility management (FM) services and the effect it may have on perceived building quality.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a survey distributed to board members of cooperatives for newly constructed buildings in Sweden. Responses from 394 cooperative boards were included in the data set and analysed. The difference in cooperative choice of FM strategy and satisfaction with FM services was examined with non-parametrical Kruskal–Wallis tests and the effect of FM strategy and satisfaction with FM services on perceived building quality was examined with a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.FindingsThe results suggest information asymmetry and indicate urgent need for an objective accreditation system for FM services, which will inform and assist housing owners in the FM selection process. The study validates the hypothesis that facilities management strategies applied by housing cooperatives have a significant effect on perception of building quality.Practical implicationsThe findings will assist developers, facility and property managers to understand the needs and services valued by the housing cooperative. The findings highlight the information asymmetry, restricted techniques and weak signalling methods among FM services, and advocates promoting an objective accreditation system for FM services.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the discussion on the concept of building quality and the results presented provide a better understanding of facilities management strategy on perception of building quality.

In this paper the authors discuss challenging interrelations between the contemporary architectural practice and the expanding facility management (FM) sector. After defining FM and determining the part of it that is directly dependent on an architectural expertise, the authors identify possible interests in combining knowledge between the two fields, both dealing with the built environment. The empirical part of the research is a study of the current development of FM concepts and strategies in Serbia, and examination of the position and a possible impact of the local architectural practice. A systematization of local real-estate from the point of FM includes three different groups of objects: the ones with integrated FM strategy in the early design stage; the ones with imported FM strategy from international firms; and the last incomparably largest group of objects that desperately need an appropriate FM concept. The methodology of tracking the FM related knowledge has been applied with the aim to recognize key actors in the FM knowledge exchange on the national level, as well as to understand current position and propose possible activities for the local architectural community.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore user satisfaction with in-house facility management (FM) services in multi-tenanted office buildings in Accra, Ghana using a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) approach.Design/methodology/approachThe study assessed user satisfaction with FM service quality by using a POE of their perceptions about the attitude and courtesy of the FM personnel, the reliability of the FM services they provide, the responsiveness and the competence of the service providers. The study used walk-throughs and questionnaire surveys as the POE methods. One hundred and twenty-one users from 22 multi-tenanted office buildings, who have actively used the FM services for at least a year, were purposively sampled. The data was collected via a survey using a structured questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis in version 25 of statistical package for the social sciences.FindingsThe study revealed that users were dissatisfied with the quality of in-house FM services across all 15 services The results also showed that users’ satisfaction with the services is not affected by the differences in their age, gender, educational level, job role and number of years in the buildings. The results further demonstrated that the most critical factors that resulted in users’ dissatisfaction were electric facilities, building fabric maintenance, emergency coordination, waste management and the decoration of the buildings during festive seasons.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study based on POE to assess user satisfaction with FM services for multi-tenant office buildings has, presumably, not been tackled before in Ghana. The results of the study are very essential to the owners of the buildings and facility managers in decision-making concerning the delivery of FM services. Building industry-wise, the results demonstrate the need for in-house FM managers in multi-tenanted office buildings in Ghana to adopt FM service delivery methods that increase user satisfaction. The results also call for further research into user satisfaction with outsourced FM services in multi-tenanted office buildings and further research on the use of the in-house strategy on other types of buildings to ascertain whether the dissatisfaction with FM is due to other factors such as the choice of FM strategy, the property type etc.

Nowadays, the FM scenario is undergoing a deep transformation due to the increasing adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Real-time data, new storage possibilities and data analytics are changing the modalities of monitoring and control of service performances offered at the building scale. Data-driven approaches based on predictive analyses applied in FM are meeting a large consensus from FM operators which are perceiving the related achievable benefits. However, applications of ICTs in FM are still at an experimental stage and they can be subjected to a variable level of uncertainty due to the lack of knowledge about systems behaviors. This uncertainty can not only affect the calculation of the expected service performance (SLA) but also the deviation between expected and actual service performances. The uncertainty on expected performances gains a higher relevance when FM services are outsourced to an external provider (especially in performance-based contracts). The paper aims to propose a methodology to quantify and manage the deviation between expected and actual service performances within FM contracts, acting both in the contracting phase (SLAs definition) and during the service provision (deviation expected/actual performance). This methodology would support FM stakeholders in managing the level of uncertainty on expected service performances, mitigating related risks.

Facilities management (FM) refers to the management of non-core business activities to support the core activities. FM outsourcing has been established as one of the successful methods for FM procurement because of its benefits. In the FM operation, various challenges have arisen from various perspectives. Referring to that, the aim of this study is to investigate requirements for maintaining an effective FM outsourcing contract by the service provider company. The research scope was limited to challenges to FM service providers and strategies that are used by them to overcome challenges within the Sri Lankan context in a situation where the contract has already been formed. Accordingly, a qualitatively based extensive literature synthesis has been conducted concerning the FM outsourcing concept and challenges in maintaining FM contracts. Following the qualitative approach, data were collected through nine (9) semi-structured interviews with FM service providers. The findings revealed that in the Sri Lankan context, FM service providers are facing various challenges, knowing them and making strategies to overcome them will be the key to the continuity of the contract with the client. Prioritizing clients' needs, defining proper standing operation procedures, having separate service coordinators, frequent meetings with the client and subcontractors, understanding the client’s language and nonverbal communication, and forming communication strategies were mainly used as strategies. The framework has been developed based on the above-mentioned key findings, including key determinants to be considered.

PurposeThe study aims to assess the sourcing approaches used in providing facilities management (FM) services in hotels. It further explores the factors that influence hotels' choice of sourcing approach and the challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a case study design. Simple random, census and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the hotels and respondents. Data were collected using interviews and analysed thematically. The data were presented in narration and direct quotes from the respondents. The critical factors influencing outsourcing decisions were ranked using the relative importance index. This study is based on a single case. Therefore, further research should be conducted to expand the scope of study nationwide as a step toward making the results more robust.FindingsBoth in-house and outsourcing sourcing approaches were used to provide FM services. In-house FM services mainly focused on cleaning, security and aspects of maintenance. Internet and information technology related services and other maintenance activities were also outsourced. Outsourcing decisions in the various hotel categories were mostly guided by the cost of outsourcing, core business, lack of in-house skills and hotel size.Practical implicationsFM strategy can be developed to guide the management of FM activities in hotels. An approach that adds value and enhances the activities of hotels and provides convenience to customers must be adopted by hotels. Further studies should be conducted on the cost implications of the two main sourcing approaches, as well as the impact of sourcing approaches on customer satisfaction. An additional study should focus on the driving factors influencing the cost and quality of outsourced FM services in hotels. This will help provide comprehensive information on effective FM sourcing approaches and the operations of hotels.Originality/valueThe study focused on the sourcing approaches used by hotels to provide FM services. It also explored the influencing factors and challenges of FM practices in hotels.

Accurately inferring realistic subsurface structures according to different types of geophysical observations and interpretations remains a significant challenge as the morphology controls the subsurface flow and transport behavior. Hard data and soft data are most commonly used in subsurface characterization. Among them, hard data are observations obtained from subsurface measurements. Soft data are remotely sensed geophysical information and interpretations. The deep learning technique is able to automatically learn the nonlinear relationships and extract implicit features of prior samples. In this work, we propose a deep-learning-based multiple-condition fusion network (MCF-Net) to accurately characterize subsurface structures according to both hard and soft data. Two encoders are used to extract the deep implicit features of the hard and soft data in multiple-level representations. To effectively integrate the multiple-level representations of multiple data, multiple-condition fusion blocks are introduced to extract the representing characteristics. These blocks are also equipped for the reconstruction of heterogeneous structures. MCF-Net can accurately estimate subsurface structures using a variety of available observations. Experimental results prove the utility of MCF-Net in many fields of Earth science.

Purpose – The aim of this study is to explore the influence of personal attributes, namely, gender, age, education and income, on the perception of facilities management (FM) services for residential buildings. Design/methodology/approach – Collected through an interview survey, the personal particulars of the users of a typical residential estate in Hong Kong and their perceived importance and performance levels of five main aspects of FM services were analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process and statistical analyses. Findings – The weighted performance ratings of the services, which are products of interaction between perceived importance and perceived performance, showed perfect rank correlations across user groups with different personal attributes. As for the shares contributed to the services’ overall weighted performance, the largest differences were associated with the security and leisure and landscape aspects rated between the users with tertiary education and those without. Research limitations/implications – The findings that male adults, users with tertiary education and those with earning capacity tended to give more consistent responses can serve as a reference for determining the target amount of samples in similar surveys in future. Further work is needed to research into how the method of this study may be adapted for use in investigating FM services for other types of buildings or the same type of buildings in other places. Practical implications – The approach taken in scrutinizing the performance contributions of the services, which helps to identify any improvements needed, can be used to evaluate FM services for similar residential buildings. Originality/value – The study results provide an understanding of the influence of personal attributes on perception of FM services.

Purpose This article focuses on the complex relationship between digital technologies (DTs) and Facility Management (FM), aiming to develop frameworks to systematically integrate DTs into FM organizations and services. Design/methodology/approach We conducted workshops with academics and industry representatives, focusing on (i) the classification and conceptualization of DT applications in FM, (ii) the effects of DT on FM, and (iii) the standardization and scaling of DTs within organizations and across the industry. Findings This article, classifies DTs from the perspectives of information systems, business development, and the value chain. This article identifies key technology considerations, including positive and negative effects, risks and myths, barriers and enablers, and coping strategies. This article addresses opportunities and challenges related to the standardization and scaling of DTs. Practical implications The conceptualizations co-created by industry and academia help establish a relevant research agenda and support the implementation of DTs. Originality/value These categorizations advance the understanding of DTs in FM and lay a foundation for further research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to define facilities management and innovation in generic business contexts and critically discuss the role of innovation in facilities management service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a comprehensive literature review from numerous published sources. All related references were discovered through electronic databases, journals and books.FindingsFM is capable of contributing towards organisational success if it is given the opportunity to exploit new ideas and perform innovative activities that are regularly measured and integrated within the overall business goals or an organisation. To achieve this, it is essential that innovation in FM is given appropriate empowerment and a platform within the boundaries of the organisation's total innovation agenda.Research limitations/implicationsThere are limited literature materials which focused on service innovation particularly in the context of facilities management and its service delivery. Some discussions that are related to multiple contract management are only mentioned but not extensively reviewed in accordance with the scope of the research. One of the constraints is due to the nature of services that are non‐tangible and hard to perceive.Practical implicationsThe study provides in‐depth knowledge on the importance and benefits to an organisation by embracing innovation in facilities management as well as in the delivery of FM services. By tying innovation in FM with the firm's overall innovation agenda, significant improvements are gained through total efficiency in business operations.Originality/valueThe paper provides fresh literature updates on the needs of FM players to embrace innovative ideas and concepts to effectively deliver facility‐related services. The findings indicated here can be used by relevant FM stakeholders to plan and re‐evaluate the role of facilities management functions in their organisations.

Partial and global measures are two broad approaches that have been used to present performance data. The aim of this research was to investigate whether global measures provide valuable information which is not readily available from partial measures and whether global measures can be transferred successfully from the academic to the practical domain. Applying action research, this study began with developing, based on data envelopment analysis, a global measure model and applied the model in three public leisure centres in England during 2005–2007. It was found that, for practitioners in the public leisure sector, inclusiveness and simplicity are the most important criteria of a good performance measurement system. That is, not only does performance data need to be inclusive, the analytical process also needs to be simple and understandable. In addition, facility managers' analytical skills and motivations for benchmarking are two factors which determine the practicability of a global measure.

Over the years, great attention has been shown to the function of the campus facilities that should be well-equipped, operatedand maintained to better support university’s two main goals: providing education and supporting research. Properly managing campus facilities is the initial step to be prepared to meet the rapidly changing global educational standard. However, so far, nodefinitive answer has been given to the question of what service level/scope is appropriate for the effective campus facility management (FM) in Korea. Therefore, at the outset, it is imperative to establish the framework for the standardized campus FMservices. The main focus of this research is to provide comprehensive understanding on the campus FM by establishing the framework in the form of FM performance indicator (PI). As the first step, FM standards set by Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has been thoroughly reviewedand analyzed to establish the framework for FM standards applicable to campus facility management. Secondly, extensive literature review on the development of performance indicator (PI) for the educational facilities has been conducted to classifyPI types and complement FM_KS. Finally, specific guideline and PIs developed by APPA which is globally well-known association in the field of FM for higher education facilities has been added to the combined PI which is the mixed form of FM_KS and PIs from the previous literature. This research provides campus facility managers and FM outsourcing service providers with framework in the form of PI to support future directions of effective campus FM services.

Understanding customer mobility patterns to commercial districts is crucial for urban planning, facility management, and business strategies. Trade areas are a widely applied measure to quantify where the visitors are from. Traditional trade area analysis is limited to small-scale or store-level studies, because information such as visits to competitor commercial entities and place of residence is collected by labour-intensive questionnaires or heavily biased location-based social media data. In this article, we propose CellTradeMap, a novel district-level trade area analysis framework using mobile flow records (MFRs), a type of fine-grained cellular network data. We show that compared to traditional cellular data and social network check-in data, MFRs can model customer mobility patterns comprehensively at urban scale. CellTradeMap extracts robust location information from the irregularly sampled, noisy MFRs, adapts the generic trade area analysis framework to incorporate cellular data, and enhances the original trade area model with cellular-based features. We evaluate CellTradeMap on two large-scale cellular network datasets covering 3.5 million and 1.8 million mobile phone users in two metropolis in China, respectively. Experimental results show that the trade areas extracted by CellTradeMap are aligned with domain knowledge and CellTradeMap can model trade areas with a high predictive accuracy.

This study makes a significant contribution to the evolving field of strategic facility management by addressing the underexplored intersection of hybrid work models and office space transformation in the post-COVID-19 era. Unlike earlier research that predominantly focused on remote work effectiveness or real estate cost reduction in isolation, this study provides a holistic evaluation of how hybrid work trends are shaping corporate facility strategies in the Baltic context. The originality of the research lies in its empirical basis –grounded in qualitative interviews, survey responses from leading Baltic corporations, and document analysis, which has produced a context-specific framework adaptable to regional economic and social conditions. Another novel contribution is the application of the seven-step redesign process model, developed by the authors, which guides organisations in transitioning from traditional office use to a hybrid work ecosystem. This model integrates technological, psychological, spatial, and managerial components – elements that are rarely combined systematically in similar research. It reflects how organisations can build agility into facility planning while maintaining productivity and employee satisfaction. The study also introduces a nuanced categorisation of office work models in Latvia, such as activity-based offices and shared workplaces, and correlates them with performance metrics. This typology has not been previously explored in the Latvian context with such specificity. By highlighting the diverse interpretations and implementations of hybrid work strategies across sectors, the research challenges the assumption of a one-size-fits-all model and opens new avenues for adaptive facility planning. These findings significantly enrich the academic and practical understanding of post-pandemic workplace restructuring.

Universities which are citadel of research and learning have many facilities that need to be well maintained in order to achieve the designed aim and sustain value of the institution. This necessitates the need for this study to examine facility management practice and the level of satisfaction of users of facility management in the study areas. The study populations are the students and staff of the institutions who are the users of the facilities. The sampling technique is systematic random sampling technique where respondents were selected from all the academic faculties, student’s hostels, and staff quarters which makes all categories of facilities users to be captured. The analysis was done using tables, 5-point Likert scale. The facility management services were categorized into hard and soft services. The modes of execution of the two were studied. It was gathered that some of the hard and soft services were outsourced while some are done in-house. The levels of satisfaction of the users on the hard and soft services were measured. It was gathered that soft services like move management have least ranking in the two universities and hard services like decoration and refurbishment have least ranking in the two universities. Recommendations were made on how the two universities can improve facility management services.