Editorial

Citation

Lai, J.H.K. (2015), "Editorial", Facilities, Vol. 33 No. 5/6. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-01-2015-0002

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Facilities, Volume 33, Issue 5/6

Contributed by authors from different regions of the world, the seven papers in this issue cover various topics of facilities management including lean production and management, building inspection and renovation, information technology and workplace design.

To investigate the importance of the lean production principles (LPP) in enhancing the facilities design of ramp-up factories, which are important for Singapore where the land resources are scarce, Gao, Low and Tiong, the authors of the first paper, carried out a survey on the tenants of the factories. LPP-driven facilities design features found to be significant include, to name but a few: large span, clear floor-to-ceiling height and rectangular bay. The tenants agree that the application of LPP principles to facilities design can help in fulfilling their operational needs. Future research should further solicit opinions of other stakeholders such as designers and suppliers.

Lean management is central to the theme of the second paper, which reports on a study conducted by Jylhä and Suvanto through in-depth case studies and interviews. With poor-quality of information leading to a lot of waste activities, the resultant impacts on facility management service processes include time wastage for searching, extra work done and loss of potential. Waste elimination and re-engineering value creation processes, as advocated, could improve the efficiency of facility management organisations.

The Minor Works Control System, the subject matter of the study reported in the third paper, was introduced in Hong Kong to facilitate minor works to be carried out in private buildings lawfully through simplified procedures. Using a questionnaire survey and some focus group discussions, Wong and Shum found that implementation of the system has helped increase safety awareness and the technical capacity of minor works contractors, but the contractors are confronted with manpower arrangement problems and higher business operating costs.

Another paper about building maintenance in Hong Kong is from Chan and Hung. They collected responses from building professionals in an attempt to identify the perceived benefits of implementing the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme. The most significant perceived benefits are: raising the overall building safety; more job opportunities in building repair and maintenance services; and addressing effectively the problems with building decay. It is expected that with the scheme properly implemented, there would be less prematurely ageing buildings, and the life span of existing private premises would be prolonged.

With various changes for health care in the USA, Roper, Sedehi and Ashuri adopted a systematic method to guide a literature review for assessing the impacts of radio-frequency identification (RFID) upon adoption in a hospital facility. The authors found that improved staff productivity, quicker patient turnover, higher-quality of care and more cost savings by enhancing the visibility of equipment throughout a health-care facility are among the benefits of using RFID. The conceptual framework presented in the paper can be used to identify benefit and cost attributes of a RFID system for asset tracking in healthcare facilities.

In exploring the potential effects of the design of a physical organisational environment on the emergence of an organisational culture, Blombery, Kallio and Kallio conducted an in-depth, longitudinal case study in Finland. Drawn from the case analysis, the design of an organisation’s physical environment may affect three aspects of culture, namely, openness, equality and collectivity. It is also suggested that physical space plays a significant role in the emergence of a culture conducive to organisational creativity.

The final paper, authored by Smit and Wood from The Netherlands, aims to develop understanding of the potential of applying facilities management concepts and principles in zoological and related facilities. Key practical issues in managing the facilities are considered in four dimensions: strategies for the management of stakeholder behaviour; building and environmental design; safety, security and health; and miscellaneous services. Rather than empirical findings, a provisional framework is provided for interpreting the possible application of facilities management in the zoo sector.

Joseph H.K. Lai - Co-Editor