Management solution for assets, resources and knowledge

Citation

(2001), "Management solution for assets, resources and knowledge", Facilities, Vol. 19 No. 3/4. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2001.06919cab.005

Management solution for assets, resources and knowledge

Management solution for assets, resources and knowledge

Keywords: Facilities management, E-commerce

Without exception, every corporate organisation, or public undertaking will need to review, and implement changes to their business operations, taking on board the revolution that mobile communications combined with the Internet will bring in the next few years.

ARK e-management Ltd (ARK) is a newly formed company offering a range of support services to organisations as they prepare for the advent of e-commerce. ARK – standing for Assets, Resources and Knowledge presents a comprehensively planned process management solution applicable to any situation.

High profile individuals from the facilities management, property, construction, technology and business support services markets have come together to create this new enterprise geared to enable change in customers' business processes and systems, by offering a continuum of on-line services and linked consulting activities.

Conventional business administration such as facilities management, personnel management, management accounting, and purchasing and procurement will radically change due to the arrival and driving influence of e-commerce. These changes will enable all manner of information to be instantaneously available ("real time" reporting) which will revolutionise the management and control of business support services.

The "non core" activity of an enterprise spans everything from construction of business premises or manufacturing plant through to maintenance of property and physical assets and supplies and services, including the life cycle of every component. It relates to the provision of all support services to employees such as catering, communications, car fleet, travel, stationary and many other facets.

ARK believes that it is necessary to start the implementation of a strategy now in order to take full advantage of the future benefits and cost savings to be derived from e-commerce. Every unit of expenditure saved through the implementation of ARK's solution goes straight to the bottom line.

The principals of ARK e-management Limited (ARK) are Lionel Prodgers and Matthew Bacon.

Lionel Prodgers, managing director, said:

Having thoroughly researched e-commerce opportunities in the property and facilities management markets, it is clear that few organisations have recognised the fundamental changes that e-commerce will bring to, and demand of, their management processes. In effect, anyone thinking of specifying a service with a life span of more than a few years should take into account the future impact of e-commerce in that specification.

Lionel Prodgers

Lionel Prodgers established Facilities & Property Management plc as a start up venture in 1985, which was subsequently acquired by Chesterton International plc in 1994. He was Managing Director of Chesterton's facilities management division until 1998, and took the business to its ultimate operation with a turnover in excess of £100 million in the same year. In that role he instigated the acquisitions of British Gas Facilities Management Division and ICL's Workplace Management, whose name was adopted for the business of the division in 1997.

Lionel Prodgers is Chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and is Chairman designate of EuroFM, a federation of 58 professional associations, universities and research organisations throughout Europe. He is credited as being one of the pioneers of facilities management as a business discipline.

Lionel is Managing Director of the company responsible for business development, and customer relations.

Professor Matthew Bacon

Matthew Bacon was until recently Head of Process and Technology at BAA plc, responsible for coordinating and leading process improvement, developing the technology strategy for their construction development programme. He qualified as an architect and practiced as an architect.

Matthew is a Visiting Professor at Salford University, responsible for advising on research in the area of process development and application of technology in the construction industry. Matthew is also a board member of the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), an organisation dedicated to developing internationally accepted protocols in IT for the construction industry. He is a board member of Construct IT and is a member of the Network of Experts in Object Technology sponsored by the DETR.

Matthew is a director of the company and Head of Consulting, with responsibility for the design of strategic planning processes and the implementation within customer organisations.

For further information contact ARK e-management, Portland House, Stag Place, London SW1E 5RS, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7869 8020; Fax: +44 (0)20 7869 8001.