Facilities Management Graduate Centre meets demand with "occupier.org" Web site

Citation

(2001), "Facilities Management Graduate Centre meets demand with "occupier.org" Web site", Facilities, Vol. 19 No. 13/14. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2001.06919mab.011

Facilities Management Graduate Centre meets demand with "occupier.org" Web site

Facilities Management Graduate Centre meets demand with "occupier.org" Web siteKeywords: Facilities management, Internet, Productivity management, Research

In the first week of April 2001, four weeks after its formal launch, the "occupier.org" Web site received 2,997 hits, over 10 per cent of them from outside the UK.

The site was developed, and maintained by, the Facilities Management Graduate Centre (FMGC) at Sheffield Hallam University for a consortium of organisations in the public and private sectors, led by the RICS Foundation. Their aim is "to generate and place in the public domain, knowledge of the impact of buildings and workplaces on occupiers' business performance" (see Figure 2).

Says Professor If Price of FMGC, "The business-led approach of FMGC to Facilities Management, combined with our understanding of knowledge management issues and Web site capability, were key factors in our appointment to develop and run the Web site. Above all, by implementing current ideas for new ways of working within our own premises, we were able to demonstrate in the day-to-day operation of FMGC, that we could talk across the traditional boundaries which often divide education, research and the corporate business world."

Figure 2 The occupier.org Web site

"occupier.org" is a collaborative initiative by organisations that want knowledge on the productivity of corporate buildings to be generally available to assist decision-makers. Members of the consortium believe that if occupiers are to make informed decisions on property, they or their advisors need to understand how property contributes not only to costs but also, more importantly, to the business delivery of the organisation. Publicly available literature does not yet provide this knowledge, despite some claims and examples.

The consortium comprises at present:

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  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions;

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  the RICS Foundation;

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  English Partnerships;

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  NACORE UK (the International Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives);

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  Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors;

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  Corporate Occupier Group (RICS COG); and

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  the Society of Property Researchers.

Other sponsors are being sought for the more important research phase now under consideration.

The first project, unveiled at the launch on 5 March 2001, was a review and evaluation of available literature by the FMGC team led by Professor If Price, and comprises a searchable database and a comprehensive report. The site also serves as a link to other sites presenting related evidence based research and is updated on a regular basis.

Reviewed working papers will be published as available, subject to blind peer review for both practitioner relevance and academic rigour.

The first, by Robert Heavisides (a graduate of FMGC and winner of the Claremont sponsored FM Graduate of the Year Award 2000) deals with Output based Facilities Management Specifications in the NHS and reinforces the lack of independent evidence-based research in the area.

The second, by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), will summarise their current research on workplace productivity.

The third paper will release new FMGC research into the influence of the physical environment in the choices made by undergraduates regarding a place of study.

Initial feedback on occupier.org has been positive. "We have heard from practitioners and academics, some from as far afield as Australia," says Professor If Price. "The number and diversity of organisations visiting the site, and the time they spend there, proves that we are meeting a demand."

Further information can be obtained from one of the following addresses:

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  Facilities Management Graduate Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Unit 7 Science Park, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK.

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  IPD Occupiers Property Databank, 7-8 Greenland Place, London NW1 0AP.

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  RICS Foundation, 12 Great George Street, London SW1P 3AD; Lynda Hinxman, Director. Tel: +44 (0) 114 225 4005; E-mail: l.hinxman@shu.ac.uk

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  Professor If Price, Tel: +44 (0) 114 225 4032; E-mail: i.price@shu.ac.uk

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  Christopher Hedley, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7643 9250; E-mail: opd@ipdindex.co.uk

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  Stephen Brown, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7334 3725; E-mail: stephen@rics-foundation.org