Search results

1 – 10 of over 3000
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 January 2024

Jasmine Elizabeth Black, Damian Maye, Anna Krzywoszynska and Stephen Jones

This paper examines how key actors in the UK food system (FS) understand the role of the local food sector in relation to FS resilience.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines how key actors in the UK food system (FS) understand the role of the local food sector in relation to FS resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Discourse analysis was used to assess and compare the framings of the UK FS in 36 publications released during Covid-19 from alternative food networks (AFNs) actors and from other more mainstream FS actors, including the UK government.

Findings

The analysis shows that AFNs actors perceive the UK FS as not resilient and identify local FSs as a route towards greater resilience (“systemic” framing). In contrast, other food actors perceive the UK FS as already resilient, with the role of local food limited to specific functions within the existing system (“add-on” framing). The two groups converge on the importance of dynamic public procurement and local abattoir provision, but this convergence does not undermine the fundamental divergence in the understanding of the role of “the local” in resilient UK FSs. The local food sector’s messages appear to have gone largely unheard in mainstream policy.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents an analysis of public sector reports focused on the UK FS released during the Covid-19 pandemic years 2020–2021. The corpus inclusion criteria mean that publications during this period which focus on other food sector issues, such social injustices, climate change and health, were not included in the analysis, although they may have touched upon local food issues. The authors further recognise that Covid-19 had a longer lasting effect on FSs than the years 2020–2021, and that many other publications on FSs have been published since. The time span chosen targets the time at which FSs were most disrupted and therefore aims to capture emerging issues and solutions for the UK FS. The authors’ insights should be further validated through a more complete review of both public reports and academic papers covering a wider base of food-related issues and sectors as well as a broader timespan.

Originality/value

A comparison of how different FS actors understand the importance of local food, especially in relation to resilience, has not been undertaken to date. The findings raise important questions about the disconnect between AFN actors and other actors in the framing of resilience. Considering the need to ensure resilience of the UK FS, this study's findings raise important insights for UK food policy about the “local food blindspot” and for food movement actors wishing to progress their vision of transformative change.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2019

Mustapha Munir, Arto Kiviniemi and Stephen W. Jones

Currently, building information modelling (BIM) is largely seen as a 3D model, not as an information model or information management tool. This wrong perception of BIM and low…

1713

Abstract

Purpose

Currently, building information modelling (BIM) is largely seen as a 3D model, not as an information model or information management tool. This wrong perception of BIM and low interest in 3D asset management (AM) is one of the major reasons for the slow adoption by clients in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify the techniques and strategies of streamlining AM systems for BIM-based integration, and how the information is captured from physical assets towards BIM-based integration for clients to derive value from BIM investments.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study strategy was used to study the strategic implementation process of integrating BIM with AM systems and the business value of BIM in AM by a large asset owner in the UK.

Findings

The paper identifies key strategies in the adoption of BIM-based processes by an asset owner, the implementation process, the challenges and the benefits attained. Several barriers were identified as the challenges of adopting BIM-based processes in AM: complexity and cost associated with BIM; irrelevance of 3D geometric data in AM processes; nature of asset ownership structure; managing the asset handover process; managing change within the organisation. Organisations will have to consider the following issues in streaming asset information with BIM: the development for a clear strategy prior to adoption; connecting the strategy to the business goals; and conducting the discovery exercise to identify organisational information needs.

Originality/value

The research addresses a significant gap in the development of techniques and strategies for asset owners to streamline BIM with AM systems and derive business value from such integration. The research context is a case study involving a large owner-operator in the UK that has been able to derive value from BIM systems in their AM processes. The key value of the paper is improving asset owners’ understanding of BIM in AM by demonstrating the implementation strategies, linkage to organisational objectives, challenges, value management process and business value of BIM in AM. Another contribution of the paper is improving the understanding of BIM, which is usually viewed as 3D models and that 3D geometric data do not have much value for AM tasks.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2020

Mustapha Munir, Arto Kiviniemi, Stephen Jones and Stephen Finnegan

There is a need to develop the understanding of asset owners concerning the constraints of building information modelling (BIM) implementation, and its subsequent value…

Abstract

Purpose

There is a need to develop the understanding of asset owners concerning the constraints of building information modelling (BIM) implementation, and its subsequent value realisation activities in asset management (AM) cannot be overstated. This is because the life cycle cost of a built asset is three times more than construction costs and five times more than the initial investment outlays. Hence, this paper investigated and identified the key issues and challenges of realising BIM business value in AM.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted an explorative and deductive approach. A qualitative four-stage research design strategy was adopted using 10 semi-structured interviews and document analysis to collect data. These were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis.

Findings

The study identified 15 key barriers and classified them from the perspective BIM governance dimensions, namely people, process and technology. Furthermore, the study identified that more process-based challenges are experienced than people or technology. Of the identified challenges, three are people-related, eight are process-related and four are technology-related.

Practical implications

The analysed results focussed on the development of the understanding of asset owners, policymakers and researchers regarding the complex challenges that hinder BIM utilisation and value realisation in AM. The findings of this paper support progress towards enhanced BIM adoption in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry by highlighting the significance of the identified challenges, their nature (people-, process- or technology-based) and the resultant effect on BIM business value realisation during asset operations.

Originality/value

The original contribution of this study was the exploration and identification of the current challenges experienced by asset owners in implementing BIM during asset operations and how these affect the derivation of BIM business value.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2019

Mustapha Munir, Arto Kiviniemi, Stephen Finnegan and Stephen W. Jones

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the processes, tools and techniques of strategic asset information management (AIM) for built assets, and how the asset information…

1073

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the processes, tools and techniques of strategic asset information management (AIM) for built assets, and how the asset information content enhances the proficiency of asset managers to effectively manage their assets throughout their life cycle by utilising building information modelling (BIM) and asset management (AM) systems. For most asset managers, the problem is not the lack of information about their assets, but the abundance of it, and most especially the absence of established processes and protocols to effectively manage large sets of asset data. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a strategy to control and manage this information in order for asset managers to harness its potential and realise value from their organisation’s information assets..

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study strategy was used to investigate the effective management of asset data in an AIM system. Seven sets of interviews were conducted and nine respondents were interviewed. These were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis using the NVivo software.

Findings

The paper identifies six dimensions of value that BIM contributes to AM, which are: management, commerce, efficiency, industry, user and technology value. Also, the paper demonstrates that there is real value to be derived by the asset owner from the effective management of asset information. The study highlights that the value of BIM is not inherent but would require many other processes to deliver value to the organisation.

Originality/value

The key value of the paper is that it identifies important techniques for managing asset data and how asset information is collected, organised, stored, controlled, analysed, secured, shared and reported within a virtual AIM system for strategic management-based decisions.

Details

Facilities , vol. 38 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2020

Mustapha Munir, Arto Kiviniemi, Stephen W. Jones and Stephen Finnegan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the activity systems that drive building information modelling (BIM) business value in asset management (AM). The…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the activity systems that drive building information modelling (BIM) business value in asset management (AM). The utilisation of BIM has widened in scope, functionality, flexibility and interoperability to support the AM business process. However, research concerning BIM business value in AM has been inadequate despite its considerable potential and significance in the attainment of organisational objectives. The realisation of BIM business value requires a concerted effort by the asset owner to be able to determine and appraise the critical activities that drive business value in AM.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative research approach based on a multi-case study strategy that aimed to identify the key business processes that drive BIM business value in AM. The study involved a three-stage research design using interviews and document analysis to facilitate a cross-case analysis from the perspective of the activity systems and dimensions of BIM governance.

Findings

The paper identified six critical activity systems that drive BIM business value for an asset owner: BIM strategy, contract management, lifecycle management, maintenance management, work-order management and value realisation management. The study found that the most developed activity system is the BIM strategy, and the least is value realisation management across all cases. Also, the paper points out that the most proficient BIM governance dimension is process, and the least is people across the three cases. The study noted that the ability of an asset owner to realise BIM business value has maturity undertones and that the asset owner could derive BIM business value, if the six activity systems are effectively executed and continuously improved to an advanced stage of maturity.

Originality/value

An original contribution of the study is the development of the understanding of asset owners in relation to the discovery of key activity systems that drive BIM business value in AM. Another significant contribution of this paper is the demonstration of a novel approach to evaluate organisational maturity of asset owners from the perspectives of the activity systems and BIM governance dimensions of people, process and technology.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2016

Yang Zou, Arto Kiviniemi and Stephen W. Jones

The purpose of this paper is to address the current theoretical gap in integrating knowledge and experience into Building Information Model (BIM) for risk management of bridge…

2504

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the current theoretical gap in integrating knowledge and experience into Building Information Model (BIM) for risk management of bridge projects by developing a tailored Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) and formalising an active link between the resulting RBS and BIM.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-step approach is used in this study to develop a tailored RBS for bridge projects and a conceptual model for the linkage between the RBS and BIM. First, the integrated bridge information model is in concept separated into four levels of contents (LOCs) and six technical systems based on analysis of the Industry Foundation Classes specification, a critical review of previous studies and authors’ project experience. The second step develops a knowledge-based risk database through an extensive collection of risk data, a process of data mining, and further assessment and translation of data. A critical analysis is conducted in the last step to determine on which level the different risks should be allocated to bridge projects and to propose a conceptual model for linking the tailored RBS to the four LOCs and six technical systems of BIM.

Findings

The findings suggest that the traditional method and BIM can be merged as an integrated solution for risk management by establishing the linkage between RBS and BIM. This solution can take advantage of both the traditional method and BIM for managing risks. On the one hand, RBS enables risk information to be stored in a formal structure, used and communicated effectively. On the other hand, some features of BIM such as 3D visualisation and 4D construction scheduling can facilitate the risk identification, analysis, and communication at an early project stage.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation is that RBS is a qualitative technique and only plays a limited role in quantitative risk analysis. As a result, when implementing this proposed method, further techniques may be needed for assisting quantitative risk analysis, evaluation, and treatment. Another limitation is that the proposed method has not yet been implemented for validation in practice. Hence, recommendations for future research are to: improve the quantitative risk analysis and treatment capabilities of this proposed solution; develop computer tools to support the solution; integrate the linkage into a traditional workflow; and test this solution in some small and large projects for validation.

Practical implications

Through linking risk information to BIM, project participants could check and review the linked information for identifying potential risks and seeking possible mitigation measures, when project information is being transferred between different people or forwarded to the next phase.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theoretical development for aligning traditional methods and BIM for risk management, by introducing a new conceptual model for linking RBS to BIM.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Transport Survey Methods
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84-855844-1

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2020

David Oloke

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Book part
Publication date: 4 July 2013

Billy J. Stratton

Purpose – This chapter attempts to provide a literary analysis of the various ways in which the importance of basketball in North American Native culture has…

Abstract

Purpose – This chapter attempts to provide a literary analysis of the various ways in which the importance of basketball in North American Native culture has been represented in literature produced by three Native American authors: James Welch, Stephen Graham Jones, and Sherman Alexie.

Design/methodology/approach – The foundation of this study is derived from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s account of his experiences as a coach of Apache players in Arizona in A Season on The Reservation, and the example of Shoni Schimmel, from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, who is featured in the documentary, Off the Rez. These documentary accounts are supplemented by a critical apparatus drawn from the ideas of the Anishinaabe critic, Gerald Vizenor.

Findings – The character of the Native basketball star functions as a complex signifier that resists Western conceptions of individual achievement and success in favor of Native conceptions of community and cultural survivance.

Research limitations/implications – The limitations of literary analysis stem from the engagement with a body of Native literature that is by no means comprehensive. In addition, the views expressed by each writer are necessarily punctuated by narrative ambiguity and indeterminacy.

Originality/value – The chapter provides a unique introduction to the motif of basketball in contemporary Native American fiction and the storytelling practices from which meaning emerges. The analysis of the works addressed highlights a Native-centered interpretive approach that reveals the complex meaning of basketball in Native American society. The use of this culturally responsive critical paradigm allows readers to approach Native literary achievement on its own terms, rather than from the perspective of the dominant culture.

Details

Native Games: Indigenous Peoples and Sports in the Post-Colonial World
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-592-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2002

Martha O’Mara, Eugene F. Page and Stephen F. Valenziano

The Global dispersed corporate real estate operations and decision making processess of 26 international companies in six industry segments are compared. High standing CRE…

1021

Abstract

The Global dispersed corporate real estate operations and decision making processess of 26 international companies in six industry segments are compared. High standing CRE organisations, which are indicated by fewer levels between the CRE executive and CEO, frequent CRE meetings with senior management, a broad span of control for facility and real estate operations, and an executive committee for real estate matters, share common characteristics. High standing CRE organisations receive more strategic planning information, have more authority and power, and more formal policies and standards. Use of relationship management with business units also corresponds with better sharing of planning information. Some of the challenges faced today by firms carry large international real estate portfolios include: cultural issues, financing concerns, lack of local expertise/market knowledge, corruption in locales, and a lack of a standard/streamlined process.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000