scholarly journals Outsourcing energy retrofitting of hotel buildings: the decision-making process

2019 ◽  
Vol 266 ◽  
pp. 01016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.F.F. Fasna ◽  
Sachie Gunatilake
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Energy Retrofit ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Energy Service ◽  
The Right

Poor energy performance of existing buildings worldwide has led to a crucial need to retrofit existing buildings to minimise energy consumption. Among the existing buildings, hotels use as much as 50% of their total expenses on energy and offer significant opportunities for energy efficiency improvement. Yet, comparatively the level of implementation of energy retrofits found to be low, which has attributed to, inter alia, the absence of a clearly defined process for ensuring the delivery of energy retrofit projects and lack of proactive guidance for project teams to ensure that they make the right decisions at the right time to achieve the desired outcomes. Since many energy retrofit projects in existing hotels are carried out with the involvement of an external contractor, or an Energy Service Company (ESCO), this study focuses on investigating the decision-making process in implementing energy retrofits when the project is outsourced to an external party. An in-depth case study is used to obtain insights into the critical decisions to be taken and key activities to be performed throughout the decision-making process. The findings are used to propose a step-by-step decision-making process comprising of three key phases: i.e., pre-retrofit, retrofit implementation and post-retrofit. It is hoped that the decision-making process developed in this study will serve as a roadmap for the effective adoption and implementation of energy retrofits in existing hotel buildings when an external contractor is involved.

Choosing action plans for strategic manufacturing objectives using AHP

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Chiarini
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Manufacturing Strategy ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Managerial Style ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology can help in the decision-making process of choosing action plans linked to manufacturing strategy. The research also analyses the path which some managers followed for defining and selecting the action plans as well as the organisational obstacles and pitfalls the managers encountered. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an exploratory case study in a medium-sized Italian manufacturing company. The authors collected, coded and discussed data from the AHP implementation. Furthermore, during the observation of how the managers dealt with the decision-making path, the authors collected, coded and discussed the qualitative data. Findings Results showed that AHP made the decision-making process of choosing between alternative plans more objective. However, the authors observed obstacles and pitfalls mainly linked to organisational aspects such as creating team and staff’s awareness, involvement and commitment as well as staff’s skills. Other interesting findings are linked to the creation of managers’ consensus and the top manager’s managerial style and how the latter could affect the AHP consistency ratio. Research limitations/implications This research is based on a case study. The findings need to be tested by other scholars and practitioners in different organisations. Moreover, issues such as management consensus and negotiation in manufacturing organisations and managerial style need further research. Practical implications AHP methodology can help practitioners who are dealing with the deployment of strategic manufacturing objectives and who are trying to employ methods for choosing the right action plan. Besides, practitioners are aware of specific organisational obstacles and pitfalls encountered on the strategic deployment path. Originality/value This paper proposes for the first time the use of the AHP methodology for choosing between action plans derived from strategic manufacturing objectives.

Roles and functions of stakeholders in implementing energy retrofits in the hotel sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-751
Author(s):  
M.F.F. Fasna ◽  
Sachie Gunatilake
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Energy Service ◽  
Hotel Sector ◽  
The Right

PurposeThe success of energy retrofits (ER) projects is highly dependent on the involvement of right stakeholders at the right stage. So far, little insight is available from previous literature on the involvement of different stakeholders during various stages of the ER decision-making process, and their roles and functions in the respective stages. This is specifically true in the context of Energy Service Company (ESCO) led ER projects, which is an emerging trend in the current context. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the roles and functions of stakeholders during different stages of an ESCO-led ER project in the hotel sector.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth case study was conducted in a selected hotel building to gain insights into the roles and functions of stakeholders throughout the project stages. To collect the required data, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven selected respondents within the case.FindingsThe study identified nine key stakeholders that were involved during five different project stages along with their functions. Based on these identified functions, four main roles (i.e. decision-maker, performer, monitor/observer, and supporter) emerged that were reflective of the nature of the stakeholders' involvement in different stages of the decision-making process. Owner/client, facilities manager (FM), ESCO and architect attached to ESCO emerged as the key “decision-makers” during project implementation process.Originality/valueThe outcomes of this research would be useful in ensuring the proactive involvement of all the identified stakeholders in respective project stages of ESCO led ER projects in the hotel sector.

The effective outsourcing of building retrofitting: key decisions and motivators

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-384
Author(s):  
M.F.F. Fasna ◽  
Sachie Gunatilake
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Successful Execution ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Energy Service

Purpose Despite their energy conservation potential, still existing buildings are slow in embracing building energy efficiency retrofits (BEER), mainly because of the absence of a clearly defined process to deliver the BEER projects, and the lack of proactive guidance for project teams. Further, the identification of factors that can facilitate BEER projects is also important to ensure the project success. This is particularly true in energy service company (ESCO)-led projects. Hence, this study aims at investigating the decision-making process, including the motivators for the successful execution of each stage in implementing BEER when projects are outsourced to a third party. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth case study was carried out to investigate the decision-making process and motivators in implementing BEER in a selected hotel building. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the required data within the case. Findings Study disclosed the 13 key decisions made and 37 key activities performed in each stage of the project. A total of 19 motivators for the successful execution of the respective stages were also elicited. Ultimately, the research findings are mapped against the five key stages of BEER decision-making process. Originality/value The outcome of this study will provide the industry practitioners a basis for the effective adoption and implementation of BEER in existing hotel buildings when an external contractor is involved.

An Examination of an ERP Software Selection Process

2011 ◽  
pp. 92-113
Author(s):  
David Sammon ◽  
Daivd Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Software Package ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Software Selection ◽  
World Class ◽  
Erp Software ◽  
The Right

In this chapter a case study of a world-class manufacturing organisation implementing SAP is purposefully used to demonstrate the influence of bias over requirements in the decision making process. Furthermore, this research highlights the difficulties in determining if the ERP package selected by an organisation is in fact the right software package, to fulfil the functional requirements of the organisation.

scholarly journals DEFINING AND DEVELOPING AN ENERGY RETROFITTING APPROACH

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. Luther ◽  
Priyadarsini Rajagopalan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Commercial Building ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Building Component ◽  
Electrical Demand ◽  
Building Operation

This paper identifies the dilemma faced by the stakeholders of existing buildings in regards to a decision making process for energy retrofitting. This paper also identifies the missing stage viewed as the “integrity audit “which can lead to substantial savings in the area of building operation. The methodology is centered on identifying energy waste first, reducing the overall peak electrical demand and then retrofitting for energy-efficiency. A proposed “integrity audit” leads to the classification of three main energy culprits: the identification of waste, missed opportunities, and rescheduling the operation of equipment use. A case study indicating the financial advantages of applying this methodology for a commercial building are presented. The energy retrofitting strategy is divided into two main categories, namely building control improvements and building component implementation. The payback periods are often within months if not immediate.

The Right to Self-Determination of Ethnic Groups: The Canton of Jura in Switzerland

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-269
Author(s):  
Tina Kempin Reuter
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
International Law ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Territorial Claims ◽  
The Right

The right to self-determination of peoples has become interconnected with the rights of ethnic groups, including the right to determine the group’s own affairs and to participate in the decision-making process of the state. This article argues that a “people-centred” understanding of the right to self-determination is evolving in international law in response to emerging claims of non-traditional non-state actors such as ethnic groups. The case study of the establishment and continuing negotiations over the boundaries of the canton of Jura in Switzerland serves as an illustration of such a “people-centred” approach to self-determination. Findings suggest that the approach taken by the Bernese and Jurassians can serve as a role model for other ethnic groups in constitutional democracies with territorial claims.

Did Groupthink or Polythink Derail the 2016 Raqqa Offensive?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasey Barr ◽  
Alex Mintz
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Tactical Decisions

This chapter examines the effect of group dynamics on the 2016 decision within the administration of President Barack Obama to lead the international coalition in a mission to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from the Islamic State. The authors show that whereas the groupthink syndrome characterized the decision-making process of the US-led coalition’s decision to attack Raqqa, it was polythink that characterized the decision-making dynamics both in the US-led coalition and within the inner circle of Obama’s own foreign policy advisors. Through case-study analysis, the authors illustrate that groupthink is more likely in strategic decisions, whereas polythink is more likely in tactical decisions.

scholarly journals Decision-Making Processes in Controlling Exposure to Sunlight Supported by Simulation Tools: A Case Study in Warm Weather

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4100
Author(s):  
Mariana Huskinson ◽  
Antonio Galiano-Garrigós ◽  
Ángel Benigno González-Avilés ◽  
M. Isabel Pérez-Millán
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Simulation Tools ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Impact

Improving the energy performance of existing buildings is one of the main strategies defined by the European Union to reduce global energy costs. Amongst the actions to be carried out in buildings to achieve this objective is working with passive measures adapted to each type of climate. To assist designers in the process of finding appropriate solutions for each building and location, different tools have been developed and since the implementation of building information modeling (BIM), it has been possible to perform an analysis of a building’s life cycle from an energy perspective and other types of analysis such as a comfort analysis. In the case of Spain, the first BIM environment tool has been implemented that deals with the global analysis of a building’s behavior and serves as an alternative to previous methods characterized by their lack of both flexibility and information offered to designers. This paper evaluates and compares the official Spanish energy performance evaluation tool (Cypetherm) released in 2018 using a case study involving the installation of sunlight control devices as part of a building refurbishment. It is intended to determine how databases and simplifications affect the designer’s decision-making. Additionally, the yielded energy results are complemented by a comfort analysis to explore the impact of these improvements from a users’ wellbeing viewpoint. At the end of the process the yielded results still confirm that the simulation remains far from reality and that simulation tools can indeed influence the decision-making process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document