Supply network design in the residential-FM sector

Facilities ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 723-738
Author(s):  
Arto Pekka Juhani Huuskonen

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine supply network designs that large service organisations use in the residential-FM sector to respond to the organising requirements of their operating environments. Design/methodology/approach – The study is theoretically grounded in the well-established literature on the organisational design and structural contingency theory. Utilising a framework of generic organising problems proposed by Miles and Snow (1978) and a multiple-case study design, the study elaborates how large service organisations organise and manage their supply networks in the Finnish residential-FM sector. Findings – The study identifies four supply network designs that organisations use for responding to the organising problems inherent in the property and resident services domains in the residential-FM sector. These include regional production organisation, horizontal decentralisation, environment stabilisation and demand – supply pooling, reflecting the type of the service-market domain and the organisation’s service strategy. Originality/value – The study contributes to the facilities management literature by expanding the field of inquiry from the commercial real estate sector into the emerging field of professional residential facility services. In particular, the study adds to the discussion on supply strategies and design, offering a service provider perspective to the organisation of service supply in housing.

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 1164-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Marques

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to scrutinise how the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature has discussed knowledge dynamics across the extended supply network, particularly in the contemporary context of fragmented, globally dispersed supply networks. Design/methodology/approach A systematic approach to reviewing the literature is applied, covering 20 years, starting with 267 references, and narrowing down to 88 articles specifically addressing knowledge diffusion processes across the extended supply network. Findings This study shows that vertical ties limited to direct suppliers or third-party monitoring of global suppliers are both insufficient. Lack of co-opetition is an impediment to knowledge diffusion. And the debate of whether or not global dispersion is an impediment to knowledge diffusion seems inconclusive. More importantly, there is a lack of network-level studies mapping the diversity of actors in supply networks. Research limitations/implications First, future SSCM research should shift from an operational focus to strategic knowledge diffusion. Second, the scope of SSCM should expand from linear buyer–supplier relationships to multi-tier and multilateral studies. Special focus should be placed on the literature on social network to support processes that look at the drivers of effective large-scale, global diffusion of sustainability. Originality/value This review contends that it is paramount to set a new research direction captured in a new definition of “sustainable supply network management”. Future research should overcome the barriers of data collection at the network level in order to contribute to the field’s current challenges, which clearly lies in globally dispersed and complex supply network, not dyads or linear chains.


Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (13/14) ◽  
pp. 891-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Palm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the real estate owner (decision maker) insures being able to make informed decisions and how they differ according to organisational form. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on an interview study of nineteen firm representatives, six decision makers and thirteen management representatives, all from Swedish commercial real estate sector. Findings The study concludes that, regardless of organisational setting, the industry has a plan regarding handling information. The decision makers have all secured themselves access to the required/desired information. How this is done and what kind of information it is however differ, if the real estate management is in-house or outsourced. Furthermore, a clear focus on financial and contractual information is evident in both organisational settings. Research limitations/implications The research in this paper is limited to Swedish commercial real estate sector. Practical implications The insight the paper provides regarding required information can shed light on how information systems are built and how to improve your information sharing. Originality/value It provides an insight regarding how the industry, depending on organisation setting, prioritises different information and how the decision maker secures access to it.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Palm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the strategies of formal customer evaluations and the use of satisfied customer index in the Swedish commercial real estate industry. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on an inventory of 24 commercial real estate companies use of formal customer evaluations and an analysis of 15 interviews with top-level managers in the Swedish commercial real estate sector. Findings – Only half of the companies included in the study conduct formal evaluations, although they are considered to work customer oriented. Two different strategies for using formal evaluations is, for improvement work and for signalling quality. One proposed explanation to why only half of the companies conduct formal evaluations is the possibility that the official Swedish Real Estate Barometer is not sufficient if the company would like to use the result for organisational development. There are instead indications that this barometer mainly is used in publicity and marketing purpose, to signal quality. Research limitations/implications – The research in this paper is limited to Swedish commercial real estate sector. But, the overall strategies for conducting formal evaluations should be applicable in general. Practical implications – The insight the paper provides regarding how the industry perceive the Swedish Real Estate Barometer gives direct implications of improvements of the barometer. Originality/value – It provides an insight regarding the use of formal customer evaluations and a proposition of how the Swedish Real Estate Barometer could be changed to better support and fulfil the aim of being a barometer for benchmarking.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Byung-Gak Son ◽  
Sangho Chae ◽  
Canan Kocabasoglu-Hillmer

PurposeCatastrophic supply chain disruptions can significantly damage the operational and financial performance of firms. While a growing body of literature on supply network structures has studied what influences supply networks' vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and capability to recover from them, it remains unclear how supply network structures change after major supply chain disruptions. We aim to provide an understanding of how these changes occur.Design/methodology/approachUsing a natural experiment approach and supply network data from Factset, this study investigates how firms' supply network structures change after experiencing the catastrophic supply chain disruptions caused by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We capture post-earthquake supply network changes using the measures of degree centrality and ego network density.FindingsThe results of the analysis suggest that compared to unaffected firms, the affected firms experience changes in their supply network structures tending toward lower complexity measured by in-degree centrality, out-degree centrality and ego network density.Originality/valueThis study contributes to social network theory and the complex adaptive supply network literature by providing empirical evidence of structural changes in supply networks after catastrophic supply chain disruptions. A managerial contribution is made by providing a reflection on why these changes might be occurring and alert firms to the challenges of managing complexity in their supply networks.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elcio M. Tachizawa ◽  
María J. Alvarez-Gil ◽  
María J. Montes-Sancho

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of smart city initiatives and big data on supply chain management (SCM). More specifically, the connections between smart cities, big data and supply network characteristics (supply network structure and governance mechanisms) are investigated. Design/methodology/approach – An integrative framework is proposed, grounded on a literature review on smart cities, big data and supply networks. Then, the relationships between these constructs are analyzed, using the proposed integrative framework. Findings – Smart cities have different implications to network structure (complexity, density and centralization) and governance mechanisms (formal vs informal). Moreover, this work highlights and discusses the future research directions relating to smart cities and SCM. Research limitations/implications – The relationships between smart cities, big data and supply networks cannot be described simply by using a linear, cause-and-effect framework. Accordingly, an integrative framework that can be used in future empirical studies to analyze smart cities and big data implications on SCM has been proposed. Practical implications – Smart cities and big data alone have limited capacity of improving SCM processes, but combined they can support improvement initiatives. Nevertheless, smart cities and big data can also suppose some novel obstacles to effective SCM. Originality/value – Several studies have analyzed information technology innovation adoption in supply chains, but, to the best of our knowledge, no study has focused on smart cities.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Munyami Kinatta ◽  
Twaha Kigongo Kaawaase ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Isaac Nkote ◽  
Stephen Korutaro Nkundabanyanga

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between investor cognitive bias, investor intuitive attributes and investment decision quality in commercial real estate in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional research survey was used in this study, and data were collected from 200 investors of commercial real estate in Uganda using a structured questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses derived under this study.FindingsThe results indicate that investor cognitive bias and investor intuitive attributes are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality in commercial real estate. In addition, the two components of Investor cognitive bias (framing variation and cognitive heuristics) are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality, whereas mental accounting is a negative and significant determinant of investment decision quality. For investor intuitive attributes, confidence degree and loss aversion are positive and significant determinants of investment decision quality, whereas herding behavior is a negative and significant determinant of investment decision quality in commercial real estate in Uganda.Practical implicationsFor practitioners in commercial real estate sector should emphasize independent evaluation of investment opportunities (framing variation), simplify information regarding investments (Cognitive heuristics), believe in own abilities (Confidence degree), be risk averse (loss aversion) and avoid making decisions based on subjective visual mind (mental accounting) and group think/herding in order to make quality investment decisions. For policymakers, the study has illuminated factors such as provision of reliable information that ought to be taken into account when promulgating policies for regulation of the commercial real estate sector. This will help investors to come up with investment decisions which are plausible.Originality/valueFew studies have focused on investor cognitive bias and investor intuitive attributes on investment decision quality in commercial real estate. This study is the first to examine the relationship, especially in the commercial real estate sector in a developing country like Uganda.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Copping ◽  
Noorullah Kuchai ◽  
Laura Hattam ◽  
Natalia Paszkiewicz ◽  
Dima Albadra ◽  
...  

PurposeUnderstanding the supply network of construction materials used to construct shelters in refugee camps, or during the reconstruction of communities, is important as it can reveal the intricate links between different stakeholders and the volumes and speeds of material flows to the end-user. Using social network analysis (SNA) enables another dimension to be analysed – the role of commonalities. This is likely to be particularly important when attempting to replace vernacular materials with higher-performing alternatives or when encouraging the use of non-vernacular methods. This paper aims to analyse the supply networks of four different disaster-relief situations.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from interviews with 272 displaced (or formally displaced) families in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Turkey, often in difficult conditions.FindingsThe results show that the form of the supply networks was highly influenced by the nature/cause of the initial displacement, the geographical location, the local availability of materials and the degree of support/advice given by aid agencies and or governments. In addition, it was found that SNA could be used to indicate which strategies might work in a particular context and which might not, thereby potentially speeding up the delivery of novel solutions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study represents the first attempt in theorising and empirically investigating supply networks using SNA in a post-disaster reconstruction context. It is suggested that future studies might map the up-stream supply chain to include manufacturers and higher-order, out of country, suppliers. This would provide a complete picture of the origins of all materials and components in the supply network.Originality/valueThis is original research, and it aims to produce new knowledge.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jury Gualandris ◽  
Hervé Legenvre ◽  
Matteo Kalchschmidt

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce and define the concept of purchasing ambidexterity in terms of two dimensions: balance dimension and combined dimension. The study proceeds to empirically examine the multiple performance effects generated for the buying firm and its key suppliers. Design/methodology/approach Ambidexterity theory informs the authors’ conceptual model. To test the hypotheses, the authors collected survey data from 95 purchasing functions of medium and large European firms and applied various estimation techniques. Findings This research indicates that ambidexterity substantially varies across purchasing functions. Further, it discovers that a purchasing function’s ability to advance the combined magnitude of exploratory and exploitative activities represents an essential determinant of supplier efficiency, supplier product innovation, and buyer financial performance. Notably, this research also discovers that balancing the magnitudes of exploratory and exploitative activities on a relative basis produces negative effects on the innovativeness of the supply network. Originality/value Although ambidexterity theory has been applied to supply chain management, limited attention has been dedicated to purchasing ambidexterity. This gap led us to study how purchasing impacts the competitiveness of the buying firm and of its supply network by balancing and combining exploratory and exploitative activities. This research is the first to advance the notion of purchasing ambidexterity, unpack its underlying dimensions, and examine its multiple performance implications. Such a conceptual and empirical development presents new perspectives on how purchasing can help the buying firm and its supply network to strengthen their competitiveness.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Palm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify factors on the property management level for analysing incentives for an effective property management with a focus on organising it in-house. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on an interview study of 11 firm representatives from the Swedish commercial real estate sector with in-house property management. Findings The study concludes that the property management organisation in the in-house setting is governed in an informal way, with a large portion of “freedom with responsibilities” setup instead of regulations. Research limitations/implications The research in this paper is limited to the Swedish commercial real estate sector. Practical implications The insights into the paper regarding how decision makers create incentives for the property management organisation can provide inspiration to design incentives for effort. Originality/value It provides an insight regarding how the commercial real estate industry prioritises different work tasks and how incentives are created to enable effort.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell J. van den Adel ◽  
Thomas A. de Vries ◽  
Dirk Pieter van Donk

Purpose Critical infrastructures (CIs) for essential services such as water supply and electricity delivery are notoriously vulnerable to disruptions. While extant literature offers important insights into the resilience of CIs following large-scale disasters, our understanding of CI resilience to the more typical disruptions that affect CIs on a day-to-day basis remains limited. The present study investigates how the interorganizational (supply) network that uses and manages the CI can mitigate the adverse consequences of day-to-day disruptions. Design/methodology/approach Longitudinal archival data on 277 day-to-day disruptions within the Dutch national railway CI were collected and analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Findings The empirical results largely support the study’s predictions that day-to-day disruptions have greater adverse effects if they co-occur or are relatively unprecedented. The findings further show that the involved interorganizational network can enhance CI resilience to these disruptions, in particular, by increasing the overall level of cross-boundary information exchange between organizations inside the network. Practical implications This study helps managers to make well-informed choices regarding the target and intensity of their cross-boundary information-exchange efforts when dealing with day-to-day disruptions affecting their CI. The findings illustrate the importance of targeting cross-boundary information exchange at the complete interorganizational network responsible for the CI and to increase the intensity of such efforts when CI disruptions co-occur and/or are unprecedented. Originality/value This study contributes to our academic understanding of how network-level processes (i.e. cross-boundary information exchange) can be managed to ensure interorganizational (supply) networks’ resilience to day-to-day disruptions in a CI context. Subsequent research may draw from the conceptual framework advanced in the present study for examining additional supply network-level processes that can influence the effectiveness of entire supply networks. As such, the present research may assist scholars to move beyond a simple dyadic context and toward examining complete supply networks


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document