ICT-based integrated framework for smart facility management: an industry perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Sulaiman ◽  
Mohammed Sulaiman ◽  
Hexu Liu ◽  
Mohamed Binalhaj ◽  
Maha Al-Kasasbeh ◽  
...  

Purpose Current facility management (FM) practices are inefficient and ineffective, partially because of missing information and communication issues. Information and communications technologies (ICT) are asserted to provide a promising solution for managing and operating facilities. However, the impact of ICT applications on current FM practices needs to be validated and the perception of FM professionals on ICT-based FM needs to be understood. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impacts and the perception of ICT application on FM practice and further develop an ICT-based integrated framework for smart FM practices. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the objective, the research starts with reviewing several promising ICT for FM, including building information modeling, geographic information systems, unmanned aerial vehicle and augmented reality. On this basis, a conceptional framework was synthesized in consideration of the benefits of each technology. A survey questionnaire to FM professionals was conducted to evaluate the proposed framework and identify the challenges of adopting ICT in the FM industry. Furthermore, return on investment and strength, weakness, opportunities and threats analysis have been used in this paper as evaluation methods for ICT industry adoption. Findings The survey results are validated by FM professionals for the future engagement of the integrated ICT applications. Also, the proposed framework can assist the decision-makers to have comprehensive information about facilities and systematize the communication among stakeholders. Originality/value This research provides an integrated framework for smart FM to improve decision-making, capitalizing on the ICT applications. Apart from this, the study sheds light on future research endeavors for other ICT applications.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiwen Liu ◽  
Juma Hamisi Nzige ◽  
Kaijian Li

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discover the distribution and trends of existing Offsite construction (OSC) literature with an intention to highlight research niches and propose the future outline. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted literature reviews methodology involving 1,057 relevant documents published in 2008-2017 from 15 journals. The selected documents were empirically analyzed through a topic-modeling technique. A latent Dirichlet allocation model was applied to each document to infer 50 key topics. A machine learning for language toolkit was used to get topic posterior word distribution and word composition. Findings This is an exploratory study, which identifies the distribution of topics and themes; the trend of topics and themes; journal distribution trends; and comparative topic, themes and journal distribution trend. The distribution and trends show an increase in researcher’s interest and the journal’s priority on OSC research. Nevertheless, OSC existing literature is faced with; under-researched topics such as building information modeling, smart construction and marketing. The under-researched themes include organizational management, supply chain and context. The authors also found an overload of similar information in prefabrication and concrete topics. Furthermore, the innovative methods and constraints themes were found to be overloaded with similar information. Research limitations/implications The naming of the themes was based on our own interpretation; hence, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, a comparative study using different data processing is proposed. The study also provides future research outline as follows: studying OSC topics from dynamic evolution perspective and identifying the new emerging topics; searching for effective strategies to enhance OSC research; identifying the contribution of countries, affiliation and funding agency; and studying the impact of these themes to the adoption of OSC. Practical implications This study is of values to the scholars, as it could stimulate research to under-researched areas. Originality/value This paper justifies a need to have a broad understanding of the nature and structure of existing OSC literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Hilal ◽  
Tayyab Maqsood ◽  
Amir Abdekhodaee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to statistically classify and categorize Building Information Modelling (BIM)-Facility Management (FM) publications in order to extract useful information related to the adoption and use of BIM in FM. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a quantitative approach using science mapping techniques to examine BIM-FM publications using Web of Science (WOS) database for the period between 2000 and April 2018. Findings The findings guide the researchers who are interested in the BIM-FM model by providing visual maps analysis of that area in a simple, easy and readable way. In addition, they help the researchers to understand which authors and journals to consider when dealing with BIM-FM topics. Finally, knowledge gaps in this domain can be identified easily using the findings of the Scientometric analysis. Research limitations/implications First, the results of the analysis depend on the database that has been extracted from WOS, and therefore it carries any of WOS’s limitations in terms of how much it covers the published studies. Another limitation is that the study is based on exploration of “what” questions, rather than “how” and “why”. These limitations represent the hot topics to be addressed in future research. Originality/value This research is the first to conduct the Scientometric Analysis of BIM-FM topics, in which 68 top-ranked publications were systematically examined using a Science Mapping method through VOSviewer software.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Ming Shan ◽  
Zhao Xu

Purpose Although the handover stage is the key transition stage between the construction and operation, there is no critical overview of issues and research at the handover stage, hindering the achievement of sustainable development of buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the building handover-related issues and research in construction and facility management (FM) journals. The specific objectives of this study include: analyze the research trends and overview the handover-related publications; identify the major research topics on the handover of buildings; identify research gaps and propose future research directions. Design/methodology/approach This study opted for a four-step systematic review of papers from the well-known academic journals in the construction and FM respects. Findings The results first revealed the increasing research interest in the handover of buildings from the researchers. Moreover, the post-construction defects, poor information fidelity, poor interoperability between building information modeling (BIM) and FM technologies, and insufficient consideration of end users were identified as the most concerned challenges for a building handover. Furthermore, identifying and formalizing information requirements for handover, improving the handover process, and improving the interoperability between BIM and FM were solutions mostly emphasized by researchers. Research limitations/implications As the first systematic review of building handover-related issues and research, this study is the building block for future research on this topic. The findings provide guidance for researchers in the construction and FM research community, and help them form useful collaboration for future research opportunities and find future research directions. Practical implications The identified significant challenges and potential solutions for a building handover could assist practitioners in making rational decisions on developing or adopting relevant technologies, and reshaping their management patterns and working processes. Moreover, the findings could be severed as evidence for policymakers to initiate policies, such as documents e-submission and timely updating BIMs, to achieve the vision of model-based project delivery. Originality/value This study contributed to the body of knowledge of sustainable development by providing a new insight to tackle the hindrance to the smooth transition from the construction to the operation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Yousefli ◽  
Fuzhan Nasiri ◽  
Osama Moselhi

Purpose The complexity and criticality of healthcare services highlight the importance of maintenance management function in healthcare facilities. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on maintenance management of healthcare facilities and hospital buildings to provide an organized literature review and identify gaps from the perspective of research and practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper categorizes the literature and adopts a review hierarchy according to maintenance management functions in hospital buildings. It explores the impact of those functions on the performance of maintenance activities in hospitals. Furthermore, it examines the role of information technology and automated decision support systems in facilitating hospital maintenance management functions and performance. Findings Literature on maintenance management in healthcare facilities and hospital buildings has so far been very limited. Recently published literature focusing on healthcare facilities management and its maintenance management functions is classified into various areas and sub-areas. The paper highlights gaps in the literature and suggests avenues for future research and improvements. Originality/value The paper contains a comprehensive listing of publications and their classifications according to various attributes. It will be useful for researchers, maintenance managers, practitioners and stakeholders concerned with facility management of hospital buildings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikdokht Ghadiminia ◽  
Mohammad Mayouf ◽  
Sharon Cox ◽  
Jan Krasniewicz

Purpose Building information modelling (BIM) creates a golden thread of information of the facility, which proves useful to those with the malicious intent of breaching the security of the facility. A cyber-attack incurs adverse implications for the facility and its managing organisation. Hence, this paper aims to unravel the impact of a cybersecurity breach, by developing a BIM-facilities management (FM) cybersecurity-risk-matrix to portray what a cybersecurity attack means for various working areas of FM. Design/methodology/approach This study commenced with exploring cybersecurity within various stages of a BIM project. This showcased a heightened risk of cybersecurity at the post-occupancy phase. Hence, thematic analysis of two main domains of BIM-FM and cybersecurity in the built environment led to the development of a matrix that illustrated the impact of a cybersecurity attack on a BIM-FM organisation. Findings Findings show that the existing approaches to the management of cybersecurity in BIM-FM are technology-dependent, resulting in an over-reliance on technology and a lack of cybersecurity awareness of aspects related to people and processes. This study sheds light on the criticality of cyber-risk at the post-occupancy phase, highlighting the FM areas which will be compromised as a result of a cyber-attack. Originality/value This study seeks to shift focus to the people and process aspects of cybersecurity in BIM-FM. Through discussing the interconnections between the physical and digital assets of a built facility, this study develops a cyber-risk matrix, which acts as a foundation for empirical investigations of the matter in future research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilla Hortovanyi ◽  
Adrienn Ferincz

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between on-the-job learning and information and communication technology (ICT). Design/methodology/approach – Action research methodology was applied to study 62 small- and medium-sized corporations, and to interview over 200 knowledge workers and managers. The qualitative, textual data collected were transformed into 16 variables and analysed by multidimensional scaling. Findings – The paper provides insights into the optimal use of ICT in intra-organizational knowledge transfer and learning. We found that it is essential to use the right combination and number of technologies, aligned with the organization’s internal processes. Four different types of organizations with sub-optimal usage of ICT and possible strategies for them to reach the optimal zone were identified. For successful organizational learning, however, more is needed: the individual must also understand the value of learning and must be motivated to take part in it. Research limitations/implications – On-the-job-learning can be facilitated with ICT tools but only if the organization invests in the right levels of ICT. Too much technology can be as destructive to on-the-job learning as too little. Future research should look at other contexts (size, age, industry, etc.) to validate these findings. Practical implications – The paper demonstrates the effective use of ICT in knowledge transfer and on-the-job learning. Originality/value – The paper extends our understanding of human–computer collaboration. It highlights that finding the optimal level of ICT is essential for successful knowledge transfer and on-the-job learning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1735-1749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunil Park ◽  
Sang Jib Kwon ◽  
Jinyoung Han

Purpose Although the notable and significant role of building information modeling (BIM) technologies in construction industries has gained user attention, only few studies have been examined on the user adoption of the technologies. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an acceptance model for BIM technologies and investigate how external factors which were extracted by in-depth interviews promote the adoption of such technologies. Design/methodology/approach An on-line survey was conducted by two South Korean survey agencies to test the acceptance model for BIM technologies. Then, the structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) methods were used. Findings The results of the SEM and CFA methods from on-site construction employees (n=818) in Korea collected by the online survey indicate that compatibility and organizational support play a core role in positively and significantly affecting both perceived ease of use and usefulness, and that the connections introduced by the origin technology acceptance model are mainly confirmed. Originality/value Using the findings of the results, both implications and notable limitations are presented. Moreover, practical developers, as well as academic researchers can employ the results when they attempt to conduct future research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1119-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruwini Edirisinghe ◽  
Kerry Anne London ◽  
Pushpitha Kalutara ◽  
Guillermo Aranda-Mena

Purpose Building information modelling (BIM) is increasingly being adopted during construction projects. Design and construction practices are adjusting to the new system. BIM is intended to support the entire project life-cycle: the design and construction phases, and also facility management (FM). However, BIM-enabled FM remains in its infancy and has not yet reached its full potential. The purpose of this paper is to identify major aspects of BIM in order to derive a fully BIM-enabled FM process. Design/methodology/approach In total, 207 papers were classified into main and subordinate research areas for quantitative analysis. These findings were then used to conceptualise a BIM-enabled FM framework grounded by innovation diffusion theory for adoption, and for determining the path of future research. Findings Through an extensive literature review, the paper summarises many benefits and challenges. Major aspects of BIM are identified in order to describe a BIM-enabled FM implementation process grounded by innovation diffusion theory. The major research areas of the proposed framework include: planning and guidelines; value realisation; internal leadership and knowledge; procurement; FM; specific application areas; data capture techniques; data integration; knowledge management; and legal and policy impact. Each element is detailed and is supported by literature. Finally, gaps are highlighted for investigation in future research. Originality/value This paper systematically classifies and evaluates the existing research, thus contributing to the achievement of the ultimate vision of BIM-enabled FM. The proposed framework informs facility managers, and the BIM-enabled FM implementation process. Further, the holistic survey identifies gaps in the body of knowledge, revealing avenues for future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Huzaimi Abd Jamil ◽  
Mohamad Syazli Fathi

Purpose Building information modeling (BIM) has been proven to enable outstanding results in construction processes by enhancing knowledge sharing with regard to a building or facility throughout its life cycle from the conceptual design to facility management. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the use of BIM has impacted the legal and contractual implications of the existing construction contracts for aligning the three sets of relevant development domains: BIM functionality, contract procurement methods, and BIM legal and contractual issues to enhance the efficient use of valuable resources. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study was undertaken by analyzing the literature using a novel approach involving a matrix that juxtaposes BIM functionalities for each project life cycle with contract procurement methods. As part of the study, 28 interactions of BIM legal and contractual issues have been identified, as representing positive and negative interactions. Findings The interaction matrix framework that juxtaposes BIM functionalities and procurement methods highlights the theoretical and practical relationships identified between the methods. It also simultaneously recognizes the constructive and destructive interactions between these development domains by means of critically identifying the possible interactions of the legal and contractual aspects of both the BIM project procurement and the practical aspects of BIM project delivery. Originality/value The present study contributes to the existing literature by extensively identifying the probable interactions of contractual issues within BIM functionality with contract procurement methods throughout the life cycle of a building construction project.


Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 233-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Golabchi ◽  
Manu Akula ◽  
Vineet Kamat

Purpose Organizations involved in facility management (FM) can use building information modeling (BIM) as a knowledge repository to document evolving facility information and to support decisions made by the facility managers during the operational life of a facility. Despite ongoing advances in FM technologies, FM practices in most facilities are still labor intensive, time consuming and often rely on unreliable and outdated information. To address these shortcomings, the purpose of this study is to propose an automated approach that demonstrates the potential of using BIM to develop algorithms that automate decision-making for FM applications. Design/methodology/approach A BIM plug-in tool is developed that uses a fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) algorithm to automate the process of detecting malfunctioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The algorithm connects to a complaint ticket database and automates BIM to determine potentially damaged HVAC system components and develops a plan of action for the facility inspectors accordingly. The approach has been implemented as a case study in an operating facility to improve the process of HVAC system diagnosis and repair. Findings By implementing the proposed application in a case study, the authors found that automated BIM approaches such as the one developed in this study, can be highly beneficial in FM practices by increasing productivity and lowering costs associated with decision-making. Originality/value This study introduces an innovative approach that leverages BIM for automated fault detection in operational buildings. FM personnel in charge of HVAC inspection and repair can highly benefit from the proposed approach, as it eliminates the time required to locate HVAC equipment at fault manually.


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