Assessment of early warning signs in hospital projects' front-end phase

PurposeThe front-end phase plays an important role in achieving project success, and establishment of performance measurement systems considering project challenges or pitfalls is a way of keeping track of this phase. Early warning signs, a type of proactive performance indicators, may serve as means for improving decision-making and project processes aiming for short- and long-term project success. In this paper, the authors present findings from a study on early warning signs (EWS) in hospital projects' front-end. A preliminary systematisation of identified signs as a contribution to front-end improvement is provided.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a mixed methods approach, using a sequential, exploratory research design comprising document studies, interviews and a survey.FindingsThe authors identified 62 challenges for hospital projects' front-end performance and further established four categories of EWS as follows: (1) structure and tools, (2) context and frame factors, (3) management and (4) relational factors and properties. This mirrors the presence of hard and soft issues from previous studies. There is need for clarifying terminology and raising consciousness on EWS. Processual approaches to identify EWS are considered more useful than subsequent established indicators.Originality/valueThe findings from this paper provide insight into EWS in hospital projects' front-end phase. This adds to the general understanding of EWS and contributes to more knowledge on the front-end phase in general.

A Triple Bottom Line Analysis of the Smart Cities Projects in GCC Countries

Cities are tackling their economic, social, and environmental challenges through smart city solutions. To demonstrate that these solutions achieve the desired impact, an indicator-based assessment system is needed. This chapter presents the process of developing CITYkeys performance measurement systems for target setting and monitoring. This European smart city indicator framework was developed by analyzing cities' needs, existing indicators, and gaps. The current research sets out to review several indicators, KPI, and performance measurements, along other indicator frameworks on the case studies involving the conceptualisation, development, and monitoring of smart cities in Lebanon and in Malta for comparative purposes. For this purpose, a mixed methods approach was adopted, whereby both interviews and structured surveys were used to collect primary data pertaining to the analyses of the respectively investigated smart cities.

Analysing developing countries approaches of supply chain resilience to COVID-19

PurposeThe Covid-19 pandemic has made it essential to explore the resilience factors specific to developing regions, not only because they pose threats of extreme poverty and offer a novel context but also because they play an important role in globalisation.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach was undertaken to address this novel pandemic situation. First, an open-ended structured questionnaire was developed, and data were collected from three neighbouring emerging economies: Pakistan, India and Iran. Experts' perspectives on vulnerabilities, response measures, resilience and restoration of supply chain activities, and the role of social capital were collected. Second, building upon the findings from phase one of the studies, a quantitative structured questionnaire using the supply chain operational reference (SCOR) model was used to collect data in a structured manner. This quantitative data were further analysed using frequency and contingency analysis.FindingsThe findings from the first phase of the study inductively derive 36 resilience categories. Later, the contingency findings show that supply chain (SC) disruption is a major vulnerability for emerging economies, whereas solutions offered to combat it lay in the reconfiguration of resources, such as financial, technological, human, information and material. Additionally, supply network structure and social capital play an integral part in making SCs resilient against disruption.Research limitations/implicationsThe respondents comprise the academics/SC researchers, which make the findings interesting though they lack the industrial experts' perspectives, directly. Nevertheless, the propositions can be tested in industrial settings to see whether the results are limited to a specific industrial setting or are rather generalised.Practical implicationsSimilarly, practitioners and policy makers can incorporate the SCOR metrics/factors outlined in this study into their performance measurement systems and ensure continuous monitoring for firm's resilience.Originality/valueThe study offers a holistic understanding of the developing regions' approaches to Covid-19. The paper also takes a social capital perspective to explain firms' resilience in these emerging economies.

A framework for facilities management supply chain performance evaluation: case study of hotel buildings

Purpose The performance of the facilities management supply chain (FMSC) in the hotel sector is challenged by the diverse nature of parties involved, their relationships and the flows of services and products. Although performance measurement systems have been endorsed by researchers worldwide as a mechanism to evaluate and improve performance, there seems lack of mechanisms to evaluate the FMSC performance in hotels. Hence, this paper aims to develop a framework that would enable to evaluate FMSC performance in hotels. Design/methodology/approach A case study strategy was used, where 3 five-star hotels in Sri Lanka were studied for the purpose. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 professionals involved in FMSC and through document reviews. A content analysis was performed and the framework was developed. This was validated with 3 subject matter experts in the field. Findings The study findings revealed that the FMSC process is different from manufacturing and service supply chain (SC) processes as it comprises both product and service elements and incorporates internal, as well as external customers. The developed FMSC process comprises seven sub-processes as follows: delivery of products, delivery of services, sourcing, make/fulfil, delivery of FM services and products, receipt of FM services and receipt of products by customers. Based on the derived FMSC process and the key activities, 38 key performance indicators were developed and used in the framework to evaluate the performance of FMSC. Originality/value The developed performance evaluation framework is expected to facilitate performance measurement of the SC and enhance its performance. Further, it would enhance cooperation among FMSC partners and assist in achieving FMSC excellence.

Designing and implementing performance measurement systems based on enterprise engineering guidelines

PurposeThis conceptual paper presents a proposal for improving a performance measurement (PM) system implementation process based on enterprise engineering (EE) guidelines, which gives the process a sense of completeness.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzes a well-known process for PM systems implementation organized in two phases: identifying, designing and implementing the top-level performance measures; and cascading the top-level measures and identify appropriate lower-level performance measures. The proposed improvements to the studied process derive from the EE guidelines, which establish a basis for the structure of an organizational management system, the formalization and synchronization of processes, performance expectations, exception handling and change management.FindingsThe study reveals that not all EE guidelines are covered by the analyzed process, with four of them having no evidence of being adopted: involvement of people in process design and implementation; ensuring interoperability between different systems in the information structure; addressing of all possible exceptions; coherence and consistency of semantics across all processes.Originality/valueBy the lens of EE guidelines, this paper advances a how-to-guide. This paper can support managers and researchers on PM system design and implementation, given the importance and relevance of EE recommendations having a consistent and well-structured procedure.

Performance Measurement in Czech Construction Companies with Regard to Environmental Responsibility

The importance of environmental protection is growing rapidly in the construction industry. Performance measurement as an important tool for a more effective construction process reflects this new direction of business thinking. Performance measurement systems have implemented new criteria for measurement with respect to the environment. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate whether Czech construction companies measure these newly implemented environmental criteria. Most important criteria such as waste management, emissions and water management were emphasised. Original data were collected using a questionnaire survey. The survey also focused on construction materials responsibility and recycle/reuse measurement. The results of the study show that less than half of construction companies in the Czech Republic actively measure the impact on the environment. However, almost three-quarters of companies are aware of its importance for the future of the construction industry and environmental responsibility. Only 2% of Czech construction companies believe that environmental responsibility is not important at all. The most frequently measured criterion is waste management; on the contrary, the number of recyclable materials used on the construction site is least frequently measured. There is a need to accelerate efforts to help construction companies identify appropriate ways to start measuring environmental criteria. Construction companies that do not measure environmental criteria need to be widely informed about the importance of sustainability in the construction industry. This could be best achieved by an information campaign. The appropriate form of such a campaign and its contents should be the main focus of a follow-up research.