BIM and its impact upon project success outcomes from a Facilities Management perspective

The uptake of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been increasing, but some of its promoted potential benefits have been slow to materialise. In particular, claims that BIM will revolutionise facilities management (FM) creating efficiencies in the whole-life of building operations have yet to be achieved on a wide scale, certainly in comparison to tangible progress made for the prior design and construction phases. To attempt to unravel the factors at play in the adoption of BIM during the operational phase, and in particular, understand if adoption by facilities managers (FMs) is lagging behind other disciplines, this study aims to understand if current BIM processes can ease the challenges in this area faced by facilities management project stakeholders. To do this, success from a facilities management viewpoint is considered and barriers to facilities management success are explored, with focused BIM use proposed as a solution to these barriers. Qualitative research was undertaken, using semi structured interviews to collect data from a non-probability sample of 7 project- and facilities- management practitioners. Key results from this study show that the main barrier to BIM adoption by facilities managers is software interoperability, with reports that facilities management systems are unable to easily import BIM data produced during the design and construction stages. Additionally, facilities managers were not treated as salient stakeholders by Project Managers, further negatively affecting facilities management project success outcomes. A µresistance to change was identified as another barrier, as facilities managers were sceptical of the ability of current BIMenabled systems promoted as being FM compatible to be able to replicate their existing Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) legacy software and its user required capabilities. The results of this study highlight that more work is needed to ensure that BIM benefits the end user, as there was no reported use of BIM data for dedicated facilities management purposes. Further investigation into the challenges of interoperability could add significant value to this developing research area.The uptake of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been increasing, but some of its promoted potential benefits have been slow to materialise. In particular, claims that BIM will revolutionise facilities management (FM) creating efficiencies in the whole-life of building operations have yet to be achieved on a wide scale, certainly in comparison to tangible progress made for the prior design and construction phases. To attempt to unravel the factors at play in the adoption of BIM during the operational phase, and in particular, understand if adoption by facilities managers (FMs) is lagging behind other disciplines, this study aims to understand if current BIM processes can ease the challenges in this area faced by facilities management project stakeholders. To do this, success from a facilities management viewpoint is considered and barriers to facilities management success are explored, with focused BIM use proposed as a solution to these barriers. Qualitative research was undertaken, using semi structured interviews to collect data from a non-probability sample of 7 project- and facilities- management practitioners. Key results from this study show that the main barrier to BIM adoption by facilities managers is software interoperability, with reports that facilities management systems are unable to easily import BIM data produced during the design and construction stages. Additionally, facilities managers were not treated as salient stakeholders by Project Managers, further negatively affecting facilities management project success outcomes. A µresistance to change was identified as another barrier, as facilities managers were sceptical of the ability of current BIMenabled systems promoted as being FM compatible to be able to replicate their existing Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) legacy software and its user required capabilities. The results of this study highlight that more work is needed to ensure that BIM benefits the end user, as there was no reported use of BIM data for dedicated facilities management purposes. Further investigation into the challenges of interoperability could add significant value to this developing research area

How innovative are UK firms? Evidence from the Fourth UK Community Innovation Survey on synergies between technological and organizational innovations

Using data from the Fourth UK Community Innovation Survey this paper explores the diffusion of a range of innovative activities (encompassing process, product, machinery, marketing, organization, management and strategic innovations) across 16,383 British companies in 2004. Building upon a simple theoretical model it is shown that the use of each innovation is correlated with the use of all other innovations. It is shown that the range of innovations can be summarized by two multi-innovation factors, labelled here `organizational' and `technological', that are complements but not substitutes for each other. Three clusters of firms are identified where intensity of use of the two sets of innovations is below average (56.9% of the sample); intermediate but above average (23.7%); and highly above average (19.4%). Distinctive characteristics are found to be common to the companies in each cluster. Finally, it is shown that innovativeness tends to persist over time

Ownership and Technological Capabilities: Evidence from Automotive Firms in Brazil, India and South Africa

This paper examines the strength of embedding systemic and institutional support,firm-level technological capabilities and the relationship between the two in Brazil, India and South Africa. Despite Brazil and South Africa enjoying stronger exposure to external markets, firms in these countries enjoyed slightly lower technological capabilities than those in India. Stronger human capital endowments and network cohesion have helped firms in India to offset a lack of integration in external markets to drive higher technological capabilities compared to firms in Brazil and South Africa. The systemic pillars are positively correlated with firm-level technological capabilities. Foreign ownership was positively correlated with human resource practices and R&D, demonstrating the potential for strong technological spillovers from foreign to local firms. Export-intensity was positively correlated with R&D,demonstrating that the latter is critical for firms to compete in foreign markets.- automotives, Brazil, clusters, India, institutions, South Africa, technology

Organizational consequences linked to the incorporation of ERP into companies' service-marketing activities

ERPs offer a two-fold answer to the need for integration. The first is technical in nature, since the architecture of these programs is designed to ensure the compatibility of their software components and the transparency of their data. They also offer a dynamic approach, because ERPs are mechanisms for incorporating a company's specific functional elements. However, the ERP solution cannot replace every existing management computing system. Accordingly, applying ERP to existing systems will have a significant cost, whether it occurs in the implementation of ERP itself or in the work of making over the firm's own information system. The field surveys that have been carried out show that good management practices already included in non-ERP computing systems can easily be transposed into ERP systems. Conversely, applications that do not follow a horizontal management structure create incompatibilities if we attempt to transfer them into an ERP. The influence of the firm's structure on the implementation of ERP will depend on how compatible it is with the underlying structure of the ERP (structure must follow strategy: A. Chandler.)ERP, organizational structure, strategy, information system, integration.

-ilities Tradespace and Affordability Project – Phase 3

One of the key elements of the SERC’s research strategy is transforming the practice of systems engineering and associated management practices – “SE and Management Transformation (SEMT).” The Grand Challenge goal for SEMT is to transform the DoD community’s current systems engineering and management methods, processes, and tools (MPTs) and practices away from sequential, single stovepipe system, hardware-first, document-driven, point- solution, acquisition-oriented approaches; and toward concurrent, portfolio and enterprise- oriented, hardware-software-human engineered, model-driven, set-based, full life cycle approaches.This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046).This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046)

Mapping CMMI process areas to agile best practices

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementTo maintain competitiveness, software development companies are pressured to deliver products in less time, without compromising on quality and budget. To meet this demand, companies often adopt Agile software development techniques that enable shorter delivery times through constant smaller deliveries and shorter interactive cycles in software development processes. Although the innovation and the decrease of development time provided by these techniques, companies have perceived that quality is a differentiated factor and feel the urge to maintain the quality of their software to stand out from the competitors. At this point CMMI is presented as a reference model that contains a set of practices which lead to the maturity of organizations with focus on the improvement of organization processes and reduction of processes risk of failure increasing quality. In contrast with Agile, that puts individuals and their interactions in higher importance than processes and tools and where being adaptable to changes is more important than following strictly what was planned, CMMI it is a strict traditional approach that implies extensive formalism and focus on the processes. Derived of those apparent opposite beliefs, Agile development methods and CMMI best practices are frequently perceived to be at odds with each other. There is a great discussion about CMMI ability to be Agile and Agile methods to adapt to CMMI requirements without losing agility. This study aims to map CMMI for development process areas to Agile best practices to help in the understanding of the compatibilities and incompatibilities regarding the integration of CMMI and Agile. That will guide companies into the successful integration of Agile and maturity models together taking full advantage of their capabilities leading to enhanced software development. With the integration of those two approaches it is expected that Agile practices can help mature organizations to become more flexible, and CMMI could help Agile organizations to increase processes quality, fulfilling their goals and having their competitiveness sustained

Pioneers of Parametrics

This paper provides a historical account of the development of the field of parametrics through information obtained during interviews of twelve pioneers of the field. Cost model developers, users, and practitioners were interviewed with the intent to capture their views on the impact between cost estimation research and practice. The individuals interviewed represent a diverse range of perspectives including academia, government, and industry. Each perspective sheds light on the areas in which the field of parametrics has had an impact and which synergies have been influential in the development of the field. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of the future challenges for the field of parametrics

Economic impacts of SEZs: Theoretical approaches and analysis of newly notified SEZs in India

This study aims at examining the economic impacts of SEZs in the Indian context. While doing so, it addresses the conceptual confusion about SEZs, outlines the evolution of SEZs; traces economic philosophies explaining the rationale and benefits of SEZs; extends existing theoretical literature to explain the economic impacts of SEZs; assesses the economic impacts of newly notified SEZs in India; reviews the strategies followed by various state governments in the implementation of the policy ; and draws policy implications. It argues that the existing economic theories donot adequately explain the rationale and contribution of SEZs. These approaches need to be extended by integrating the provisions of the theories of agglomeration economies and global value chains within the existing theoretical frameworks. It analyses the economic impacts of SEZs within the extended theoretical framework. It finds that while SEZs are stimulating direct investment and employment, their role appears to be more valuable in bringing about economic transformation from a resource-led economy to a skill and technology-led economy; from low value added economic activities to high value added economic activities; from low productive sectors to high productive sectors; and from unorganised to organized sectors, both at the national and regional levels. They have the potential of promoting new knowledge intensive industries; augmenting existing industrial clusters/industrial states; diversifying the local industrial base; and localizing global value chain. However, a strategic approach is required to reap the opportunities offered by SEZs.Special economic zones; Exports; FDI; Economic diversification; Agglomeration economies; global value chains;India