Editorial

Citation

Finch, E. (1998), "Editorial", Facilities, Vol. 16 No. 9/10. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.1998.06916iaa.001

Editorial

The first paper in this issue, by John Hinks, examines the way in which information technology is being used in facilities management (FM) ­ in particular, the matching of information technology (IT) with the organisational context and process. This area of facilities management receives too little attention. We see a burgeoning of computer software and support systems on the FM market. Purchasers may opt for standard packages that make assumptions about the way the user organisation manages a facility. Alternatively, they may undertake a considerable amount of work to develop a bespoke solution. However, IT inevitably has a major impact on the way we do things, often initiating a new way of working, which is not simply an electronic mimic of the old method. Conversely, IT solutions must reflect the condition of the organisation, its culture, technical expertise, time horizons and response times. This paper provides an interesting framework to explore this interaction.

The next paper by Megan Walters and E.M. Hastings also explores the issue of underlying models in the context of regulatory reform in Hong Kong fire legislation. The paper advocates the use of performance-based in preference to prescriptive-based codes. In other words, what a fire protection system should be expected to achieve rather than how it should be achieved. Walters and Hastings argue that the current approach of continually extending existing codes to further categories of occupancy does little to reduce risks.

The UK health service has always been the subject of close scrutiny in the area of FM, particularly with the recent creation of the National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. In the paper by David Rees we see an exploration of the NHS structure showing evidence of increased facilities management integration over a two year period from 1995 to 1997 when two separate studies were undertaken. The paper also reveals divergent patterns in different areas of the health service with respect to seniority of facilities managers.

What do occupiers need? This is the question posed by Dent and White in their paper which examines the results of their study covering the Birmingham office market in the UK. The results suggest that although "location is king" still holds true, occupiers are becoming more demanding in terms of building specification and performance expectations. Interestingly, there is evidence of a move out of the city centre to obtain larger footplates ­ facilities managers are obviously highlighting the dysfunctional effects of separating departments between floors.

Finally, in the paper by Ilozor and Oluwoye we revisit the question of open-plan offices ­ in particular, the interaction between the open-plan solution and the management control. Control elements include work hours, flexitime practices and workspace allocation. The paper points to those measures most likely to contribute to improved space management.

Edward Finch