ITcon Vol. 11, Special Issue IT in Facility Management , pg. 685-695, http://www.itcon.org/2006/48

Enabling technology for outsourced Facilities Management

SUBMITTED: December 2005
REVISED: July 2006
PUBLISHED: September 2006
EDITOR: B. Atkin and R. Leiringer

Adrian Brooks, Director
Acuity Management Solutions Limited, Innovation Centre, Keele Science Park, Keele, UK
email: abrooks@acuity.uk.net

George Lilley, Managing Director
Acuity Management Solutions Limited, Innovation Centre, Keele Science Park, Keele, UK
email: glilley@acuity.uk.net

SUMMARY: Facilities management is concerned with the management of the working environment together with the delivery of support services to that environment. Through this process a large volume of relatively low value transactions takes place. Two case studies are discussed where technology has been deployed to significant effect in the form of a central support desk. This deployment is shown to have a dramatic effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of the core facilities management processes. The first case describes the use of this technology across a number of geographically-dispersed locations and the issues that the technology has assisted in overcoming. The second case describes the use of the technology on a single, large site. It contrasts the operating environment, but continues the theme of enabling technology and the way this can be integrated into standard operating procedures. Finally, the paper summarises the benefits that can be achieved by, first, harnessing and then integrating this technology within an outsourced facilities management environment.

KEYWORDS: outsourcing, service providers, IT, helpdesk, facilities, workplace, partnership.

FULL TEXT: file.pdf (140,253 bytes)

CITATION:

Brooks A and Lilley G (2006) Enabling technology for outsourced Facilities Management, ITcon Vol. 11, Special Issue IT in Facility Management , pg. 685-695, http://www.itcon.org/2006/48