Research
Major research projects are listed here with more details available on their individual pages - see left.
Re-thinking FM – DTI Partners in Innovation Project
BIFM is the sponsor of a DTI Partners in Innovation Project, which has involved a survey of FM practitioners and clients to identify current and future issues for FM Practice. The project has three main outputs: an Agenda for FM Bodies, a Career Development Tool, and a Resource Guide. These finding will assist in supporting the development of an improvement agenda for the FM sector.
BIFM / ARK KPI Register – Launched October 2004
The Institute has entered into a joint venture with ARK e-management to develop a Register of FM Services, Activities and Metrics, which members can use as a tool to help them define performance measures and develop key performance indicators for the specification of services.
Purpose of the Review of the PiI Scheme: To identify and evaluate the value of the outputs from PiI projects for FM practitioners and improve communication of the results. Key points are:
- PiI offers a major source of research and innovation for the construction sector (including FM)
- Limited knowledge of outputs among FMs
- Need to communicate
- Potential to raise the profile of BIFM as ‘gatekeeper’
- In collaboration with Davis Langdon Consultancy to:
Review the compendium of PiI projects
Develop a simple ‘star rating’ for evaluating value
Disseminate findings of the study to BIFM members
The findings of a study of the DTI Partners in Innovation Scheme Compendium were presented to the BIFM Annual Conference in April 2004 and a list of the projects identified as being of interest to FM Practice were posted on the website.
It is intended that further detailed work will be undertaken to communicate and disseminate the benefits of the project outputs to FM practitioners.
BSRIA PiI Project – ‘How to choose building services - A clients’ guide to system selection’
The Knowledge Committee was invited by BSRIA to contribute to the project Steering Group of the DTI PiI project to produce a clients’ guide to understanding the issues involved in specifying and maintaining building services. The project was completed in June 2004 with two publications – Part One guides clients on the questions that must be addressed during the early stages of a project, Part Two (also on CD-ROM) provides definitions and checklists for matching building services to functional space in new build and refurbishment work.
Design Quality Indicator (DQI Online) A small working group of Knowledge has been reviewing the potential use of the DQI by FMs and will be recommending to CIC suggested improvements that would facilitate improved take-up by FM practitioners.
Reading University FM Innovation Project – ‘Thames Valley Innovation Hub’
The Knowledge Committee is supporting an ESRC funded research project by Reading University to identify and explore examples of successful dissemination of innovation in FM and the blockages to exploitation that sometimes occur. As part of this project, an ‘Innovation Hub’ has been established involving a number of supporters and stakeholders who meet to share practical examples of innovation. The BIFM Home Counties Region is an active participant in this initiative.
UWE / UCL Innovation Forum
The Knowledge Committee is actively supporting the Centre for Innovation Forum at the University of the West of England in Bristol and University College London. A number of events have been held and the knowledge gained is shared via the South West Region and through the Institute’s magazine.
Euro FM Research Network – Learning from European approaches to FM Practice
The Committee is represented on the Euro FM Research Network and participates in the meetings held in cities throughout Europe by helping to develop opportunities to share issues and learn about FM practice in the city being visited and contribute to a better understanding of the effect of local circumstances / cultures on the approach to FM practice.
Euro FM Knowledge Matrix project
The BIFM is leading this project. The key objective is to understand what explicit knowledge exists in the FM industry that is being used today.
The BIFM is leading this project. The key objective is to understand what explicit knowledge exists in the FM industry that is being used today.
International Memorandum of Understanding (IMOU) – Knowledge collaboration with IFMA and FMA Australia
The IMOU signed at the BIFM Conference at Cambridge in April 2004 recognises the benefits of collaboration in respect of knowledge and aims to develop a joint approach to research and sharing of information and knowledge. Initial discussions have been held on possible areas for collaboration and developing joint work programmes.
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