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ABSTRACT Facility managers have an important job in today's competitive business world by caring for the backbone of the corporation's capital. Maintaining assets and the support efforts cause facility managers to fight an uphill battle to prove the worth of their organizations. This thesis will discuss the important and flexible

ABSTRACT Facility managers have an important job in today's competitive business world by caring for the backbone of the corporation's capital. Maintaining assets and the support efforts cause facility managers to fight an uphill battle to prove the worth of their organizations. This thesis will discuss the important and flexible use of measurement and leadership reports and the benefits of justifying the work required to maintain or upgrade a facility. The task is streamlined by invoking accountability to subject experts. The facility manager must trust in the ability of his or her work force to get the job done. However, with accountability comes increased risk. Even though accountability may not alleviate total control or cease reactionary actions, facility managers can develop key leadership based reports to reassign accountability and measure subject matter experts while simultaneously reducing reactionary actions leading to increased cost. Identifying and reassigning risk that are not controlled to subject matter experts is imperative for effective facility management leadership and allows facility managers to create an accurate and solid facility management plan, supports the organization's succession plan, and allows the organization to focus on key competencies.
ContributorsTellefsen, Thor (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Committee member) / Badger, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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This abstract is intended to explain the main ideas and thoughts pertaining to the author's experiences over time while attending Arizona State University and how certain course teachings have created a more positive outcome in life for the author. The goal of this Independent Study Thesis is to convey the

This abstract is intended to explain the main ideas and thoughts pertaining to the author's experiences over time while attending Arizona State University and how certain course teachings have created a more positive outcome in life for the author. The goal of this Independent Study Thesis is to convey the great significance that the Information Measurement Theory (IMT) courses' ideas and teachings have contributed to the author's life and how they have increased the author's overall quality and outlook on life, not only from an academic standpoint and setting, but also in every facet. Based on this, the author's intention is to convey the new skills obtained regarding The Kashiwagi Solution Model (KSM) as they pertain to Information Measurement Theory (IMT), based on the author's own recent experiences in college with what he has learned, and to explain how they have helped tremendously. This is mainly comprised of information based on the external sources and writings of Dr. Dean Kashiwagi, and also direct resources and teachings by Dr. Dean Kashiwagi and Dr. Jacob Kashiwagi that have greatly contributed to the author's overall understanding of Information Measurement Theory (IMT), its revolutionary new ways of thinking, and the new skill sets developed from it as well. This will also focus on the benefits that can occur for anyone by applying the various aspects of The Kashiwagi Solution Model (KSM), through the use of the concepts of Information Measurement Theory (IMT), and to convey the author's findings pertinent to helping mitigate stress in life, while also being able to enter into any situation or event with a more positive mindset in order to help conclude that event successfully and with the increased potential for a more positive outcome. This idea of always striving to have a more positive mindset in order to complete a task, goal, or event in life in a more positive and successful way is exactly what the author will focus on, mostly pertaining to the author's own life experiences, referred to as Mind Over Matter with IMT. This Thesis idea of Mind Over Matter with IMT stems from some of the main aspects that the author found to be most impressive and significant in the honors courses offered at ASU by Dr. Dean Kashiwagi and Dr. Jacob Kashiwagi, mainly because of the fact that they inform students of some new ways to help mitigate stresses and anxieties in their lives and to more accurately predict the outcome of future events based on using deductive logic and expertise. This leads to focusing more on dominant information in order to obtain the key ideas and main points of any situation, rather than requiring additional and superfluous details, data, and minutia. The fact that the courses also focus on natural laws and initial conditions of events have proven to be extremely useful because of their significant importance to determining the final conditions and concluding outcome of events, of which many people tend to not even be aware at first when initially learning about Information Measurement Theory (IMT). Because of this, the Deductive Logic and Information Measurement Theory courses offered at ASU have proven to offer invaluable insight, great knowledge, unique ideas, and alternative ways of thinking to the author, which have contributed greatly to the author's increased success as a student enrolled at Arizona State University over these past years. Keywords: Kashiwagi Solution Model (KSM); Information Measurement Theory (IMT); Deductive Logic; initial conditions; final conditions; natural law; Mind Over Matter
ContributorsFranklin, Sean Donothan (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Over the past 3 semesters, I have been learning the theories of Information Measurement Theory and Kashiwagi Solution Model and implementing them into my life as a means of improving happiness and well being, and reducing stress and conflict. Before IMT and KSM, external control played a huge role in

Over the past 3 semesters, I have been learning the theories of Information Measurement Theory and Kashiwagi Solution Model and implementing them into my life as a means of improving happiness and well being, and reducing stress and conflict. Before IMT and KSM, external control played a huge role in my life and my interactions with other people. I was judgmental, selfish, and lazy while using blame and deflection of responsibility to avoid self-control. This led me to become very unhappy and live in constant stress. Culminating in a difficult shortcoming that magnified the negative ways in which I had been living my life, I decided that I had to change. Since implementing IMT and KSM into my life and accepting self-responsibility, I have dramatically improved my happiness and reduced stress and conflict. I have lost 85 pounds, went from working 1 job to 4 to gain financial independence, made my best grades in college, stopped wasting time and valued free time more, improved my relationships with people in my environment, and learned more about myself. All of this change required me to commit to a new way of thinking and recognize that my previous way of thinking was inaccurate and unsustainable if I truly wanted to change. Upon making positive changes in my life, I believe that adapting IMT and KSM played fundamental roles in my ability to perceive information around me and I would not have experienced the change I did if it was not for exposure to the theories. Not only do I believe IMT and KSM served as catalysts for change in my life, but believe IMT and KSM can be applied to every aspect of life and be used by others in the same approach.
ContributorsSmith, Hunter Christian (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Information Measurement Theory (IMT) is a concept which was devised for the purpose of understanding how information works in the universe. At its core, it states that 100% of information exists in the universe at any one time, and with enough perception, any event can be predicted based on the

Information Measurement Theory (IMT) is a concept which was devised for the purpose of understanding how information works in the universe. At its core, it states that 100% of information exists in the universe at any one time, and with enough perception, any event can be predicted based on the initial conditions preceding the event. With this idea in mind, the author of IMT developed the Kashiwagi Solution Model (KSM) which deals with how people best utilize the information present in the universe. Simply put, the ideas presented by KSM encourage people to think in a more logical manner through the utilization of relevant information. The following thesis details an autobiographical case study which focuses on the life of a college student undergoing severe depressive symptoms during the course of their academic career. The usage of concepts stemming from IMT and KSM are then used to determine the root causes of the depression in order to prevent it from ever happening again. The case study acts as a guide to others in order to better help them deal with similar situations that are happening with their lives while providing evidence that the concepts detailed by IMT and KSM are factually relevant.
ContributorsChauhan, Amit (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Delays are a major cause for concern in the construction industry both globally and locally in Saudi Arabia. This paper identifies the main causes of delay in infrastructure projects in the holy city of Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and compares these with projects around the rest of the country and other

Delays are a major cause for concern in the construction industry both globally and locally in Saudi Arabia. This paper identifies the main causes of delay in infrastructure projects in the holy city of Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and compares these with projects around the rest of the country and other Gulf countries as well. Data were obtained from 49 infrastructure projects that were undertaken by the owner and were analyzed quantitatively to understand the severity and causes of delay. 10 risk factors were identified in this study and these factors were grouped into four categories. The average delay in infrastructure projects in the city of Makkah was found to be 39%. The most severe cause of delay was found to be the land acquisition factor. This highlights the critical land ownership and acquisition issues that is prevailing in Makkah. In addition to this, other factors include contractors’ lack of expertise, haphazard underground utilities (line services), and re-designing. It is concluded that majority of delays were caused from the owner’s side as compared to contractors, consultants, and other project’s stakeholders. This finding was in line with the research findings of the Gulf Countries Construction (GCC) Industry’s literature as well. This study will fill an important practice and research gap for improving the efficiency in project delivery for infrastructure projects in the holy city of Makkah and the Gulf countries at large.
ContributorsElawi, Ghazi Saad A (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis advisor) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
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Saudi Arabia has been having many issues with large construction projects such as delays, low performance and high cost. Some studies show that around 70% of the public projects in Saudi Arabia are delayed. These issues have resulted from many factors. One of the factors believed to be delaying projects

Saudi Arabia has been having many issues with large construction projects such as delays, low performance and high cost. Some studies show that around 70% of the public projects in Saudi Arabia are delayed. These issues have resulted from many factors. One of the factors believed to be delaying projects is the Saudi procurement system. The Saudi procurement system only selects contracts based on the lowest bid price offered. However, the Saudi procurement system has been found to not only produce delayed low quality projects, but also has resulted in higher costs.

This paper shows how to modify the Saudi procurement system by implementing a clarification phase, which is the most important phase in the Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS). The clarification phase requires the bid’s winning contractor to submit a project scope, a project schedule, to identify risks that not their responsibility, performance measurements and a milestone schedule. The PIPS system has been one of the most successful systems around the world and has shown a 98% success rate in six different countries with risks and cost reductions up to 30%.

This research conducted a survey of 157 engineers, 33 consultants, 9 owners, 5 vendors, 13 academics, and 28 architects to develop the public procurement system in Saudi Arabia. The participants work in government sectors with an interest in the Saudi Arabian procurement system. 80.61 % of participants believe that the traditional Saudi procurement system consistently selects poor performing contractors. Moreover, 95.97% of participants think that the selection of contractors based only on the lowest price criterion affects projects negatively. Also, 96.20% of participants in the survey feel that there needs to be a change in the traditional Saudi Arabian procurement system. 88.7% of participants agree to require the contractor to identify risks, and 96.03 % of participants agree that the contractors must have a plan. Moreover, 95.45% of participants agree to require a contractor review the scope of a project and verify that it is correct. Finally, 82.18% of participants agree to require a contractor to resolve all owner concerns before signing a contract to improve construction projects performance. The paper shows the need to change the Saudi procurement system and a solution to this growing problem.
ContributorsAlofi, Ahmed Abdulrahman (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis advisor) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
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Standardized processes for training and accountability, for an Environmental Services department within a healthcare system, were implemented to see the impact they would have on key performance indicators (KPIs). The KPIs involved infection rate for hospital acquired Clostridium Difficile (CDI), cleaning verification compliance, patient satisfaction, concerning the cleaning of their

Standardized processes for training and accountability, for an Environmental Services department within a healthcare system, were implemented to see the impact they would have on key performance indicators (KPIs). The KPIs involved infection rate for hospital acquired Clostridium Difficile (CDI), cleaning verification compliance, patient satisfaction, concerning the cleaning of their environment, and employee turnover. The results show that standardizing training and an accountability measure can have a significant impact on turnover, contribute to the reduction in CDI cases, ensure cleaning is performed at a high level and that the patient perception requires additional tools to meet their expectations on a consistent basis.
ContributorsZiffer, Steven (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Lines, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Saudi Arabia has been facing issues with completing construction projects on time and on budget. It has been documented that 70% of public construction projects are delayed. Studies have identified the low-bid delivery method as an important factor in causing such delays. The procurement system (low-bid) ignores contractors’ performance, and

Saudi Arabia has been facing issues with completing construction projects on time and on budget. It has been documented that 70% of public construction projects are delayed. Studies have identified the low-bid delivery method as an important factor in causing such delays. The procurement system (low-bid) ignores contractors’ performance, and that is reflected in projects’ performance. A case study was performed, at a University campus in northern Saudi Arabia, identifying the major causes of project delays and cost overruns. The University was experiencing delays from 50% to 150%. Also, the actual project costs for four projects were examined and found that all four projects’ costs were higher than the original bid. The delay and cost overruns factors were gathered from the University engineers. A literature research identified one construction management method, best value performance information procurement system (BV PIPS), has documented multiple times its ability to improve project performance. In a comparison using the result of a case study and the results of (BV PIPS), Saudi Arabia’s delivery system was identified as a potential cause of project performance issues. The current procurement system was analyzed and modified to adapt with the (BV PIPS). The proposed procurement system using BV PIPS, which can be implemented in Saudi Arabia, was created with owner side. A large survey was conducted of 761 classified contractors and 43 universities’ representatives who rated causes of delay factors and cost overruns. The delay factors were then compared to delay factors experienced on Saudi construction projects, identified by performing a literature research. The comparison identified 14 important causes of delays. Moreover, the survey showed that classified contractors and universities’ representatives unsatisfied with low-bid, and they agreed with BV PIPS which selecting vendors based on performance with price. The proposed model required a submitted level of experience (LE), risk assessment (RA), and value added (VA). Besides, project managers of vendors should be interviewed during the clarification phase. In addition, venders should submit the project’s scope, technical schedule, milestone schedule, and risk management plan. In the execution phase, vendors should submit a weekly risk report (WRR) and director’s report (DR).
ContributorsAlzara, Majed (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis advisor) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Al-Tassan, Abdulrahman (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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The two authors completed the entirety of their schooling within the United States, from preschool to university. Both authors experienced loss of interest towards their education each successive year and assumed the nature of learning and education was to blame. The two students took a class on the Kashiwagi Information

The two authors completed the entirety of their schooling within the United States, from preschool to university. Both authors experienced loss of interest towards their education each successive year and assumed the nature of learning and education was to blame. The two students took a class on the Kashiwagi Information Measurement Theory their second years at Arizona State University and applied the concepts taught in that class to past experiences in the United States education system to determine the cause behind their waning interest in their education. Using KSM principles the authors identified that the environment produced by and ineffectual and inefficient educational system is what resulted in their, and the majority of their peers, growing dissatisfaction in their education. A negative correlation was found between GPA and control. As the control in a students environment increased, their GPA decreased. The data collected in this thesis also supports the conclusions that as a student is exposed to a high stress environment, their GPA and average amount of sleep per night decrease.
ContributorsKulanathan, Shivaan (Co-author) / Westlake, Kyle (Co-author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Gunnoe, Jake (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05