Matching Items (15)
Description
Commodity contracts are often awarded on the basis of price. A price-based methodology for making such awards fails to consider the suppliers' ability to minimize the risk of non-performance in terms of cost, schedule, or customer satisfaction. Literature suggests that nearly all risk in the delivery of commodities is in the interfacing of nodes within a supply chain. Therefore, commodity suppliers should be selected on the basis of their past performance, ability to identify and minimize risk, and capacity to preplan the delivery of services. Organizations that select commodity suppliers primarily on the basis of price may experience customer dissatisfaction, delayed services, low product quality, or some combination thereof. One area that is often considered a "commodity" is the delivery of furniture services. Arizona State University, on behalf of the Arizona Tri-University Furniture Consortium, approached the researcher and identified concerns with their current furnishing services contract. These concerns included misaligned customer expectations, minimal furniture supplier upfront involvement on large capital construction projects, and manufacturer design expertise was not being utilized during project preplanning. The Universities implemented a best value selection process and risk management structure. The system has resulted in a 9.3 / 10 customer satisfaction rating (24 percent increase over the previous system), for over 1,100 furniture projects totaling $19.3M.
ContributorsSmithwick, Jake (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth T. (Thesis advisor) / Kashiwagi, Dean T. (Committee member) / Badger, William W. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Facilities Management (FM) around the globe at different companies in different industries are often forced to make difficult decisions on whether or not to transition a workplace environment and how to decide what factors of a workplace environment can benefit or hinder a company's productivity. The data and research presented within this paper are targeted at aiding and educating FM in determining what factors to consider in a workplace transition to an open-seating design and validate the importance of recognizing how these factors impact the productivity of the individual and the organization. Data contained in this paper was gathered through two different survey samples: 1) a semiconductor company that transitioned its employees from cubicles and offices to an open-seating environment; and 2) a general study open to professionals and their experiences and opinions on workplace environments. This data was used to validate or disprove the views on open-seating workspace held by the FM industry today. Data on the topic of how employees react to being transitioned to open-seating environments and looking at the breakdown of the results between engineers and non-engineers is examined within this research. Also covered within the research is data on transitions to other seating environments outside of open-seating concepts to evaluate and compare transition types. Lastly, data was gathered and discussed on the amount of time needed to adapt after a transition and what environment types were linked to being the most productive. This research provides insight on workplace environments and transitions and how they have an impact on productivity and can be used in the decision process when considering transitioning environments.
ContributorsThalin, William (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Stone, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Real time project management has been underutilized as a tool to help youth grow personally and professionally. The thesis Real Time Project Management (PM) for Youth from Low Income Single Parent Households develops a study that seeks to result in a higher percentage of youth attending and completing college. The concept is to have youth from low income single parent households work as project managers each summer doing real time small projects for private companies. The youth would start at age 14 and conclude at age 18. They would do five summers of project management, managing small projects each summer while learning not only about project risks, budgets, scheduling, resources, supply chain logistics and relationships that each project encompasses, but also about communication skills, mathematics and science, selfdiscipline and professional behavior, and teamwork. This thesis develops and details the Real Time
Project Management for Youth from Low Income Single Parent Households concept and introduces a potential structure and path for its testing and implementation.
Project Management for Youth from Low Income Single Parent Households concept and introduces a potential structure and path for its testing and implementation.
ContributorsShapiro, Seth (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Stone, Brian (Committee member) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Over the last twenty years, governments at all levels have made changes to increase their level of accountability and transparency. The researcher proposed that the concepts of organizational agility (OA) (leveraging core competencies, proactively seeking new opportunities, implementation of performance metrics, and strategically planning projects) are well-aligned with the public accountability systems. In the first part of this dissertation, the researcher examined the components of a “Value-Based Model” for public works contractor selection and project delivery, and its propensity to increase public accountability. The researcher studied 415 projects ($561.47M value) delivered with the Value-Based Model at eight different public agencies over a ten-year period.
Next, the researcher analyzed factors affecting contractor organizational agility. In light of the “Great Recession”, the concepts of organizational agility offers insights into companies could have made different strategic decisions to avoid many of the issues faced. Construction was particularly affected: by January 2010, unemployment reached approximately 20 percent. One way to combat declining profits is to adjust general overhead costs (indirect expenses). These costs include items such as home office expenses, business development, and bonuses. The objective of the second part of this research was to conduct a study of how contractors responded to dynamic market conditions and to identify if whether contractors’ company attributes impacted their responses to the market changes. A total of 437 contractors responded to the survey, and 92 percent reported that they reduced overhead costs in five areas, by an average of about 15 percent. Additional analysis suggests that there are distinct categories of overhead flexibility.
Next, the researcher analyzed factors affecting contractor organizational agility. In light of the “Great Recession”, the concepts of organizational agility offers insights into companies could have made different strategic decisions to avoid many of the issues faced. Construction was particularly affected: by January 2010, unemployment reached approximately 20 percent. One way to combat declining profits is to adjust general overhead costs (indirect expenses). These costs include items such as home office expenses, business development, and bonuses. The objective of the second part of this research was to conduct a study of how contractors responded to dynamic market conditions and to identify if whether contractors’ company attributes impacted their responses to the market changes. A total of 437 contractors responded to the survey, and 92 percent reported that they reduced overhead costs in five areas, by an average of about 15 percent. Additional analysis suggests that there are distinct categories of overhead flexibility.
ContributorsSmithwick, Jake (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth T. (Thesis advisor) / Badger, William W. (Committee member) / Schleifer, Thomas C. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
ABSTRACT
As the execution of facilities management becomes ever more sophisticated, specialized skill in managing specific types of buildings has become necessary. The sector of maintaining historic structures and sites readily falls into this type of specialized classification. This paper is a case study review of the unique “best practices” at the Nauvoo Historic Site located in Nauvoo, Illinois. It outlines a facilities management model of common core practices that was developed by the author following an assessment of various similar historic preservation campuses and their responsibilities to accurately display historic culture while observing modern-day facilities management techniques. Although these best practices are of great value in Nauvoo, they are proposed to be valuable to other sites as well because of their effectiveness. As a part of the description of best practices, an overview of the unique history of Nauvoo that generated the modern-day interest in the site will be reviewed. Additionally, the Nauvoo Facilities Management (NFM) organization will be detailed and will focus on the unique challenges associated with historic restored and reconstructed structures. Finally, the paper will also examine the use of specific facilities management techniques, management of large-scale visitor events, livestock supervision, workforce dynamics, finance and capital improvements, managing NFM within the corporate structure of a worldwide religious organization, and the part that NFM plays in community relations.
As the execution of facilities management becomes ever more sophisticated, specialized skill in managing specific types of buildings has become necessary. The sector of maintaining historic structures and sites readily falls into this type of specialized classification. This paper is a case study review of the unique “best practices” at the Nauvoo Historic Site located in Nauvoo, Illinois. It outlines a facilities management model of common core practices that was developed by the author following an assessment of various similar historic preservation campuses and their responsibilities to accurately display historic culture while observing modern-day facilities management techniques. Although these best practices are of great value in Nauvoo, they are proposed to be valuable to other sites as well because of their effectiveness. As a part of the description of best practices, an overview of the unique history of Nauvoo that generated the modern-day interest in the site will be reviewed. Additionally, the Nauvoo Facilities Management (NFM) organization will be detailed and will focus on the unique challenges associated with historic restored and reconstructed structures. Finally, the paper will also examine the use of specific facilities management techniques, management of large-scale visitor events, livestock supervision, workforce dynamics, finance and capital improvements, managing NFM within the corporate structure of a worldwide religious organization, and the part that NFM plays in community relations.
ContributorsCluff, Casey (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth T. (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Stone, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The higher education sector is always changing and seeks for robust methodologies to make education more effective and produce higher quality products which are the future professionals. While each student has different preference in learning, numerous forms of instructional strategies are adopted to engage students in varied ways. Existing literature has studied the impacts of various teaching strategies on students’ performance. Previous studies did not figure out if personal characteristics such as honestly, emotionality, etc. have any impacts on the students’ academic performance. This master thesis uses the detailed information gathered through surveying construction students and analyses such data to determine the relationship between various personal factors and understand if there is any relation between students’ academic performance and personal characteristics. This work has used HEXACO factor scales and Emotional Intelligence (EI) as a basis of its analysis. Results of this analysis indicated that there is no significant correlation between students’ academic performance and HEXACO and EI criteria. Although the analysis process tried to provide the most accurate and robust results, but findings could potentially be affected by a number of factors such as excluding some survey responses from data analysis due to confusing responses or being outlier.
ContributorsDadvar, Atefeh (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Lines, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
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
Description
To present the importance of understanding American commercial influence through the utilization of geopolitics while referencing the economic viability and public policy in Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries nations, relative to oil production, consumption and the price per barrel. For the purpose, of successfully completing western led hydrocarbon construction activities Internationally. Additionally, this thesis will theorize several non-traditional strategies that will allow western led construction contractors and managers to effectively maintain and foster relationships with international trade labor. Allowing for more insight and project planning to complete successful and safe projects.
ContributorsApt, Michael (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Lines, Brian (Committee member) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on the application of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) quality improvement methodology and tools to study the analysis and improvement of facilities management (FM) services at a healthcare organization. Research literature was reviewed concerning whether or not LSS has been applied in healthcare-based FM, but no such studies have been published. This paper aims to address the lack of an applicable methodology for LSS intervention within the context of healthcare-based FM. The Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) framework was followed to test the hypothesis that LSS can improve the service provided by an FM department responsible for the maintenance and repair of furniture and finishes at a large healthcare organization in the southwest United States of America. Quality improvement curricula and resources offered by the case study organization equipped the FM department to apply LSS over the course of a five-month period. Qualitative data were gathered from pre- and post-intervention surveys while quantitative data were gathered with the Organization’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. Overall, LSS application proved to be useful for the intended purpose. The author proposes that application of LSS by other FM departments to improve their services could also be successful, which is noteworthy and deserving of continued research.
ContributorsShirey, William T (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Lines, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The intent of this study was to identify the most viable among a proposive sample of emerging sustainable construction technologies with respect to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Geographic Area. With space heating and space cooling accounting for such a significant portion of energy consumption in Twin Cities homes, a representative sample of homes was analyzed for annual heating and cooling loads. For each home a series of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and envelope equipment was modeled in order to provide data for various sustainable home construction technologies. The result was a specific amount of energy savings from baseline construction methods for each sustainable technology. The study found that integrated geothermal heat pump and radiant conditioning systems have a far greater impact on energy savings than the construction methods evaluated. Nevertheless, insulated concrete forms provided the greatest energy savings within the proposive set of construction methods. The greatest amount of space conditioning energy savings of all configurations tested was 73.48% using an integrated geothermal heat pump and radiant conditioning system, structural insulated panel wall construction, aerosol air infiltration prevention, and insulated concrete form basement construction. The results of the study were used to determine areas for further research and to provide awareness within the Twin Cities construction enterprise to determine the most viable technologies that contractors, municipalities, and citizens should prioritize moving forward.
ContributorsMcKilligan, Ryan (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Stone, Brian (Committee member) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019