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CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to Study

The changing face of the Facilities Management profession within the last two decades

from the traditional function of ensuring the smooth running of plants and buildings towards

playing an increasingly active role in the efficiency and productivity of the business has

resulted in making technology a facilities manager’s best friend, with Computer-Aided

Facilities Management (CAFM) systems as the lynchpin. Not only are Facilities

Management professionals harnessing the power of CAFM to give them greater control of

disparate resources, directors and senior management staff are recognizing the strategic

importance of CAFM to an entire organization (Richardson, 2011).

Corporate Organizations are now aware that Real estate represents the second largest

expense on their balance sheets and that professional facilities management adds significant

value to their core business thereby enhancing cost efficiency, staff productivity,

transparency and business flexibility. According to Hajdukova & Figuli (2012), facilities

management is a practical way of professional administration and management of business

support processes that is capable of saving overhead costs by up to 30%.

Optimizing facilities management through the use of CAFM can save an organization a

considerable percentage of its maintenance contract charges and result in the reduction of

equipment downtimes thus optimizing service levels, optimizing operational efficiency

while also saving costs. According to Williams (2003), facilities management expenditure

takes up to 15% of an organisation’s yearly budget.

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In many organizations, a lot of the Facility Manager’s work related data and information are

available however in most cases, they are in different spread sheets, in formats arising from

different IT systems and often, the data remains in the minds of the different employees.

The quality and accuracy of these data is therefore doubtful and because of the fragmented

sources, it is impossible to generate any type of useful information. Hence, the compilation

of these data in a structured ‘single-source-of-truth’, in most cases a database such as

CAFM, is an important step towards answering the “what” question e.g.; what real estate to

manage, what assets to maintain, what planned preventive maintenance activity is to be

carried out etc.

Organisations are faced with the stiff competition in the market and therefore forced to

develop efficient structures in facilities management. Madritsch and May (2009) according

to a survey, stated that although CAFM has been in use for more than 15 years, it is still a

relatively new and challenging technological approach and thus by far not all projects can

be considered a success.

Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) is an information system integrating multi-

disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact

upon people and the workplace (Seebauer and Viniczay, 2009). CAFM maintains a

computer database of information about an organization’s properties and equipment to plan,

provide and manage the most efficient, humane and productive work environment possible.

CAFM is an important link in the integration of telecommunication, information

management systems, maintenance, security and general administrative services (Seebauer

and Viniczay, 2009).

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CAFM is the support of facilities management activities with information technology, with

the prime objective of capturing and assimilating information in a single source relating to

all aspects of managing an organization’s facilities and thereafter providing a centralized

and strategic management of the facilities through improved information and process. The

impact of Information and communications technology in the business environment coupled

with the evolution of smart buildings and sophisticated working environments has pushed

the technology envelope forcefully in the facilities management direction. Consequently, it

has become imperative that CAFM be employed to ensure prompt and effective delivery of

facilities management services.

The usage of CAFM in facilities management practice supports operational and strategic

facilities management including all activities associated with administrative, technical and

infrastructural FM activities. However, despite an increase in the number of studies related

to the deployment and implementation of CAFM in developed countries, its application is

still relatively new in the developing nations in West Africa including Nigeria.

The potentials of CAFM systems in their application in facilities management cannot be

underestimated. The main advantage with such a system is the transparency in data

management and the unique data source for all users in a company. CAFM with its promise

of flexible, intuitive, enabling and supporting technology has become the facilities

manager’s most important ally in the innovation, implementation, delivery and management

of a new generation of business-critical services in the advanced countries.

1.2 Statement of Research Problem

In USA, CAFM has been implemented for more than 20 years across various industries

including education, finance, insurance, pharmaceutical, government, healthcare, utilities,

facilities management, manufacturing, aerospace and defence (Kamaruzzaman et al., 2009).

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Consequently, it is paramount to ascertain the level of recognition and application of CAFM

in providing support for better operational as well as the strategic processes of facilities

planning and management in Nigeria.

Since the 1990s, CAFM has provided efficient information technology (IT) tools for

mapping, evaluation and control of facility management structures and processes. However,

despite the multitude of vendors and users in different branches, there is still a lack of

transparent and systematic case studies regarding successful CAFM implementations and

uncertainty about the market situation (Madritsch and May, 2009). This is particularly so in

Nigeria where empirical investigations in the field of Facilities management are still

relatively few.

Many Organizations still use paper-based systems to manage their facilities; however,

problems can arise when a FM department experiences an increase in the services under

management. The resulting work requests, contracts, assets and suppliers involved, the

volume and diversity of the activity can make paper-based systems difficult to manage.

Additionally, paper-based systems do not allow for the fast/efficient production of

performance statistics, monthly reports, job/event costs and so on, without significant

manual effort and the manual manipulation of event data. By contrast, CAFM systems have

well-defined work-flows, triggers for event reminders, collation of event data/costs and

histories and regular reporting capabilities. Manual systems have their place, but this is

probably in the single location, low-event volume arena.

Teicholz (1995) in a study asserted that in the USA, CAFM software products were

beginning to combine building deficiency data collected during physical audits with other

data such as cost spreadsheets and financial investment models. These CAFM products

which could incorporate multimedia information have thus proved to be helpful in fixing

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scheduled maintenance backlogs and served as powerful forecasting and strategic

management tools.

Owing to the incessant increase and proposed plans by the Lagos State government to

commence the construction of high rise buildings in some parts of Lagos State e.g. Eko

Atlantic city, Victoria Island etc., the deployment and implementation of CAFM systems in

the facilities management of such buildings is of paramount importance in ensuring efficient

service delivery. Redlein and Zobl (2012) carried out a survey amongst 70 companies that

are in Austria’s listed Top 500 companies and stated that ‘’companies with CAFM software

tend toward a higher number of areas of productivity than companies without CAFM

software.’’ There is a lack of information on which to base similar evaluations of CAFM

usage in Nigeria. Hence, it is in view of this that this study sets out to seek answers to the

following research questions:-

1.3 Research Questions

1. To what extent are FM practitioners in Lagos aware of CAFM?

2. What is the rate of CAFM take up amongst Facilities Management practitioners in

Lagos?

3. What are the obstacles to the deployment and Implementation of CAFM?

4. What are the benefits of CAFM application to Organizational effectiveness?

1.4 Aim of Study

The aim of this study is to ascertain and evaluate the extent of the usage of CAFM systems

by Facilities Management practitioners in Lagos State, Nigeria.

1.5 Objectives of Study

To achieve the aim stated above, the following objectives have been set out:

1. To determine the level of awareness of CAFM amongst FM practitioners in Lagos.

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2. To determine the rate of Usage/Implementation of CAFM by Facilities Management

practitioners in Lagos.

3. To determine the obstacles faced with the deployment and implementation of CAFM

by FM companies in Lagos.

4. To identify the benefits of CAFM application to Organizational effectiveness.

1.6 Scope of Work

This research work concentrates on the usage of CAFM by Facilities Management

practitioners in Lagos State for the delivery of FM services. It is geared towards

ascertaining the extent to which FM professionals in Lagos State render their services with

the usage of CAFM. It should have been ideal to cover other seemingly highly Commercial

states like Rivers, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory; however, this study is restricted

to Lagos State to facilitate in depth enquiry within the context of the peculiar contextual

challenges of a primate city where Facilities management practice is most widespread. In

the same vein, the restriction of the study to Lagos State permitted the researcher to form

definite conclusions which could create a pedestal for research that could be extended to

other states in the country in the future.

Furthermore, the research is focused on FM companies whose offices are mainly domiciled

in the Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas of Lagos State, which mainly carry out total Facilities

management (i.e. using a holistic approach to facilities management), as against those

rendering specialized FM services like cleaning, security, catering, etc.

This allows for a more concentrated study and prevents generalized conclusions. The target

responses were from Facility Managers, Maintenance Managers, Senior Executives of

Facilities Management companies and professionals with relevant roles in the Facility

management profession or industry.

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1.7 Significance of the Study

The Facilities Management profession is a relatively new profession in Nigeria, with very

few, if any research papers on the subject of the deployment of CAFM systems by FM

companies. Most of the studies in Nigeria have been devoted to addressing issues such as

definitions and scope of facilities management practice [Odiete (1998), Udo (1998),

Koleosho et al (2012), Adejumo, Adewunmi & Omirin (2009); The usage of Facilities

management tools such as benchmarking in facilities management [Adewunmi et al (2009),

Adebanjo et al (2010)] and the impact of FM on related professions like Property

Management, Estate Management and other building support services from which FM

evolved [Fatokun (1998), Omirin (2000) and Adewunmi (2006)] amongst others.

However, in developed countries, the profession has evolved rapidly within the last two

decades owing to the impact of information technology and the deployment of CAFM

systems. Examples of some of the studies in the developed countries about the topic of

CAFM include those carried out by Abel & Lennerts (2005) and Madritsch & May (2009)

in Germany, Elmualim & Pelumi-Johnson (2009) in the United Kingdom, May (2006) and

May et al (2007) in Austria and Switzerland and Bainbridge & Finch (2009) in Scotland etc.

The deployment of information technology in FM through the use of Computer-aided

facilities management systems has made the practice of facilities management much more

efficient by providing the possibility of combining, storing and managing different

information of several buildings and facilities in one database and subsequently reducing

redundancy to a minimum. The increasing need for cost efficiency, business flexibility and

transparency is challenging today’s Facilities Managers.

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Abel and Lennerts (2005) stated that the main purpose of a CAFM system is to support

operational and strategic facility management, which offers a means of reducing costs and

making profits. The degree of the implementation of CAFM has a major impact on the

performance of the facilities and assets being managed. CAFM systems are rapidly being

deployed in multinational companies to enable Facility Managers manage and track the

different services rendered thereby enhancing faster and efficient decision making.

In the light of the foregoing, the need for reliable information is obvious, especially at

operational, tactical and strategic levels. Operational data and information about buildings,

spaces and usage is needed to analyze actual occupancy, identify future vacancies and to

benchmark the performance of the buildings. Knowing one’s Heating, Ventilation and Air-

conditioning (HVAC) installations and the maintenance requirements allows the FM to

forecast maintenance costs and balance them with available long term maintenance budgets.

In the same vein, registering supplier contracts and Service level agreements (SLAs) assists

in tracking quality, costs and timelines to ultimately realize the best value for money.

The incorporation of intelligence by Information technology has made facilities

management in other countries much more innovative than the conventional FM. In recent

times, technology has proved to be one of the tools that an organisation can use to harness

her critical operational and performance data. Hence, the influence of IT on the Facilities

management profession in the coming years will be highly significant and as such FMs

must stay on top of the implications of the ever changing information and communication

technology market.

Successfully implemented FM software can provide significant financial savings as well as

time savings through the automation of a couple of services and efficiency improvements

and measurable customer service benefits. It is important to have both a carefully

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structured product selection as well as implementation process so that the scope and goals

of the project are clear both to staff internally and to the supplier in order to secure the

initial and future success of the solutions.

This research work seeks to enlighten facilities management practitioners and other relevant

professionals associated with the industry about their need to adopt Computer-aided

facilities management. It also seeks to provide insights into the current CAFM tools being

deployed for the delivery of FM services in Lagos state.

Furthermore, the study aims to provide a tool for filling in the basic theoretical gaps, and at

the same time, equipping facility managers with the necessary knowledge to understand and

better implement CAFM in their organizations that will contribute to overall organizational

effectiveness and competitiveness. It will also provide research results from which newly

established FM companies can pick to guide them towards the deployment of CAFM

systems. The findings of the study are relevant for support service providers, FM companies

Governmental agencies and Multinational organizations in the Facilities management and

Real estate sectors.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

It is recognized that, in some ways, any research work would have limitations. For this

research, there was no published work relating to the application of Computer-aided

facilities management in Nigeria, and what was available mainly focused on the

nature and scope of FM practice with other traditional building support

professions from which FM evolved.

Also, there we re various barriers to the collection and exchange of information,

compounded by the fears about commercial confidentiality. It is anticipated that the

findings could at least form the framework for future research of other states in the

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country particularly the other notable commercial nerve centres like Rivers State and the

Federal Capital territory (FCT).

1.9 Definition of Terms

1. Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM): A high-tech tool used by facility

management professionals to track and manage virtually any facility-related asset. Amongst

many other benefits, it provides managers and decision makers with the ability to analyze

the effective use of space more readily than ever.

2. Computer Aided Design: Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the term used to describe a

range of computer based tools that assist architects, engineers, space planners and other

professionals in drafting, design, image or plan production or maintenance (Pickard, 2010).

3. Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS): a software program or

system used in preventative maintenance, work order management, and other functions of

facilities management.

4. Building Information Modeling (BIM): BIM is the process of creating a digital

representation (3-D data set) of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility and

sharing the data among the various types of professionals within the design and construction

team. The goal of this process is to improve collaboration among project participants.

5. Facilities Management (FM): Facilities Management is the integration of multi-

disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact

upon people and the workplace.

6. Operations & Maintenance Manuals (O&M): These are instruction manuals for

equipment that are compiled by the contractor and manufacturer for the support of facility

maintenance personnel.

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7. Facility Manager (FM): A Facility manager is responsible for managing all facility

management activities in an organization. Its primary functions are planning, management,

monitoring and evaluation of facility management activities.

8. Total Facilities Management (TFM): This form of facilities management implies the

rendering of a holistic approach to facilities management as against those rendering

specialized FM services like cleaning, security, catering, etc.

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CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This review synthesizes the current literatures that are germane to facilities management

and the application of Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems. The

purpose is to highlight the role of CAFM in promoting efficiency in facilities management,

evaluate the various types of computer programmes available and review the contributions

of various authors to the development of knowledge in the field.

The practice of facilities management has advanced in many developed countries but it is

still at its elementary stages in most African countries and developing economies such as

Nigeria. Akintunde (2009) reported that the practice of the facilities management profession

in Nigeria is being threatened by lack of benchmark standards, inadequate industry

knowledge and experience as well as corrupt practices in the processing of FM contracts.

According to Adejumo, et al. (2009), the Nigerian facilities management practice suffers

from identity crises resulting from its infancy. The Facilities management profession was

introduced in Nigeria in the 1980s by multinational companies in the oil and gas industry

such as Shell, Mobil and Chevron as part of their relocation activities.

Studying the fundamental literature about facilities management in developed and

developing nations attests to the fact that the profession is an emerging profession which

has been described in several ways without firm consensus. According to some notable

studies concerned with the facilities management profession, as seen in the works of

(Seebauer and Viniczay, 2009) and Becker (1990), numerous definitions of facilities

management were given nevertheless none can be taken as an official international one.

These definitions included terms like ‘process’, ‘service’, ‘systems’, ‘information

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technology’ and ‘buildings’. Generally, facilities management addresses a large number of

different issues related to processes, service activities and building spaces. The scope and

specific range of deliverables is considered to vary according to customer requirements

performed both in-house and outsourced.

Popular FM definitions include those of Becker (1990); who defined FM as the structural

activities that are responsible for coordinating all efforts related to planning, design and

management of buildings and their systems, their equipment and their fittings, in order to

improve the organization’s ability to compete successfully in a rapidly changing

environment. With this in mind, plant management has to encompass the three cost centres

that include local support services and information technology. Alexander (1996) specified

that the purpose of FM is to cover all aspects related to space, environmental control, health

and safety and support services. The Facility Management institute (FMI) in 1970 defined

facilities management as a discipline that encompasses the management of people, process

and place.

Figure 2.1: A three-interrelated element model of People, Process & Place[Saengratwatchara (2008), pg. 10]

Reference will be made to the definition by the International Facility Management

Association (IFMA) which defined facility management as ‘’a profession that encompasses

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multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people,

place, process and technology.” This definition suggests that Facilities Management

provides a supporting management function to the core business of an organization;

concentrates on the area of interface between physical workplace and people; and requires a

multi-skill approach to integrate people, place, process and technology in executing its

support functions.

Figure 2.2: A Four-interrelated element model of People, Place, Process & Technology ofFacilities Management as defined by IFMA.

Facilities Management has recently not only emerged as a service sector but also it has

helped to establish a new professional discipline with its own codes, standards and technical

vocabulary (Atkins, 2005). According to Andrew (1998), in his study emphasized that

Facilities Management can encompass: mechanical engineering, architecture, interior

design, space planning, human factors, organizational behaviour, psychology, human

resources, finance, telecommunications, CAD, construction, project management, acoustics,

lighting etc.

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This list is not exhaustive and depending on the nature of the facility, other specializations

may be required. FM embraces much more than the operational concerns of plumbing and

lighting and even more than the provision and maintenance of a productive and comfortable

environment. Kincaid (2004) gave a visual overview of the variety of disciplines

involved in facilities management (See figure 2.3 below), with a mix of so-called

‘unglamorous’ tasks (such as cleaning management) as well as high value, high

impact tasks (such as planning and budgeting).

Source: Kincaid (2004)Fig 2.3: Visual Overview of the variety of disciplines involved in Facilities Management

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2.2 The Concept of Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM)

According to Kamaruzzaman et al. (2009), Computer-Aided Facilities Management

(CAFM) is a high tech tool which is a combination of computerized network system that

connects graphic and non-graphic information in a centralized manner using widespread

data collection. CAFM includes the creation and utilization of Information Technology

(IT)-based systems in the built environment. James & Watson (2011) defined a typical

CAFM system as a combination of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and/or relational

database software with specific abilities for facilities management which provides facility

managers with the tools to track, plan, manage, and provide real-time updates about FM

assets and equipment.

The overwhelming technological advancements experienced in developed nations has led to

the application of information technology (in the form of CAFM) in facilities management

and other professions relevant to the built environment such as architecture, engineering,

real estate etc.

According to the study made by Keller & Keller (2004), CAFM is defined as a software

system that automates several facility management tasks in order to reduce management

costs by creating a central and comprehensive resource of facilities information. CAFM

supports the day-to-day facilities operations, from master planning to project conception,

design and budgeting; as well as from construction to lease management. In sum, CAFM

provides facility managers with the ability to analyze the effective use of space more readily

than ever.

According to CAFM Explorer (2013), a leading worldwide CAFM solution provider,

CAFM modules are mainly grouped as follows:

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Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software that is used for

Planned Preventive Maintenance, Reactive Maintenance and Asset Management.

Resource booking software used for room booking, catering, equipment, and visitor

management.

Health and Safety software used for recording accidents or incidents permit

management, security and risk assessments.

Supporting software used for stock, purchase ordering, digital dashboard and

invoicing.

Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) software used for space

planning and management.

Real Estate (RE) and Capital Planning software.

Computerized CAFM ranges from a simple space management tool to a range of

applications (Keller and Keller, 2004) such as: maintenance and operations, facility

budgeting and accounting, construction and project management, space inventory and

management, architectural and interior planning, space forecasting, lease and property

management and furniture and equipment management.

CAFM systems combine and analyze complex data to improve FM service delivery

throughout a variety of industries including government, educational, healthcare,

commercial, and industrial environments. They give decision makers the ability to automate

many of the data-intensive FM functions which consequently results in continuous cost

savings and improved utilization of assets and equipment through-out their entire lifecycle.

(James & Watson, 2011)

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2.3 Empirical Studies about CAFM

For the purpose of this research work, it is necessary to identify the contributions of

previous authors and researchers. The number of studies concerned with the application of

Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems in facilities management has been

growing in recent years mainly in the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia. However, there has

hardly been any evidence of such a study in most African developing nations such as

Nigeria. Most of the relevant empirical studies that one is aware of have been conducted

in countries such as the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Austr ia , Malaysia,

India,

In Germany, Abel & Lennerts (2005) conducted a study indicating the overview of

current fields of application for CAFM systems and a trend for future fields of

application in terms of user needs. The research also sought to identify the primary

users of CAFM whether building owners, occupants or operators.

Another German study by Madritsch & May (2009) carried out a comparative

analysis of CAFM implementation projects and procedures in German speaking

countries. The research showed a comparative analysis of the CAFM sectors in

Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It showed current trends, technologies, obstacles,

challenges and recommendations for a successful CAFM implementation.

In the United Kingdom (UK), Elmualim & Pelumi-Johnson (2009) carried out a study on

the opportunities derived from the application of Computer-aided facilities management

systems in managing intelligent buildings. The results of the survey showed that 46% of the

respondents make use of CAFM systems for managing the intelligent buildings.

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Another UK study by Bainbridge & Finch (2008) looked in to the adoption patterns of

Computer-aided facilities management in Scotland. The study also examined the

significance of IT in the delivery of facilities management services to the built environment

and business organizations in Scotland. It also sought to gather the views of FM

professionals regarding the usefulness of CAFM tools in improving the effectiveness of

facilities management.

In USA, Saengratwatchara and Elsworth (2008) in a study titled ‘’the antecedents of

intention to adopt web-based CAFM system’’, examined the factors that influence the

adoption of CAFM systems by FM professionals. The study suggested that opportunities

be provided to allow potential users of the CAFM system understand the working

experience of the tools so as to discover their work-related advantages as well as to be able

to understand whether the system is easy or difficult to use.

In Malaysia, Kamaruzzaman et al. (2009) carried out a survey of Computer added Facilities

management in Malaysian Building Industry. It examined the level of recognition towards

computers application in providing assistance for better operational as well as strategic

processes for facilities planning and management. The study reiterated that Malaysia is still

at her infancy level in the application of computer tools within the Facilities Management

industry.

In India, PoÓr & Kuchtova (2013) examined the economic evaluation of effective CAFM

software implementation in a manufacturing company.

In Canada, Abel et al. (2006) focused on how the day to day business of facility managers

in hospitals can be supported using a CAFM system and what an accordingly database

model would look like. The research aimed at designing a standard database model that can

be used as a ready to start pre-configured system that reduces data acquisition and

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customizing efforts to a minimum. The research findings showed that CAFM to the facility

manager is not the same as to a facility manager in other FM branches. It emphasized that

the main request in hospitals is not the maintenance of the facility documentations in terms

of drawings and contracts but the documentations of service calls and maintenance of

biomedical and technical objects.

Jayasena and Weddikkara (2012) carried out a research in Sri Lanka. The research showed

that FM is in its infancy stage in Sri Lanka and that CAFM was not in use presently.

These empirical studies provide several views pertaining to the application and

implementation of CAFM as shown in the different countries. One has to be cautious in

accepting the outcome of these studies as relevant to Nigeria, since they were carried out

in different cultural, social and institutional settings.

In present day Nigeria, the recognition and growth recorded in the Facilities

management sector especially amongst the private sector is a reflection of the

increasing recognition accorded to the profession. This has strongly resulted in a diverse

and highly competitive marketplace amongst FM companies and corporate organizations

thus leading to the deployment of various information technology tools such as CAFM

systems, Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) tools and other business software in a bid to

be more innovative and gain competitive advantage over other competitors. This present

study advances the discussion.

2.4 Origin of Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM)

According to Massad (2012), the evolution of CAFM dates back to the 1980’s. In the

1980’s and 90’s, CAFM systems application evolved with the leveraging of widespread

PCs. Today, what is obtainable are Web based CAFMs in line with the internet age and

advancement in information technology.

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Mason (2007) further reiterated that the first CAFM systems originated in the early 1980s

and some systems have been around almost as long as AutoCAD itself. The fact that CAFM

systems started with and still have ‘CAD roots’ is unsurprising because initially most

systems focused on the generation of space and asset information derived directly from the

CAD space planning plans.

Teicholz (2000) in his study, reported that CAFM evolved in the late 1980's leveraging the

personal computer (PC) to automate the collection and maintenance of Facilities

management information. CAFM evolution dates back to the period where CAFM vendors

such as Archibus (http://www.archibus.com), FM Systems (http://fmsystems.com),

Drawbase (http://www.drawbase.com) etc., started linking database applications to CAD

programs in order to perform facility related functions.

Initial CAFM applications were mostly related to tracking space and physical assets such as

furniture and equipment, depicting physical location and departmental organization of staff,

which were often developed by getting lists of staff and locations from corporate human

resource or information technology groups and re-entering this data into the CAFM system.

Consequently, widespread usage of Information Technology (IT) tools and applications in

almost all disciplines eventually penetrated the construction and FM industry as well.

CAFM systems consist of a variety of technologies and information sources that may

include Building Information Models (BIM), object-oriented database systems, CAD

systems, and interfaces to other systems such as a Computerized Maintenance Management

System (CMMS). Today most Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems are

internet-based and they provide a host of features such as maintenance management,

tracking and monitoring of work orders, asset management, purchase orders management

including facilities related scheduling and analysis capabilities.

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2.5 The Evolution of CAFM

According to a study by Saengratwatchara (2008), the evolution of CAFM can be classified

into five (5) distinct phases as enumerated in the works of Teicholz (1994; 2001). These

phases are listed below:

Generations 1 & 2: Technology Evolution – This phase entailed the development

of mainframe computers with applications designed for FMs in the early 1960s,

before the term ‘’facility manager’’ even existed. This generation had very few

vendors, but solutions were quite comprehensive and integrated.

Generations 3: CAFM & CIFM – The third generation of CAFM, started in the

early 1990s. It was characterized by robust integration between various FM graphic

and non-graphic applications, still using the PC as the primary hardware platform.

The earlier CAFM systems were desktop solutions whereby data were moved over a

local area network (LAN) to the desktop computer.

Generations 4: The Explosion of the Internet – The explosion of the internet

represents the largest telecommunications network that currently exists in the world.

Any Vendor that does not use this network for all aspects of data communication

and reporting will find it increasingly difficult to exist. Today CAFM vendors have

moved well beyond these simple data collection, querying, and reporting functions.

The benefits of the internet are clearly discernible and have been well defined and

understood.

Generations 5 & beyond: High Speed Internet Computers and Networks: This

post-PC age refers to the imminent arrival of high speed internet computers and

networks (both through cables and mobile) and the increasing embedding of

microchips into assets. In this generation, communication is at a very high speed; it

will be wireless as well as on wires, new data formats such as sound and multimedia

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video will be included, and there will be very high-speed data networks connected to

powerful hub computers.

It is not surprising then, that the commercially available computer-aided facility

management (CAFM) software vendors have eagerly sought to transfer their products to

internet technology. A number of companies have evolved to offer integrated solutions to

typical facilities information problems.

Examples of the application areas included in currently available CAFM systems products

are:

Space Management

Asset Management

Maintenance Management

CAD Drawing and image management

Project Management

Project budgeting

2.6 The Components of CAFM

A CAFM system usually includes both graphic and non-graphic components. Basically, A

CAFM system is typically composed of a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) package and a

database which is updated as more information is added to it. At the heart of a CAFM

system is a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) package which automates design and drafting

tasks. CAFM systems link graphics, usually in the form of drawings and databases in to an

integrated system. The linking of the database to the graphics involves going from a macro

level, such as the site or building to a micro level, which could be a room with all its

contents (McLean, 1998).

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Massad (2012) in a study summarized that CAFM systems consist of a variety of

technologies and information sources that include Computer Aided Design systems,

Building Information Models (BIM) and the Interface to other systems. CAFM software

allows users to combine CAD and other non-graphic data to track information from bulk

data in order to perform various facility management-related tasks.

According to a study by Teicholz and Noferi (2002), CAFM systems can be described in six

primary components as follows:

1. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) for design and drafting tasks.

2. Space and Asset Management for space inventory, planning and analysis, asset

inventory, integrated CAD, occupancy information and move management.

3. Capital Planning/Facility Condition Assessment for tracking condition and

deficiencies of buildings (e.g. building fabrics, roofs, structural and mechanical

systems, etc.) and life cycle costs of renewal.

4. Maintenance and Operations for Work order management, planned preventive

maintenance, stock/inventories, and other scheduling works.

5. Real Estate and Property Management for tracking information on property

portfolios with tenant and lease administration, transaction management, financial

modeling, and work management functions.

6. Support Technologies: This is a miscellaneous grouping for functions that support

and integrate the other FM-specific categories. Examples include project

management, document management, web-based applications such as extranets (a

private internet over the internet), reporting tools, IT infrastructure, and office

support tools such as emails and spreadsheets.

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CAFM systems vary in their complexity and capabilities. Smaller organizations may be

satisfied with one or two CAD stations linked to a simple desktop database. Others may

wish to link all the graphic and non-graphic information involved in facilities management.

2.7 Scope of CAFM

The most commonly used term in the United Kingdom and Europe for facilities

management and real estate management software is CAFM, which stands for Computer-

aided facilities management. There are however, a number of names used to categorize

similar or related applications. In the United States and within globally operated

organizations, it is labeled as Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS). IWMS is

characterized as an enterprise-class software platform that integrates five (5) key

components of functionality, operated from a single technology platform and database

repository (BIFM, 2010).

These functional areas are:

Real Estate and Lease management

Facilities and Space management

Maintenance management

Project management

Environmental sustainability

In the Netherlands and Belgium, it is labeled as Facility Management Information system

(FMIS). In most cases, the category used is a reflection of the origins of the software. In

another vein, some reflect the profession/function from where the software originated, such

as CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management software) and FMS (Facilities

Management software), whereas others are created by software suppliers to differentiate

26

their product offerings (e.g. TIFM, Total Integrated Facilities Management and CIFM,

Computer-Integrated Facilities Management.

In general, CAFM, IWMS, CMMS or FMIS systems support at a minimum processes in:

Space management

Facility management

Reactive Maintenance management

From a functional perspective, the most important difference between IWMS and CAFM is

that IWMS additionally includes extensive functionality for real estate and lease

management, project management and environmental sustainability. Individual offerings

however differ per vendor. Next to IWMS and CAFM, which aim to support a combination

of integrated processes, there are many point solutions available that focus on one specific

process. Some examples are Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS),

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), and room booking or visitor registrations.

These IT based facilities management solutions help facility managers to track and manage

organizational resources. These solutions enhance the optimal use of resources and bring

down the operational costs in any facilities. These solutions track and manage the

information on usage and storage of resources such as inventory, people, or property

(owned or leased).

Consequently, Facility managers can use this information to identify patterns from past and

present, and on the basis of these identified patterns, facility managers can make decisions,

keeping future perspectives in mind. These future perspectives include several aspects such

as resource utilization, space utilization, and environment sustainability amongst others.

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2.8 CAFM Implementation

The implementation of CAFM system is not a quick fix/solution to a poorly managed or

fundamentally unsound management system. It is a tool to aid operational efficiency,

generate quality improvement and assist in compliance. Therefore, before the

implementation of any CAFM system, the organization’s business processes must be well

reviewed and defined in advance before the selection of the CAFM software. In parallel

with this, CAFM vendors are often asked to provide integration from CAFM applications

into third- party products, such as HR, accounting/financials (i.e. SAP, Sage etc.) and space-

planning applications.

Among the major areas that should be reviewed are:

Help-desk/call/request logging

Service Management (Both hard and soft services)

Contractor notification

Service level agreements

Health and Safety/Risk management

Stock and Purchasing

Asset and Property Management

Space Management/planning

Resource Management

Data capture and reporting

Furthermore, the CAFM system to be implemented must be sure to possess the ability to

interface with Building management system (BMS) devices such as security controls,

building automation controls and emergency systems. The bulk of most facilities managers’

documents exist mainly on paper, not in electronic form, or in some mixture of electronic

28

and paper. Typically, 70% of the owners cost in implementing CAFM involves getting the

data in to a system.

Madritsch and May (2009) illustrated in more detail, a model for CAFM implementation as

shown in fig 2.4 below.

Facilities managers know that computer aided facilities management (CAFM) software can

bring many benefits to both the FM department and the wider organisation. They’ll

appreciate that CAFM software is designed to enable FMs to keep track of their

Preliminary Study Fundamental consideration of pros and cons of a CAFM system Setting of goals and precondition Management decision for a possible CAFM project.

Project Management Organization of the projects (naming Project group and Project manager) Project management: planning and control of the project parameters

(services, deadlines, costs, resources,…)

Concept phase (Customer requirement specification) As-is analysis (operational and organizational structure, IT systems and infrastructure. Definition of the user specific requirements on the CAFM system Cost-benefit analysis

Selection phase (tender/placing) Selection of CAFM software vendor and CAFM service provider Determination of supporting hardware and software components Decision “make-or-buy” or a combination of both

Implementation phase Installation, test and certification of the CAFM system Customization according to operational and organizational structure Data acquisition and transfer into the CAFM system Training (for administrators and users) Selection of CAFM software vendor and CAFM service provider Determination of supporting hardware and software components Decision “make-or-buy” or a combination of both Installation, test and certication of the CAFM system

Utilization and amortization phase Maintenance and ongoing evaluation (quality management) Further development and modular extension of the total system

RejectProject assignment

Figure 2.4: A CAFM Implementation Model by Madritsch and May (2009), pg. 437

29

organization’s assets by linking a variety of information together electronically (BIFM,

2010). Consequently, FMs must be able to identify and recognize the type of CAFM of

tools that would best serve their company’s particular requirements.

2.9 Examples and Range of Application for CAFM Systems

There is a variety of CAFM systems being used by facility managers, across organizations

in different countries and continents. Popular examples include Archibus, CAFM Explorer,

and Planon etc.

In Malaysia, Kamaruzzaman et al. (2009) carried out a survey which studied and analyzed

the level of computer application that has been implemented in relevant Facilities

Management companies in Malaysia. The study showed that most FM organizations had

subscribed to basic computer needs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Internet. A small

percentage of FM companies make use of Central Monitoring systems and Building

Automated system (B.A.S). Examples of CAFM applications in use are C-Works, Archibus,

B.A.S, MYOB etc.

In another study in Scotland, Bainbridge & Finch (2008) investigated the examples of

CAFM systems in use by FM practitioners. The CAFM system selected the most was

‘Concept FM’, which had 24% of the survey respondents indicating its use. Other identified

CAFM applications widely in use as indicated by the survey were ‘Bespoke system’,

‘CAFM Explorer’, ‘Archibus’, ‘FM Desktop’ , ‘Planon’ and ‘Planet FM.’ The survey

identified Work order management, Fault management, Asset Management, Planned

Maintenance as the most widely usage of CAFM systems.

2.10 Purpose of CAFM

Compared to earlier days, modern building projects have significantly evolved in terms of

size, complexity and speed of completion resulting into a multi-user multi-tasking design

30

environment. Buildings have become a complex integration of various systems and

services. The trend has been technically supported by development in information and

communication technology and resulted in intelligent building (IB).

Abel & Lennerts (2005) emphasized that the possibilities of CAFM systems are

multifarious. The main purpose is to support operational and strategic facility management,

i.e. all the activities associated with administrative, technical and infrastructural FM.

Typically, the purposes of a CAFM system include:

i. To help the facility's manager ensure the organization's assets are fully utilized at the

lowest possible cost, while providing benefit to every phase of a building's lifecycle.

ii. To support operational and strategic facility management, i.e. all of the activities

associated with administrative, technical, and infrastructural FM tasks when the

facility or building is operational, as well as the strategic processes for facilities

planning and management.

According to the Judicial Council of California (2001), CAFM performs the functional

supports for Project management, portfolio management, Facility management, and Real

property management.

CAFM systems combine and analyze complex data to improve FM practices throughout a

variety of industries including government, healthcare, educational, commercial, and

industrial environments. The CAFM system gives decision makers the ability to automate

many of the data-intensive facility management functions and typically results in

continuous cost savings and improved utilization of assets through-out their entire lifecycle.

Although there is no ideal model suitable for all situations, to meet the specific demands of

the facility manager, a well-developed CAFM system will often include a variety of

31

functions and features. CAFM systems typically provide and maintain information on floor

plans, property descriptions, space utilization, energy consumption, equipment location, and

other critical infrastructure data that pertains to the sector it is serving.

2.11 Differences between CAFM and CMMS

Computer-aided facility management (CAFM) software focuses primarily on space

management issues. This addresses questions such as ‘who owns the property’, ‘people of

the workplace’, ‘where are facilities located’, ‘Number of facilities present across the

globe’, how much does it cost to run the operation in each facility amongst many others. It

is also used to manage relocation and renovation projects that change how the spaces look

and work. There is also usually a graphical component to CAFM so that users can connect

CAD plans to facilities database information, (Facilities Desk, 2014).

Computerized Maintenance Management system (CMMS) software on the other hand

focuses primarily on maintenance issues and problem resolution. CMMS is a computer

software program designed to assist in the planning, management, and administrative

functions required for effective maintenance. Often times, assets in a facility break down

and somebody has to fix them. The primary vehicles for communicating these breakdown

problems and resolutions are the initial work request that is logged when something is

wrong and the work order that is created to track the steps to fix the problem.

In short, maintenance management, work order tracking and preventive maintenance are the

order of the day for a CMMS Application. In CMMS software, preventive maintenance

focuses on processes and activities designed to maintain assets and equipment before they

breakdown and to extend their life. CMMS may include tools to manage parts, equipment

documentation, fleet maintenance, staff and subcontractor activities etc.

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CAFM and CMMS sometimes overlap in the area of work orders. Most CAFM software

use work orders to manage staff and Facilities, employees and team’s relocations. The work

order provides a convenient and efficient tool to manage the details that go with these

activities. In large organizations having facilities and operated across globe, different teams

are generally responsible for facility and maintenance issues. Each group may want

software applications that meet their specific needs. In smaller organizations the same team

may be responsible for both functions and prefer a tightly integrated solution that meets all

their needs.

2.12 Theoretical Framework

There is no underlying theoretical framework for the implementation of CAFM systems in

Facilities management. Information technology is a wide field, and has enabled

organizations across the world to work in an efficient manner. It plays a very important role

in effective management and running of a business. The use of IT in organizations is

inevitable, be it any type of company like manufacturing or medicinal sector. It has

contributed largely to the process advancements in organizations.

Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory is the most appropriate for investigating the

adoption of technology in offices and educational environments. Rogers (2003) used the

word “technology” and “innovation” as synonyms. For Rogers, “a technology is a design

for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the cause-effect relationships

involved in achieving a desired outcome”. It is composed of hardware and software. While

hardware is “the tool that embodies the technology in the form of a material or physical

object,” software is “the information base for the tool”.

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The profession of facilities management is now one of the fastest growing and strategically

important parts of an organization’s operational structure. To reflect this development, there

has been a corresponding consolidation in the types of supporting software.

Figure 2.5. A Model of Five Stages in the Innovation-Decision Process(Source: Sahin, Pg. 15, 2006)

The most commonly used term in the UK for facilities management software is CAFM,

which stands for Computer-aided facilities management. There are, however, a number of

names used to categorize similar or related applications. In most cases, the category used is

a reflection of the origins of the software. Some reflect the profession from where the

34

software originated, such as CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management software)

and FMS (Facilities management software).

2.13 Benefits of CAFM

Without mincing words, todays FM professionals know that a CAFM system brings surplus

benefits to their job functions and the wider organization. CAFM is increasingly becoming

an indispensable standard technology for the successful implementation of FM as a strategic

corporate concept (Elmualim & Pelumi-Johnson, 2009) .

CAFM enables FMs to keep track of their organization’s assets by linking a variety of

information electronically. The benefits a fully-fledged CAFM system brings to an

organization when fully utilized as a core business tool can not be underestimated.

Abel & Lennerts (2005) in their study, stated that the benefits of CAFM systems are

multifarous. The study reiterated that CAFM can be used to achieve functional objectives

i:e to achieve transparency of information which results in an improvement in planning

performance and quality. Other benefits of CAFM as shown in the study includes the

possibility of CAFM to fulfil economic and legal objectives such as reduction of costs on a

one-off and long-term basis and adherence to statutory requirements respectively.

CAFM systems provide an excellent, automated framework for managing maintenance and

service contracts. They take the onus off the team and allows them to focus on what is

needed to be done to make sure the subcontractors are alerted when the PPMs becomes due,

and that the task is completed to schedule. ‘It cuts down on the administrative time

overhead and it’s extremely efficient to use.

Choosing the right CAFM system, working with a supplier who understands that every

organization’s needs are different, that facilities management has a unique role to play in

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today’s business infrastructure, and who can tailor the technology accordingly rather than

pushing an all-purpose off-the-shelf solution, should be a vital element in any facilities

manager’s strategy. Without it, there is the very real possibility that FM professionals will

be unable to contribute effectively to business development or cost savings, just at a time

when they will be under greater pressure to do so.

Almost all CAFM software applications assist in the monitoring, management and planning

of operational activities and expenditure, standards, regulatory compliance and capital

budgeting in one, or several, of the following areas:

FM – buildings/people/services/ resources including help-desks.

Asset management – buildings/plant/equipment

Property/space management utilization/ charging/ administration/ modeling.

Resource management – e.g. conference-room/travel bookings

Sustainability – environmental management and control

There are a number of reasons for deploying a CAFM system. However for the majority of

organizations, it is usually implemented to:

Cut costs

Increase productivity

Improve customer service

More efficiently use space

Reduce churn rates

Enhance faster and more accurate reporting

Streamline facilities processes

Share information throughout an organization.

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This chapter focused on the evolution of facilities management, the concept of CAFM

and the empirical studies concerned with CAFM implementation in other developed

countries. Furthermore, it examined the components, scope and the range of

applications/functions for CAFM systems.

The next chapter examines the concept of the research methodology and design used for

the study and continues with an explanation of the data collection and analysis

techniques used by the researcher.

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CHAPTER THREERESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the methodological framework adopted for the research. It describes

the research design, the study area, the study population, the sampling technique and

sample size, the instrument for data collection, the types of data obtained and the tools for

data analysis. Furthermore, the procedure for testing the instrument of data collection

through pilot study, and also for reliability and validity including the administration of the

questionnaire were described in more detail.

In compiling this dissertation, a thorough knowledge of focal issues was required; hence

surveys and observations involving the collection of data from relevant sources was

adopted. Questionnaires were administered to professionals currently working as Facility

managers, Maintenance Managers or in other roles relevant to the Facilities management

profession.

The approach adopted for this study comprised of a field survey which was based on

answering questions presented in a structured questionnaire. This sought to provide

relevant answers to the stated research problems and questions from the perspectives of the

local population used for the study. This approach involved the collection of relevant

quantitative data, which were put to rigorous quantitative analysis using statistical

software.

In this survey, the local population was determined to be Facility Management

professionals/practitioners in different Facilities Management companies and organizations

situated in the Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas of Lagos State.

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3.2 Research Design

The Research design process entails the planning and structuring of the research in order

to ensure the gathering of relevant information which would help in obtaining the most

valid findings with respect to the study.

Kothari (2004) defined research design “as the arrangement of conditions for collection

and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose

with economy in procedure.” Research design provides an outline of the type of

information relevant to a particular research problem and also the strategies and

approaches for data collection and analysis.

The preparation of a research design appropriate for a particular study involves the

consideration of the following:

1. Objectives of the research

2. Types and sources of information required

3. Method of Data collection to be adopted

4. Sampling strategy

5. Tools for Data collection

6. Data Analysis - qualitative and quantitative

Types of research design include Exploratory, Descriptive and Analytical research designs.

To achieve the objectives of the research, the exploratory research design approach was

considered. This type of research design enables the discovery of new ideas and insights

about the research topic. It entails the questioning of knowledgeable individuals to clarify

and define the nature of the research problems through the use of structured questionnaires

complemented with informal interviews. It attempts to explore and explain the underlying

issues while providing additional information about the research topic.

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3.3 Research Location

The study was conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria. Lagos state is densely populated and has

a high concentration of industrial, commercial and residential facilities. It is located on the

south western coast of Nigeria between 6o to 7o north of the equator and longitude 3o and 4o

east of the Greenwich meridian. The city has a total area of 3,577 km2 where about 22% of

the total area is covered by lagoons and creeks (Wikipedia, 2015).

The city of Lagos is located in the south-western part of Nigeria. It has boundaries with the

Republic of Benin in the West. In the North and East, it is bounded by Ogun State while

behind its southern borders lies the Atlantic Ocean. Lagos has remained the major sea port

and commercial nerve centre of the country earning it the name “Centre of Excellence.”

Figure 3.1: Map of Lagos State showing Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas in red arrows

This research is targeted at facilities management practitioners in companies and

organizations whose corporate offices are domiciled in the Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas

40

of Lagos state, and which mainly carry out total Facilities management (i.e. using a holistic

approach to facilities management) as against those rendering specialized facilities

management services like cleaning, security, catering, etc.

The Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas of Lagos state are home to several large luxury

apartments, high-rise buildings, mixed-use buildings, corporate head offices of notable

multinational companies and Hotels which require facilities management. The choice of this

research location allowed for a more concentrated study in achieving the research objectives

and thus prevented the formation of generalized conclusions.

Figure 3.2: Aerial view of the Falomo roundabout in Ikoyi linking the Victoria Island areaof Lagos state

The target respondents were Facility Managers, Maintenance Managers, Senior Executives

of Facilities Management companies and professionals with relevant roles in the Facility

management profession or industry.

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3.4 Study Population

The study population can simply be defined as the entire group or set of subjects that the

researcher is interested in using for the study. For the purpose of this research, the study

population consists of Facility Management practitioners in companies/organizations that

carry out facilities management operations and services. The study population was limited

to companies and organizations with corporate offices in Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas of

Lagos state. The population for this study is finite however, its actual number could not be

determined. This is due to the absence of a comprehensive register/documentation showing

the details of facilities management companies/practitioners for the study population.

3.5 Sampling Techniques

Purposive sampling technique (a non-probabilistic form of sampling) was adopted for the

research work. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009) defined Purposive sampling as “non-

probability sampling procedure in which the judgment of the researcher is used to select the

cases that makes up the sample.” It entails the deliberate selection of the items for the sample

by the researcher. The researcher selects the particular units of the study population to be

constituted as a sample which then forms the sample frame to be used for the study. It is

mostly adopted for small inquiries and researches by individuals and in addition because of

its cost and time savings.

3.6 Sample Size

Sampling entails the selection of observations to acquire some knowledge of a statistical

study population. Its purpose is to yield some knowledge about the population of concern,

especially for the purpose of making predictions based on statistical inference. In simple

terms, the Sample size entails the numbers of items to be selected from a study population

to be used for the research study. Since a good sample must as nearly as possible be the

42

representative of the entire population, i:e not excessively large nor small, care was taken to

ensure that the sample size was large enough to convey a measure of credibility on the

outcome of the study.

The study population/sampling frame as described earlier is limited to FM practitioners in

companies and organizations with corporate head offices in Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas

of Lagos state. Owing to the absence of a reliable register of Facilities management

practitioners in the state, no definite sample frame could be derived. However, in a bid to

determine the sampling frame to be used for the study i:e the approximate number of FM

practitioners in the research location, reference was made to the VConnect database.

VConnect is the largest business search engine in Nigeria with more than 500,000

businesses listed on its site. It provides the most comprehensive and updated information

about local businesses products, services or companies in Nigeria. VConnect provides users

with a Pan-Nigeria platform to access business information. On VConnect website, users

across states and LGAs in Nigeria can access information on local businesses across

Nigeria. VConnect is the simplest and most cost-effective way to find local businesses

information in Nigeria.

In the light of the above, a thorough online search was made on the VConnect database for a

list of companies and organizations with corporate head offices in Victoria Island and Ikoyi

areas of Lagos state that have facilities management practitioners and professionals in their

staff strength. The resulting list was screened to remove companies that didn’t meet the

criteria. Conclusively, the study population was adjudged to be made up of about 35

companies.

Consequently, a sample size of 75 was adopted equalling an approximate number of two

FM practitioners per company. A total number of 75 questionnaires were circulated to the

43

target respondents out of which 64 were returned but only 57 were used for the analysis

after scrutinizing for errors, omissions, incompleteness and inconsistencies. The completion

rate of 76% was considered adequate and representative enough for the study.

3.7 Data Sources

The data employed for the research were derived from primary and secondary sources.

The key primary source was the questionnaire survey specifically designed to elicit data

specific to the research questions. This survey was carried out through the form of a

structured questionnaire. A series of questions that are easy and convenient to answer that

could describe the intended practices and provide relevant information to the study were

formulated and included in the questionnaire.

The delivery method chosen was mainly via email while about 25 percent was done by

hand. The decision to largely make use of the email method for carrying out the

questionnaire survey was driven by the fact that it is less expensive and not time

consuming. Other methods of collecting primary data include through interviews

(personal or telephone) and the use of mechanical devices such as cameras, audiometers

etc.

Secondary data entails data that have already been collected by someone else and in

addition data that have already been passed through the statistical process. The research

study also made use of considerable secondary data sources such as books, journal

articles and internet websites.

3.8 Instrument for Data Collection

A structured questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection from the target

respondents. This helped to achieve the gathering of necessary information required for the

research. Structured questionnaires are those with definite and fixed alternative questions

44

which are distributed to all respondents in the same wording and order. The questionnaires

used for the research contained a number of structured and direct questions for which the

answers from the target respondents were limited to the given alternatives. In addition,

some of the questions had provision of alternative replies for cases where the alternatives

given did not provide any answer choice to the respondent.

The questionnaire was divided into five sections (Section 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Section 1 was

used to draw relevant information about the profile of the respondents. It contained

questions used to determine the respondent’s job title, employment status, gender, years of

working experience, etc. Others questions include the CAFM application in use, no of years

of using CAFM, operational activities for using CAFM. Nominal (classificatory) scale,

Ranking and interval scale were employed in providing detailed measurement to the

questions.

The Sections two to five of the questionnaire employed the use of Likert type four and five-

point scales of measurement where one extreme implied a strong agreement with a given

statement and the other extreme a strong disagreement and at the middle lies intermediate

points. The Section two was used to draw relevant information about the level of awareness

of CAFM by the various Facility managers. It contained six questions dealing with the

application of IT and CAFM in facilities management. Section three of the questionnaire

was used to draw information on the rate of CAFM implementation by the respective FM

practitioners utilizing them. Section four was used to draw information on the challenges of

deploying CAFM. Section 5 was used to draw relevant data on the performance of CAFM

and its effects on organizational bottom-line of the users.

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3.9 Pre-Testing of the Instrument through Pilot Study

A Pilot study was undertaken for pre-testing the reliability and validity of the research

instrument. It offers a means of identifying errors in the research instrument before it is

administered. These errors may take the form of reasoning, formulation errors or simple

spelling mistakes.

The Validity test is a critical criterion and indicates the degree to which an instrument

measures what it is supposed to measure. It is the extent to which differences found with a

measuring instrument reflect true differences among those being tested. In order to test for

the validity of the instrument, experts in the Real Estate and the facilities management

profession were sought to proof-read and assess the appropriateness of the statements in the

questionnaire before administering them to the respondents. Furthermore, the target

respondents chosen for the study were seen to be practicing facility managers or those with

roles and the cognizant experience relevant to the profession and the nature of the research

problem respectively.

The test for the reliability of the instrument is another important test of sound measurement.

According to Black and Champion (1976), a measuring instrument is reliable if it provides

consistent results. In the case of this study, ensuring reliability had specific reference to

ensuring that the respondents chosen were of sufficient quality, and that the responses

received could be analyzed with sufficient depth to draw meaningful conclusions. To this

end, the respondents chosen had specific levels of credentials and qualifications. All the

respondents, as mentioned above had to have been in their role for at least 1 year and also

gotten the requisite bachelor’s degree qualification in their profession. The respondents

were therefore believed to be conversant with up-to-date developments in the field of

facilities management.

46

Consequently, the research instrument was pre-tested before formal data collection process

for fine-tuning of the structured questionnaire. The researcher personally carried out the

administration of the data collection instruments. A total of 15 respondents were selected

representing about 25% of the total sample size. The Pilot survey was carried out to

establish the functionality of the questionnaire and to ascertain if the questionnaire would

generate the proposed results required for the research study. The respondents were

informed to check through the questionnaire and generate feedbacks peradventure there

were any ambiguities relating to the questions.

3.10 Procedure for the Administration of the Questionnaire

The questionnaires used for this research were delivered by hand and also sent through

emails to the respondents. Respondents were given a one week time frame to complete the

questionnaires. Care was taken to ensure that the questionnaires were administered to only

in-house and Facility Management Professionals. Furthermore, help was received from

some of my colleagues in the distribution of the questionnaires in their respective

companies and organizations.

3.11 Questionnaire Retrieval

The questionnaires used for this study were collected by return email while the ones

administered by hand were collected at a mutually agreed time. The use of email and the

physical delivery and collection of the questionnaire, afforded the opportunity to answer or

clarify any query the respondents had regarding the questions and purpose of the study. In

total, 57 questionnaires were used for the analysis representing a response rate of 76%.

3.12 Tool for Data Processing

Analysis of the data retrieved from the questionnaires was processed using the Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

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3.13 Tools for Data Analysis

The study employed both descriptive and statistical methods of data analysis. These comprise

frequency distributions and cross tabulations. The frequency distribution shows the basic

distributional features of the data on the respondents and also the data employed in the

subsequent statistical analysis. The descriptive statistics like mean was used to rank the

variables in addition to frequency and percentage distributions. The tools adopted for the

analysis of the data collected were selected to achieve the objectives of the study. The data

was tabulated and analysed using the Statistical analysis software package (SPSS 20). The

characteristics of the respondents used for the study were analysed using frequency counts,

mean scores and percentages. The descriptive statistics included mean of the data pertaining to

the specific variables. Furthermore, frequencies and bar diagrams were prepared to provide a

more appropriate interpretation of the processed data.

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CHAPTER FOURDATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Preamble

In this chapter, the results of the field survey are analysed and discussed. In realizing this

purpose, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the sample data collected

from the field. Furthermore, tables were used for the presentation of data to facilitate

understanding.

4.2 Response to Questionnaire administered

Table 4.1 shows the descriptive results of the response to the questionnaire administered for

the research.

Table 4.1 Response rate from Respondents

N %

Total number administered 75 100.0

Total number unreturned 11 14.7

Total returned completed 64 85.3

Total used for analysis 57 76.0

A total number of 75 questionnaires were administered to respondents out of which 64 were

returned. However, only 57 were used for the analysis after scrutinizing for errors,

omissions, incompleteness and inconsistencies. This represents a completion rate of 76.0%.

4.3 Respondents Characteristics

This section of the questionnaire gathered information about the background of respondents

such as their job title, gender, age, highest level of education, and years of working

experience. The background information of respondents used for the study was analysed

using frequency counts and percentages as shown in table 4.2 below.

49

Table 4.2: Descriptive result of Respondents CharacteristicsRespondent’s Characteristics Frequency Percentage (%)

A. Job Title

Facility Manager

Operations Manager

Senior FM/Manager

Multi-Site FM

Executive Director

29

10

12

4

2

50.9

17.5

21.1

7.0

3.5

Total 57 100.0

B. Age

Less than 20years

20-29 years

30-39 years

40-49 years

50-59 years

0

14

30

8

5

0.00

24.6

52.6

14.0

8.8

Total 57 100.0

C. Gender

Male

Female

40

17

70.2

29.8

Total 57 100.0

D. Highest level of Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree

MBA

Doctoral degree

Professional degree

22

24

6

0

5

38.6

42.1

10.5

0.0

8.8

Total 57 100.0

E. Years of Working experience

Less than 5 years

05 - 10 years

11 - 15 years

15 - 20 years

20 - 25 years

8

26

17

6

0

14.0

45.6

29.8

10.5

0.0

Total 57 100.0

50

Table 4.2 above shows the summary of the demographic characteristics of the respondents.

Respondents with the “Facility Manager” job title constituted the highest proportion

(50.9%). 17.5% of the respondents were Operation Managers, 21.1% were Senior FMs

while the remaining 7% were Multi-site FMs. About 70.2% of the population were male

respondents with the remaining 29.8% being females.

Most respondents fell within the age bracket of 30-39 years (52.6%) and 20-29 years

(24.6%) respectively. Close to about half of the population (45.6%) had between 5-10

years’ work experience while 29.8% had between 11-15 years of work experience. This

implies that the respondents were sufficiently knowledgeable about the facilities

management profession having gathered relevant experience.

Figure 4.1: Respondent’s profile by Job title

51

4.4 Organizational Characteristics of Respondents

This section examines the respondent’s organization characteristics like its ownership

structure, years of operation, managerial staff strength, deployment and frequency of usage

of CAFM and the operational activity that the CAFM application is being used for.

Table 4.3 below depicts that 61.4% of the respondents work in Limited Liability

Companies. The remaining 38.6% of the respondents work in companies whose ownership

structures are sole proprietorship (19.3%) and partnership (19.3%) respectively. 42.1% of

the respondents work in organizations with a managerial staff strength of above 250 people.

22.8% of the respondents work in organizations with staff strength of 100 – 250 people

while about 17.5% work in organizations with a managerial staff strength of 50-100 people.

15.8% of the respondents work in Companies with 15-20 years of existence and operations.

22.8% work in companies with 10-15 years operations while about half of the respondents

(50.9%), work in companies with 5-10 years of operations. This implies that most Facilities

Management companies were recently established attesting to the fact that FM is a

relatively new profession in Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The remaining 10.5% work in

companies with less than 5 years of corporate establishment.

52

Table 4.3: Organizational Characteristics of RespondentsOrganizational Characteristics Frequency Percentage (%)A. Ownership structureSole Proprietorship (Private individual)PartnershipLimited Liability

111135

19.319.361.4

Total 57 100.0B. Years of Company’s operationsLess than 5 years05 - 10 years10 - 15 years15 - 20 years20 - 25 years

6291390

10.550.922.815.80.00

Total 57 100.0B. Managerial Staff strengthLess than 20 people20 - 50 people50 - 100 people100 - 250 peopleMore than 250 people

55101324

8.88.817.522.842.1

Total 57 100.0D. CAFM Application in useCAFM ExplorerMaintenance ConnectionBroll OnlinePlanonFM Desktop

10233318

17.540.45.35.331.6

Total 57 100.0D. Frequency of CAFM usageAll the timeSome of the timeRarelyNever

931710

15.854.412.317.5

Total 57 100.0E. Operational activity CAFM is used for

Planned MaintenanceFleet ManagementAsset ManagementRelocation ManagementWork order Management

2504622

43.90.07.010.538.6

Total 57 100.0

53

4.5 Level of Awareness of CAFM

The first objective of the study is to determine the level of awareness of CAFM amongst

FM practitioners in Lagos. To achieve this objective, respondents were asked to indicate the

extent to which they agree or disagree with some relevant questions in accordance with the

objective. The percentage of level of awareness of CAFM amongst the respondents is

presented in the Table 4.4 below.

Table 4.4: Level of Awareness of CAFM by FM Practitioners

Level of Awareness of CAFM N Min Max Mean Percent (%)IT can be used to effectively managebuildings & facilities.

57 4 5 4.63 92.63

CAFM can be used for high effective FM. 57 4 5 4.56 91.23

CAFM helps in managing multiple buildings,their usage, value & condition.

57 3 5 4.49 89.82

CAFM application is clear andunderstandable to me.

57 3 5 4.26 85.26

CAFM is advantageous for providing FMservices.

57 2 5 4.37 87.37

CAFM is being deployed by many FMcompanies in Lagos.

57 1 5 3.28 65.61

N = Number of Respondents

Table 4.4 shows from the results of the percentage scores that the respondents are largely

aware and conversant with the topic of CAFM and its application in facilities management

service delivery.

4.6 Rate of Usage/Implementation of CAFM

4.6.1 Duration and Frequency of CAFM Usage

In order to examine the level of experience of CAFM usage amongst the respondents, they

were asked to indicate how long they had been using CAFM systems. Majority of the

respondents (63.2%) indicated they had between 1 and 3 years’ experience of CAFM usage.

54

19.3% of respondents indicated they had less than a year. Respondents with 3 to 5 years’

experience in using CAFM were 8.8% while those with 5 to 10 years were also 8.8%. This

suggests that CAFM implementation is relatively new in FM companies and it is being

deployed mostly by Medium to Large-sized organizations.

Figure 4.2: Number of years of using CAFM

Furthermore, respondents were asked to indicate the frequency of deploying CAFM in the

delivery of FM services. A majority of the respondents indicated that they were already

using CAFM, with 54.4% indicating the usage of CAFM “some of the time”. 15.8% of the

respondents (All the time) while 12.3% indicated the option “rarely”. However, about

17.5% indicated that they were not using CAFM in the delivery of FM services. This

implies that the rate of CAFM take-up and awareness amongst FM practitioners can be said

to have increased considerably.

55

Figure 4.3: Frequency of CAFM usage by FMs

4.6.2 CAFM Systems in Use

The respondents indicating use of CAFM systems were asked to select which system they

were currently using. The CAFM system which was selected most was Maintenance

Connection with 40.4% indicating its use. This was followed by FM Desktop which 31.6%

of the respondents indicated as being the system they were using. 17.5% of the respondents

indicated the use of CAFM Explorer, 5.3% for Broll Online and Planon respectively. Other

CAFM systems which were listed by respondents were BIM, Cworks and some other ERP

software. This suggests that some companies made use of CAFM packages that are

specifically tailored to meet their needs.

56

Figure 4.4: CAFM application in use by FMs

4.6.3 Operational Activity for using CAFM

The study presented a list of operational activities which are commonly addressed using

CAFM systems. Respondents were asked to indicate which of the operational activities their

CAFM system was currently being used to deliver.

The activities which were most widely being delivered utilizing CAFM systems, with over

three quarters of the respondents selecting were “Planned Maintenance” (43.9%) and “Work

order Management” (38.6%). 10.5% of the respondents indicated they make of use CAFM

for Relocation Management while 7% make use of CAFM for Asset Management. (See

table 4.3 above).

4.6.4 Rate of CAFM Implementation

Respondents who indicated the usage of CAFM were asked to indicate the perceived degree

of effectiveness of their CAFM system. Majority of the respondents gave a positive view of

57

their CAFM system with 1.8% rating it “Indispensable”. 80.7% of the respondents

considered their CAFM system “Effective” and 17.5% rated their system “Adequate”. No

respondent considered their CAFM system to be Ineffective or Poor.

This implies a very high overall satisfaction rating amongst FM practitioners using CAFM

systems. The percentage of rate of CAFM implementation by the respondents as related to

the questions in the questionnaire is presented in the Table 4.5 below.

Table 4.5: Rate of CAFM Implementation

Rate Of CAFM Implementation N Min Max MeanPercent

(%) Rank

Frequency of deploying CAFM in yourCompany.

57 3 5 4.30 85.96 2nd

How often your Company has deployedCAFM for FM services.

57 1 5 4.05 81.05 3rd

Deploying CAFM for analyzingcomplex data.

57 3 5 3.96 79.30 4th

To what extent has CAFM beenincreasing operational performance?

57 3 5 4.40 88.07 1st

N = Number of Respondents

4.7 Obstacles to the Deployment of CAFM

The survey asked respondents to indicate what they as FM professionals considered to be

the most important obstacle hindering the deployment of CAFM in various FM companies

and organizations. As shown in Table 4.6 below, “Senior Management’s lack of

understanding of the benefit of CAFM” was seen to be the greatest obstacle with 86.67%,

ranking 1st place. This was closely followed by “Lack of acceptance by Company’s

personnel and resistance to changing work approach” with 79.65% ranking 2nd place. The

least obstacles to the deployment of CAFM were “CAFM is often frustrating and difficult to

58

set up” and “Linking CAFM to other departments such as Accounts and Human resource”,

both with 52.28%.

Table 4.6: Obstacles to the Deployment of CAFM

Obstacles to CAFM Deployment N Min Max MeanPercent

(%)Ran

k

Senior Management’s lack ofunderstanding of the benefits of CAFM.

57 2 5 4.33 86.67 1

Lack of acceptance by Company'sPersonnel & resistance to changing workapproach.

57 1 5 3.98 79.65 2

Difficulty in integrating anorganization's existing data.

57 2 5 3.74 74.74 3

CAFM is relatively new and it’s hardinstalling on existing facility.

57 2 5 3.60 71.93 4

Deferred funding. 57 1 5 3.44 68.77 5

High Implementation costs. 57 1 5 2.63 52.63 6

CAFM is often frustrating and difficultto set up.

57 2 5 2.61 52.28 7

Linking CAFM to other departmentslike HR, Accounts etc.

57 2 5 2.61 52.28 7

N = Number of Respondents

4.8 Benefits of CAFM Application to Organizational Effectiveness

The final part of the survey asked respondents to indicate the main effects of CAFM on an

organization’s bottom-line and level of performance. 86.32% of the respondents chose

“Improved FM planning and material re-ordering” as the main effect CAFM impacts on an

organization, see table 4.7 below. This suggests that CAFM systems can assist in improving

FM planning thus making it more effective in its service delivery and material re-ordering

for the various facilities being managed.

59

Table 4.7: Benefits of CAFM application to Organizational Effectiveness

Benefits of CAFM application toOrganizational Effectiveness N Min Max Mean

Percent(%)

Rank

Improved FM planning and material re-ordering 57 4 5 4.32 86.32 1

Meeting Service Level Agreements(SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators(KPIs) targets.

57 3 5 4.30 85.96 2

Improved Communications amongstother departments. 57 3 5 4.18 83.51 3

Detailed implementation of PlannedPreventive Maintenance (PPMs). 57 2 5 4.16 83.16 4

Reduced FM Costs and improvedservice delivery. 57 3 5 4.12 82.46 5

Helps to combine and analyze complexdata.

57 3 5 4.12 82.46 6

Tightening budgetary control. 57 2 5 4.11 82.11 7

Enhanced Resource availability for FMsites.

57 3 5 4.00 80.00 8

Faster Decision making. 57 3 5 3.93 78.60 9

Increased Customer satisfaction. 57 2 5 3.91 78.25 10

N = Number of Respondents.

A large number of the respondents (85.96%) selected “Meeting Service Level Agreements

(SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)” as the main effect CAFM brings to an

organization. This was followed by “Improved Communications amongst other

departments” with 83.51% and “Detailed implementation of Planned Preventive

Maintenance (PPMs) with 83.16%. This reflects that CAFM positively affects

organizational performance and improves service delivery.

4.9 Discussion of Findings

This research sought to evaluate the application of CAFM systems amongst FM

practitioners in Lagos state. This section highlights and discusses the key findings from the

60

study. For easy appreciation, the key findings are arranged in consonance with the

objectives of the study and shown under appropriate sub-headings below.

Level of Awareness of CAFM: The first objective of the study sought to determine the level

of awareness of CAFM amongst FM practitioners in the study area. Having analysed and

computed the responses from the survey, it was clearly seen that the level of CAFM

awareness amongst the respondents is quite high with only about 17.5% of the respondents

indicating that they had never made use of any CAFM system nor any other similar range of

IT tools in the delivery of FM services to their Clients. This finding thus corroborates the

increasing growth of the Facilities Management industry in Nigeria.

Previous studies carried out in other developed countries such as the United Kingdom,

Germany, Austria, Switzerland etc., showed that a majority of FM practitioners are

knowledgeable and well informed on the topic of CAFM. This is similar to findings in

Scotland (Bainbridge and Finch, 2008); United Kingdom (Elmualim & Pelumi-Johnson,

2009); and in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Madritsch and May, 2009).

Rate of Usage/Implementation of CAFM: The respondents indicating knowledge and

awareness of CAFM were asked to state their perceived degree of CAFM implementation

for FM service delivery. It was found that majority of the respondents (83.5%) had been

using CAFM for less than a year to 3 years, with a remaining percentage of the respondents

(16.5%) had above 3 years’ experience of using CAFM. This implies that the deployment of

CAFM is relatively new and fast gaining wide recognition, increased awareness and

acceptance in the Nigerian FM industry.

Furthermore, the survey findings showed that CAFM is mostly deployed by dedicated

Facilities management companies as against organizations with in-house FM delivery. Also,

61

it was deduced that the deployment and implementation of CAFM systems was mainly by

medium-sized companies (100-250 employees) and large-sized organizations (above 250

employees).

This is consistent with findings by Madritsch and May (2009) in Germany, Austria and

Switzerland respectively. On another note, Kamaruzzaman et al. (2011) in Malaysia

asserted that the FM industry is still at an infancy level especially in the deployment and

implementation of CAFM tools.

Obstacles to CAFM Deployment: It was discovered that most of the respondents considered

“Senior Management’s lack of understanding of the benefits of CAFM” as the main

obstacle to the deployment of CAFM systems by FM companies. This is particularly

attributed to small firms who see CAFM deployment and implementation as stovepipes and

hindrances to cost and profit savings. The other variables with mean scores that ranked 2nd

and 3rd respectively were “Lack of acceptance by Company’s personnel and resistance to

changing work approach” and “Difficulty in integrating an organization’s existing data”.

These findings give credence to the notion that many Nigerian Senior Executives and CEOs

see the implementation of CAFM systems as quite expensive and costly to implement. This

is similar to findings by Kamaruzzaman et al. (2011) in Malaysia. Saengratwatchara and

Elsworth (2008) examined the factors that could influence the adoption of CAFM systems by

FM professionals and suggested that opportunities be provided to allow potential users of the

CAFM systems understand the working experience of the tools so as to discover their work-

related advantages as well as to be able to understand whether the system is easy or difficult

to use. In summary, CAFM applications can be more successfully implemented if their

tangible results are readily apparent or if users have a chance to try them before making an

adoption decision.

62

Benefits of CAFM Application to Organizational Effectiveness: Majority of the CAFM

users indicated a positive view of their CAFM system with 1.8% rating it Indispensable,

80.7% considering their CAFM system Effective and 17.5% rating their system Adequate.

None of the respondents considered their CAFM system to be Ineffective or Poor. This

represents a very high overall satisfaction rating amongst CAFM users with their systems

and also serves as good news for CAFM software providers. This is similar to findings by

Bainbridge and Finch (2008) in Scotland. Similarly, Madritsch and May (2009), asserted

that CAFM is increasingly becoming an indispensable standard technology for the

successful implementation of FM as a strategic corporate concept.

Furthermore, it was discovered that respondents ranked “FM planning and material re-

ordering” and “Meeting Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance

Indicators” as 1st and 2nd respectively as the main effects CAFM brings to an organization.

The study also showed that the operational activities which FM practitioners commonly use

the CAFM systems for addressing were Planned Maintenance and Work Order

Management activities.

63

CHAPTER FIVECONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Preamble

This study aimed at evaluating the application of Computer-aided facilities management

(CAFM) applications amongst FM practitioners in Lagos state. This final chapter concludes

the study by highlighting the key findings of the research work, areas for further research

and recommendations for Facilities Management practitioners and other relevant

stakeholders with respect to the subject of Computer-aided facilities management.

5.2 Conclusion

The findings in this study serve as a basis for making the following conclusions: Most

Facilities management practitioners in the study population are well-informed about the

application of Computer-aided facilities systems in delivering FM services. The research

also revealed that these CAFM systems are mostly deployed by medium-sized to large-sized

companies with staff strength of above 100 people.

Based on the study, it was gathered that about 70% of the Facilities Management

practitioners surveyed were p r e s en t l y applying information technology specifically on

computer applications tools in their daily business depending on their organizational

needs and strategic goals. It also agreed that the computer applications provide

organization with competitive advantage as well as enhancing efficiencies.

Furthermore, it was discovered that most of the respondents that are not willing

to invest in CAFM ar e those in smal l - s i z ed FM compan ies wi th t he op in ion

that the initial cost for d ep l o yi n g C A FM i s highly expensive. Hence, whilst these

FM practitioners consider information technology as a useful tool in the delivery of FM

services, their deployment and implementation of CAFM varies considerably across the

64

profession; with some with the notion that the CAFM tools do not provide sufficient

benefits to service delivery to warrant the investment required.

T h e F M m ar k e t i n N i g e r i a i s r e l a t i v e l y yo u n g b u t g r a d u a l l y

w i t n e s s i n g g r o w t h an d d ev e l o p m en t . Catching up with the system is highly

important so as to enable facility managers become effective decision makers and a l s o

t o provide effective management of facility information. Encouraging for CAFM

developers as deduced from the survey is the finding that more than half of the FM

companies surveyed indicated that they were already using Computer-aided facilities

management systems or were considering its implementation.

To this end, CAFM developers would also realize that they still have a large untapped market in

the FM industry coupled with the increasing level of CAFM awareness amongst practitioners;

thus demonstrating that there is room for growth in the market, provided they can target their

efforts in the right areas.

5.3 Recommendations

Facility Management professionals and Senior Executives of FM Companies are

overburdened with the advice on how to choose the right CAFM system for their

organization, how to get the most out of the system they do have and also with issues of

installation, training and maintenance of the CAFM system.

As pointed out early on in the research work, it’s important to reiterate that the deployment

and implementation of a new CAFM system will not return overnight results to a poorly

managed system. A lot of resources such as information technology support, data

population/configuration, User training, Project management etc. are consumed in the early

stages to get it right. Through each stage, a dedicated Project Manager/Administrator should

65

be assigned assist and guide through the process via regular review meetings and constant

communication in order to ensure that the CAFM vendor delivers a solution that’s right for

the organisation and delivers effective solutions which are right for their clients.

To this end, it is pertinent to make the following recommendations prior to the deployment

and implementation of CAFM systems by a company:

1. FM Practitioners and Companies should clearly define their end goals/targets to the

various CAFM vendors before the implementation of any particular CAFM system.

2. Senior Management/Company Executives must decide on the cadre of people that

will be using the system and what level of authorization/access they would be

entitled to.

3. CAFM Vendors should be implored to make provision for linking the CAFM

systems to other departmental systems such as accounting packages, HR systems

application or Active directory etc., to avoid expensive data re-entry. The CAFM

system should be thoroughly checked to ensure it has an open architecture that can

complement, integrate and/or support existing systems.

4. FM practitioners must clarify the processes the CAFM system is intended to

achieve/improve and evaluate if it would comfortably meet the stated objectives.

5. FMs should request that CAFM vendors provide opportunities for potential users, in

a bid to understand the CAFM system viz-a-viz the discovery of its work-related

advantages before going live.

In recent times, the complexity of workplaces has been on the increase, and as such,

technically skilled individuals are going to continue to be required to manage them. Hence,

it becomes imperative that future FM professionals be properly trained on the best

66

approach to adopt as regards CAFM deployment and implementation for their

organisations.

To this end, it is recommended that FM professionals and the Nigerian chapter of the

International Facility Management Association (IFMA) be actively involved in mentoring

these young people, and also clamouring that Facilities management be taught as a

discipline at the 4-year undergraduate University level.

It is believed that the recommendations made in this research work if given swift attention

and implemented accordingly, would not only improve the level of performance of FMs in

Lagos state and in many other parts of Nigeria, but will also ensure that improved service

delivery is attained while carrying out the facilities management function.

5.4 Contribution to Knowledge

It can be clearly seen from the findings of the survey that the use of information technology

is of paramount importance in the delivery of effective facilities management services. The

study has also highlighted that there is an increase in the level of CAFM awareness amongst

FM practitioners in Lagos State.

Having identified the significance of CAFM to effective FM service delivery, it is therefore

recommended that similar research works be carried out on the subject matter in other

major commercial centres of the country especially Port -Harcourt and Abuja. Further

studies should be conducted to assess the performance of FM companies already deploying

Computer-aided facilities management systems compared with those not

deploying.

Conclusively, Organisations should develop process models and guidelines to help prepare

them for the application of CAFM and to assist them during the implementation. Facility

67

managers can help their organization to overcome CAFM challenges by utilizing the

resources available and convincing leadership that efficiencies and cost savings can be

achieved with investments in the technology.

68

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