Users’ Assessment of Facilities Management Service Delivery in Private High Rise Buildings
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to ascertain and assess the Facilities Management Service Delivery in Private High Rise Buildings with a view to improving on the service delivery in the study area
In other to achieve the above stated aim, the following objectives will be considered:
- To Identify the Facilities Management services provided in 1004 Estate and Eric Moore Towers.
- To compare the perception of the state of facilities management services provided in 1004 Estate and Eric Moore Towers.
- To ascertain the level of satisfaction derived from the services provided in 1004 Estate and Eric Moore Towers.
- To compare the level of satisfaction derived from Facilities Management services provided in 1004 Estate and Eric Moore Towers.
- To make recommendations of facilities management service delivery in 1004 Estate and Eric Moore Tower.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Management and maintenance of high rise complexes gave rise to the issue of facilities management (Linariza & Ashok, 2003). As a result of the high pressure of needs on the revenue of the public, most public
residential estates are not provided with adequate facilities and where they are provided, the facilities are not well managed, the extreme cases is inefficient and ineffective service delivery where facilities management are undertaken. Measurement of service delivery/performance is aimed at establishing the satisfaction of clients or users of a product and services. This is done by comparing the actual perception of the service/product against the expectation of the users. Users’ expectations are predictions made by consumers about what a good/service could offer while perception is the actual feelings of product/service by consumers; the degree of discrepancy between consumers’ perceptions and expectations dictates the service quality and level of satisfaction of consumers.
High Rise Residential Development
The growth in population and increased urbanization has led to a great increase in demand for housing (residential properties). In the advent of technology and limited supply of land for development, the idea of multi-storey/high rise development evolved to cater for more people. This led to the development of towers and high rise apartments to serve as residential estates. High Rise buildings in addition (and more than other types of residential buildings) require provision of more, adequate and efficient facilities and services to make them liveable and attractive to potential occupiers – the citizenry. In these modern days, high rise residential buildings are for the rich and expatriates, because of the social status of the potential occupiers there must be efficient and effective facilities services management delivery. High rise (tower block, apartment tower) residential apartment is a tall building/structure used as dwelling units. In Nigeria, high rise apartment buildings are not uncommon phenomenon, development of Eric Moore Towers in Surulere and the 1004 Estate in Victoria Island both in Lagos state by the Federal Government of Nigeria dated back to 1970s. Following the development of Eric Moore Tower and 1004 estates were various developments by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), a public developer. Among the development by LSDPC is the 1004 Estate in Victoria Island. In the last two decades, there have been a lot of private high rise apartment buildings in Lagos like Eric Moore Towers, Folawiyo Tower, Dangote Apartments etc.
Service Delivery in Facilities Management
Facilities management is a fast growing profession across the world. It is a cost cutting initiatives in the 1970s when outsourcing of services became to be popular (Noor & Pitt, 2009) Facilities management encompasses multiple activities under various discipline and combines resources which make facilities management vital to the success of organisations. Facilities management has been defined in past researches (Barrett, 1995; Becker, 1990; Nutt, 1999; Tay & Ooi, 2001; Then, 1999). Facilities management can be summarized to mean creation of an environment that is cohesive to carry out an organisation’s primary operations taking an integrated view of the services, infrastructure services and use it to give customer satisfaction and value for money through the support for an enhancement of the core business (Alexander, 1999; Bell, 1990; Goyal & Pitt, 2007; Noor & Pitt, 2009). All the definitions of facilities management relate building to business activities and environment (business/commercial properties) but facilities management is applicable to residential properties too.
For the study, the above Goyal’s opinion of facilities management is adapted and facilities management is refers to as “the practice of managing and maintaining building fabrics and all associated equipment and services including the occupants of buildings, and financial resources to ensure the efficient performance of the property to give value for money”. The most essential elements in high rise residential facilities management is the value for money which dictates the performance of building in economic terms and also contributes to the effectiveness of such a housing scheme (Mohd-Tawil et al., 2010). Facilities management in high rise building is unique because the facilities are jointly maintained by all residents.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the users’ assessment of facilities management service delivery in private high rise buildings. The residents of 1004 Estate, Victoria Island and Eric Moore Towers, Surulere, Lagos State form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
The study found out that all necessary facilities management services that could make a high rise residential apartment liveable, enjoyable and acceptable to residents were available in the case studies. The services were completely outsourced in 1004 Estate (a public estate) to two consulting firms, (Fola Oyekan & Associates for tenancy management and Messrs Almog Engineering Ltd for facilities management). For the Eric Moore Towers (a private estate), part of the facilities management services were outsourced while others that are within the managerial capacity of the developer/owner (UPDC) are provided by the appropriate department of the developer/owner (UPDC). The UPDC is wholly responsible for the sale/lease/tenancy administration and management of the estate. This posits that the owner of a private estate partakes in the facilities management services to ensure efficient service delivery towards achieving the aim of profit and business sustenance. The only outsourced facilities are the ones that require core competence of relevant professionals for example swimming pools, sewage treatment, lift management and internet/DSTV system. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) which contains the conventional terms exists in case of outsourced services in the case studies. The terms include but not limited to the service, extent, period, mode of delivery, payment and mode of payment, frequency etc).
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Clearly, the measurement of service quality in the facilities management services should take into account customer expectations of service as well as their perceptions of service. This agrees with Fatoye and Odusami (2009) that to different criterion is attached different level of satisfaction by occupiers of residential houses. Therefore the customers expectation of each criterion or indicator of satisfaction be identified and facility managers are to strive to meet such expectation. By addressing the important questions, the facilities management company can understand what service areas it should concentrate on to improve its service quality and customer satisfaction effectively, while avoiding the investment of fund in providing service quality dimensions that may not pay off. Improving dissatisfying factors should generally be a high priority for the facilities management company to pay most attention, and have to implement the service recovery to reduce the customers’ feeling of service dissatisfied.
Recommendation
The findings from this research provide a number of managerial implications as well as a variety of directions for the future research. On the basis of the findings of the study, the following are recommended for quality service delivery.
Improve Standardization of Services
The diversity of services increased the difficulty of management control of the human factor in the service quality, which requires that the level of service standard is raised. It is hereby recommended that irrespective of the beneficiaries of facilities management services (public/private), standard quality services should be expected at all time.
Customized Services
Another important measure to improve the service quality is customized service. Companies must provide the customized service to their customers in order to improve customers’ perception of service quality. Customization here means tailoring the service and service quality towards the need and expectation of the users–residents.
Feedback
The facilities management services providers should always get feedback from the users to ensure improvement in service delivery that will improve the clients’ satisfaction.
Service Recovery
When system failure occurs, the prompt response to restore same usually leads to higher degree of satisfaction. Service providers should strive to provide customers with “zero defects” service.
Infrastructural Facilities
The government and all concerned public Agencies in Nigeria should deliver public infrastructures that will enhance livelihood like stable electricity, fuel, road network and security among others. A situation where a standby power generating set is devoted to power lift in high rise building with only six hours electricity supply to the residents (with constant public power outages) is not acceptable. For every tower apartment in Nigeria, the technology of solar panel installation and green building should be incorporated in the current wave of sustainability.
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