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At present, the capability to collect information from different sources (BIM, Sensors, Assets database) for Asset Management (AM) use has generated significant opportunities for asset owners and Facility Managers. Building Information Modeling (BIM) in particular, is considered as a potentially effective data pool for storing and managing project information during the 15 building lifecycle, providing a common data environment for stakeholder data and guarantying 16 information availability and credibility at the handover stage. However, this data integration in a BIM environment has come along with issues related to the establishment of an effective process to extract, store, manage, integrate and distribute data to ensure interoperability. Further to the interoperability issue, an important challenge is the identification of what data is relevant, reliable, useful and also can add value to the AM processes. This research explores the asset owner requirements from BIM in the operation and maintenance stage from an AM perspective. The research aim is twofold: first, to synthesize the non-geometric BIM data required for AM 23 and develop a relevant taxonomy. And secondly, to develop an Application Programing Interface 24 2 (API) plug-in for Autodesk Revit in order to implement the proposed taxonomy. To achieve the aims of this study, a critical review of previous literature, face-to-face and focus group interviews with BIM and Facilities Management (FM) experts were conducted. The main output is a sixty-parameter Asset Consuming Energy Information Management (ACE-IM) taxonomy and the relevant API plug-in which can help BIM professionals to identify the required data to be submitted to Facility Managers in order to improve AM processes.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to consider the applicability of logistics management in construction and facilitate a better understanding of construction supply chains by studying the logistical functions of builders' merchants. Design/methodology/approach -Given that logistics application in construction is still in its infancy, conceptual understanding of the problem is a prerequisite. Thus, a grounded theory approach is followed utilising pre-existing data as a means of building a model faithful to evidence. The model is analysed by following a discrete-event simulation modelling approach. Findings -This research demonstrates that examining supply chains from a logistics viewpoint can provide significant insight into the performance of construction supply chains. The analysis also shows that logistics costs are exponentially related to the levels of material demand and number of vehicle movements.Research limitations/implications -The developed model has to be further investigated and tested for different scenarios. Supplementary refinements of the model are necessary in order to allow the generalisation of the results and the development of an analytical planning tool. Practical implications -This research illustrates the increased potential of construction for benefiting from an improved capability within logistics which can lead to further developments within the field of logistics in the industry. Originality/value -This paper considers the significant function of builders' merchants in the supply chains in order to balance the contractor-centric research efforts that dominate existing literature and take into consideration the holistic nature of supply chain management and its operational aspects.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to present a logistical analysis of construction supply chains by assessing the impact of varying demand on the performance of builders' merchants' logistics. Design/methodology/approach -Taking into consideration that the vast majority of construction materials are distributed through intermediary organisations, the paper focuses on the logistics of builders' merchants. The study follows a field study approach to develop a conceptual logistics model facilitating experimentation using simulation modelling. Findings -The paper highlights the importance of incorporating intermediary organisations in the study of construction supply chains and reveals the implications of varying demand on logistics performance related to inventory and transportation costs. Research limitations/implications -In order to limit assumptions associated with individual company characteristics, the sample has included data from one builder's merchant company. To allow external benchmarking, the suggested approach has to be applied to a wider sample. Practical implications -The paper provides a practical understanding in terms of the function of intermediary organisations in construction supply chains and the application of logistics management in construction. Originality/value -Considering the complexity involved in construction supply chain operations, the value of this research is twofold. First, the research contributes to an interdisciplinary approach to the study of construction supply chains and second, provides a risk-free environment for modelling supply chain cost performance.

Purpose -The aim of the paper is to explore the relationship between the quality and value of higher education facilities through comparing the views of different user groups and professionals involved in the procurement and design of such facilities. Design/methodology/approach -The paper adopts a mixed methods approach incorporating a number of interviews and a questionnaire survey, underpinned by the recommendations and input of an expert panel. Findings -The results reveal the potential of facilities management and maintenance to create value for higher education institutions (HEIs) and students, perhaps even greater than the construction of new high-profile facilities, by facilitating student recruitment and improving the student learning experience.Research limitations -The sample includes data from a single HEI. Although this was deemed necessary so as to reduce the impact of externalities, the adopted approach has to be applied to a wider sample of HEIs in order to claim more generalisable findings. Practical implications -The paper provides a better understanding of the relationship between the quality and value of higher education facilities. This can potentially support HEIs to achieve improved value for money from their facilities and free up resources to be reinvested in other aspects of student experience. Originality/value -Considering the subjective nature of value the paper incorporates views from a number of different interest groups. These views are correlated with different facility quality standards to provide a holistic approach to assessing the value of higher education facilities.