Master Facility & Real Estate Management
Title assignment : Essay 1,2,3 Strategic Facility Management
Name module/course code : SFM: Strategic Facility Management
Name Tutor : Hester van Sprang, Feike Bergsma & Rianda Mulder
Name student : Jorden van Ramshorst
Full-time / Part-time : Full-time
Greenwich student nr. : 001278544
Saxion student nr. : 532393
Academic year : 2022-2023
Date : 20-12-2022
Word count : Essay 1,2 & 3 (4833 words), APA (1101 words)
Table of Contents
ESSAY 1 (1677 WORDS).................................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN STANDARDIZATION:.....................................................................2
ISO STANDARDS INDIRECT DECREASE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMPANIES WORLDWIDE..................................................3
TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS LEAD TO STANDARDIZED SOLUTIONS THAT DECREASE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGIONS..................3
HARMONIZATION, STANDARDIZATION, AND BENCHMARKING DECREASE THE WORLDWIDE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGIONS.........4
CORPORATE CULTURE CANNOT BE STANDARDIZED AND WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN WORLDWIDE DIFFERENCES......................4
REBUTTAL:............................................................................................................................................................ 5
CONCLUSION:........................................................................................................................................................5
SOURCES:............................................................................................................................................................. 5
ESSAY 2: 1791 WORDS................................................................................................................................... 8
1
, WHY PARTNERSHIP IN FM IS IMPORTANT....................................................................................................................8
MUTUAL TRUST LEADS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.................................................................................................9
TRUST & CONFIDENCE ARE NEEDED TO BUILD A STRONG PARTNERSHIP...........................................................................10
A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP IS BUILT ON MORE THAN ONLY TRUST.................................................................................11
REBUTTAL:..........................................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION:......................................................................................................................................................11
SOURCES:........................................................................................................................................................... 12
ESSAY 3 (1365 WORDS)................................................................................................................................ 13
BENCHMARKING IN FM.........................................................................................................................................13
INTERNAL BENCHMARKING WITH KPI’S LEADS TOWARDS USEFUL INSIGHTS......................................................................14
CONTINUOUS MEASURING PERFORMANCE LEADS TOWARDS USEFUL INSIGHTS.................................................................14
THE INTERPRETATION OF DATA WITHIN BENCHMARKING LEADS TO USEFUL INSIGHTS..........................................................15
BENCHMARKING DOES NOT LEAD TO USEFUL INSIGHTS.................................................................................................15
REBUTTAL........................................................................................................................................................... 15
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................... 16
SOURCES:........................................................................................................................................................... 16
PEER REVIEW APPENDIX (ESSAY 2 & 3)......................................................................................................... 17
PEER REVIEW ESSAY 2 BY MOSTAFA ABOLMASOOMI...................................................................................................17
PEER REVIEW ESSAY 3 BY SAMANEH PAKBONYAN.......................................................................................................23
PEER REVIEW BY JORDEN VAN RAMSHORST FOR ESSAY 2 OF WASSIM OMAR...................................................................28
PEER REVIEW OF JORDEN VAN RAMSHORST FOR MOSTAFA ABOLMASOOMI.....................................................................33
Essay 1 (1677 Words)
Introduction to the Trends and Developments in Standardization:
When looking at the largest FM continent in terms of dollars (Asia-Pacific, $444,2
Billion) aims to set international facility management trends as a worldwide standard
(Drion & Van Sprang, 2020). Setting up a worldwide standard in facility management
can lead to culture conflicts. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic there were
a lot of different approaches on how to run all the facilities in a sanitized/clean way
(Shonk, 2020). Companies could not find a harmony about this and therefore deviate
from these worldwide trends and standards. Because those companies had to cope
with the national legislation instead of the worldwide standards/legislation. Leading to
a gap between companies, and missing out on critical business trades
(Awardstaffing, 2022). The example shows that worldwide standards do not always
cope with culture. Worldwide standards are implemented through standardization,
which are in line with the upcoming trends and developments regarding the market
(Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, 2022). The standards are created by members of the
independent non-governmental organization called the “ISO”, representing 167
2
,national bodies (ISO, 2022). Companies tend to implement these ISO standards
because it will lead to future forecasting, learning new ideas and increased efficiency.
Yet these standards have to deal with culture and language. The importance of these
two into the facility management domain is significant. Conflict in culture and
language could lead to problems within the hard and soft services, workplace
solutions or in the consultancy and administrative services (Drion & Van Sprang,
2020). So, this means that facility management could face a huge problem, when
culture is in conflict due to worldwide standards. Therefore, the following proposition
must be elaborated and reviewed critical, to find a solution that serves for the
worldwide facility domain.
Trends and developments will lead to international standardization of the FM
domain; differences between Asian, American, and European regions will
cease to exist.
ISO Standards indirect decrease the differences between companies worldwide
A trend in the Facility Management domain that has been going on in the long term,
is the outsourcing of the non-core activities (McNally et al, 2021). According to
McKinsey & Company (2021), the non-core activities will be outsourced to a
professional institution, which is specialized in this non-core activity. For example,
these institutions employ a small number of very similar office design concepts, which
establishes a global 'trend' for office design (Drion & Van Sprang, 2020). Trends
within the facility management market were controlled by these institutions. Leading
to the creation of the ISO 41001:2018 (Facility Management systems), the ISO
19650 series and international FM standards. Every new trend and development (like
outsourcing the none-core activities) will be integrated in new standards by the ISO.
The ISO standards are not mandatory but keeping to them is an unwritten rule
applied by the suppliers, stakeholders, and competitors (Vining, 2013). Companyx
(fictional company) has a particular office design they want to deploy as a global
trend in the market, but they don’t own a certification for the quality management ISO
9001 (Keen, 2022). Large facility management institutions will not buy these office
designs. They will question the efficiency and quality management of the office
designs (Keen, 2022). Resulting in Companyx to have less sales and buyers. The
disadvantage of ISO certification is that it is expensive, especially for small
companies (Dhaked, 2021). Leading to small companies that miss out on business
opportunities and could be eliminated in the future (Naicker, 2017). The image of the
ISO certifications represents trust (Quora, 2022). Which could result in facility
management multinationals that only do business with other facility companies
applying to all ISO standards. Over time more of these institutions will become
standardized, decreasing the overall differences in operating from each other (Gao &
Pishdad-Bozorgi, 2019). Caused by trends, norms, and standardization of the ISO in
the facility management market (Quora, 2020a).
Trends and developments lead to standardized solutions that decrease differences
between regions
The ISO standards are a guide to the challenges that comes with globalization
(Kushnier & Purcell, 2015). According to Kolb (2021), the term "globalization" refers
to the increasing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and
populations because of technology, cross-border trade in products and services, and
flows of capital, people, and information. One of the globalization trends is that the
3
, company’s workspace becomes more diverse, as a result their employees portfolio
becomes more diverse in cultural backgrounds (McFarlin, 2019). Gaining the benefits
of having different perspectives and new insights (Somani, 2021). Companies with a
diverse employee portfolio struggle with cultural differences (like a language barrier),
(Somani, 2021), (StudyCorgi, 2021). The multilingual capability system is a
successful solution to the globalization trend in facility management (SWG, 2022).
The system is available in a variety of languages, including English, French, and
Arabic; it also encourages effective user adoption and supports international
business requirements, all while assisting in the reduction of language barriers in the
global workplace (SWG, 2022). (Questionpro, 2022). One solution to the challenges
of globalization trends is the multilingual capability system (SWG, 2022). The solution
was developed by applying ISO standards in the field of facility management (ISO
41001). The removal of the language barrier through standardization, as well as the
increase in diverse workspace caused by globalization, resulted in a reduction in
global communication differences.
Harmonization, standardization, and benchmarking decrease the worldwide
differences between regions
In Europe, there is a smaller institution known as “Euro FM” (European based and
international oriented association for Facility Management) which is in line with the
ISO standards (Euro FM, 2022). According to Jensen et al. (2013), Euro FM
standardization process aims to create a basis for benchmarking across borders, by
establishing a new work group to develop a European standard with guidelines for
FM benchmarking (WG7). Benchmarking is a process where you measure your
company’s success against other similar companies to discover if there is a gap in
performance that can be closed by improving your performance (Oberlo, 2014).
Standardization and benchmarking could lead to little differences between
companies in the facility management domain globally. The ISO mentions the
following about this: “International standards can bring about a harmonization that
promotes strength for countries in all areas of their development. It enables them to
act cohesively instead of separately, gain a firmer foothold in the global marketplace
and open doors to new opportunities.” (Brady, 2019). When looking at the term
harmonization, the following definition pops up: “Harmonization is aimed at reducing
differences in (for example, financial reporting) processes around the world.”
(Dudovskiy, 2012). According to Parker & Tay (1990), all their three studies defined
harmonization in terms that referred to standardization. For example, the HHFA (The
harmonized health facility assessment) harmonized a standard resource package for
the health services, that is in line with the SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals)
(WHO, 2021). Companies that implement that resource package for their health
services, will have a similarity in operations. Resulting in decreasing differences in
their operations. More adaptation of these standardized packages and increasing
benchmarking will result in a decrease in differences between facility management
companies globally. Caused by standardization, harmonization, and benchmarking.
Corporate culture cannot be standardized and will lead to an increase in worldwide
differences
Most things can be standardized like health services, referring to argument three.
Some things can’t be standardized, like culture for example (Katzenbach & Zhou,
2019). Zooming in on the benchmarking process, copying organizational culture of
4
Title assignment : Essay 1,2,3 Strategic Facility Management
Name module/course code : SFM: Strategic Facility Management
Name Tutor : Hester van Sprang, Feike Bergsma & Rianda Mulder
Name student : Jorden van Ramshorst
Full-time / Part-time : Full-time
Greenwich student nr. : 001278544
Saxion student nr. : 532393
Academic year : 2022-2023
Date : 20-12-2022
Word count : Essay 1,2 & 3 (4833 words), APA (1101 words)
Table of Contents
ESSAY 1 (1677 WORDS).................................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN STANDARDIZATION:.....................................................................2
ISO STANDARDS INDIRECT DECREASE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMPANIES WORLDWIDE..................................................3
TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS LEAD TO STANDARDIZED SOLUTIONS THAT DECREASE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGIONS..................3
HARMONIZATION, STANDARDIZATION, AND BENCHMARKING DECREASE THE WORLDWIDE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGIONS.........4
CORPORATE CULTURE CANNOT BE STANDARDIZED AND WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN WORLDWIDE DIFFERENCES......................4
REBUTTAL:............................................................................................................................................................ 5
CONCLUSION:........................................................................................................................................................5
SOURCES:............................................................................................................................................................. 5
ESSAY 2: 1791 WORDS................................................................................................................................... 8
1
, WHY PARTNERSHIP IN FM IS IMPORTANT....................................................................................................................8
MUTUAL TRUST LEADS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.................................................................................................9
TRUST & CONFIDENCE ARE NEEDED TO BUILD A STRONG PARTNERSHIP...........................................................................10
A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP IS BUILT ON MORE THAN ONLY TRUST.................................................................................11
REBUTTAL:..........................................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION:......................................................................................................................................................11
SOURCES:........................................................................................................................................................... 12
ESSAY 3 (1365 WORDS)................................................................................................................................ 13
BENCHMARKING IN FM.........................................................................................................................................13
INTERNAL BENCHMARKING WITH KPI’S LEADS TOWARDS USEFUL INSIGHTS......................................................................14
CONTINUOUS MEASURING PERFORMANCE LEADS TOWARDS USEFUL INSIGHTS.................................................................14
THE INTERPRETATION OF DATA WITHIN BENCHMARKING LEADS TO USEFUL INSIGHTS..........................................................15
BENCHMARKING DOES NOT LEAD TO USEFUL INSIGHTS.................................................................................................15
REBUTTAL........................................................................................................................................................... 15
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................... 16
SOURCES:........................................................................................................................................................... 16
PEER REVIEW APPENDIX (ESSAY 2 & 3)......................................................................................................... 17
PEER REVIEW ESSAY 2 BY MOSTAFA ABOLMASOOMI...................................................................................................17
PEER REVIEW ESSAY 3 BY SAMANEH PAKBONYAN.......................................................................................................23
PEER REVIEW BY JORDEN VAN RAMSHORST FOR ESSAY 2 OF WASSIM OMAR...................................................................28
PEER REVIEW OF JORDEN VAN RAMSHORST FOR MOSTAFA ABOLMASOOMI.....................................................................33
Essay 1 (1677 Words)
Introduction to the Trends and Developments in Standardization:
When looking at the largest FM continent in terms of dollars (Asia-Pacific, $444,2
Billion) aims to set international facility management trends as a worldwide standard
(Drion & Van Sprang, 2020). Setting up a worldwide standard in facility management
can lead to culture conflicts. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic there were
a lot of different approaches on how to run all the facilities in a sanitized/clean way
(Shonk, 2020). Companies could not find a harmony about this and therefore deviate
from these worldwide trends and standards. Because those companies had to cope
with the national legislation instead of the worldwide standards/legislation. Leading to
a gap between companies, and missing out on critical business trades
(Awardstaffing, 2022). The example shows that worldwide standards do not always
cope with culture. Worldwide standards are implemented through standardization,
which are in line with the upcoming trends and developments regarding the market
(Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, 2022). The standards are created by members of the
independent non-governmental organization called the “ISO”, representing 167
2
,national bodies (ISO, 2022). Companies tend to implement these ISO standards
because it will lead to future forecasting, learning new ideas and increased efficiency.
Yet these standards have to deal with culture and language. The importance of these
two into the facility management domain is significant. Conflict in culture and
language could lead to problems within the hard and soft services, workplace
solutions or in the consultancy and administrative services (Drion & Van Sprang,
2020). So, this means that facility management could face a huge problem, when
culture is in conflict due to worldwide standards. Therefore, the following proposition
must be elaborated and reviewed critical, to find a solution that serves for the
worldwide facility domain.
Trends and developments will lead to international standardization of the FM
domain; differences between Asian, American, and European regions will
cease to exist.
ISO Standards indirect decrease the differences between companies worldwide
A trend in the Facility Management domain that has been going on in the long term,
is the outsourcing of the non-core activities (McNally et al, 2021). According to
McKinsey & Company (2021), the non-core activities will be outsourced to a
professional institution, which is specialized in this non-core activity. For example,
these institutions employ a small number of very similar office design concepts, which
establishes a global 'trend' for office design (Drion & Van Sprang, 2020). Trends
within the facility management market were controlled by these institutions. Leading
to the creation of the ISO 41001:2018 (Facility Management systems), the ISO
19650 series and international FM standards. Every new trend and development (like
outsourcing the none-core activities) will be integrated in new standards by the ISO.
The ISO standards are not mandatory but keeping to them is an unwritten rule
applied by the suppliers, stakeholders, and competitors (Vining, 2013). Companyx
(fictional company) has a particular office design they want to deploy as a global
trend in the market, but they don’t own a certification for the quality management ISO
9001 (Keen, 2022). Large facility management institutions will not buy these office
designs. They will question the efficiency and quality management of the office
designs (Keen, 2022). Resulting in Companyx to have less sales and buyers. The
disadvantage of ISO certification is that it is expensive, especially for small
companies (Dhaked, 2021). Leading to small companies that miss out on business
opportunities and could be eliminated in the future (Naicker, 2017). The image of the
ISO certifications represents trust (Quora, 2022). Which could result in facility
management multinationals that only do business with other facility companies
applying to all ISO standards. Over time more of these institutions will become
standardized, decreasing the overall differences in operating from each other (Gao &
Pishdad-Bozorgi, 2019). Caused by trends, norms, and standardization of the ISO in
the facility management market (Quora, 2020a).
Trends and developments lead to standardized solutions that decrease differences
between regions
The ISO standards are a guide to the challenges that comes with globalization
(Kushnier & Purcell, 2015). According to Kolb (2021), the term "globalization" refers
to the increasing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and
populations because of technology, cross-border trade in products and services, and
flows of capital, people, and information. One of the globalization trends is that the
3
, company’s workspace becomes more diverse, as a result their employees portfolio
becomes more diverse in cultural backgrounds (McFarlin, 2019). Gaining the benefits
of having different perspectives and new insights (Somani, 2021). Companies with a
diverse employee portfolio struggle with cultural differences (like a language barrier),
(Somani, 2021), (StudyCorgi, 2021). The multilingual capability system is a
successful solution to the globalization trend in facility management (SWG, 2022).
The system is available in a variety of languages, including English, French, and
Arabic; it also encourages effective user adoption and supports international
business requirements, all while assisting in the reduction of language barriers in the
global workplace (SWG, 2022). (Questionpro, 2022). One solution to the challenges
of globalization trends is the multilingual capability system (SWG, 2022). The solution
was developed by applying ISO standards in the field of facility management (ISO
41001). The removal of the language barrier through standardization, as well as the
increase in diverse workspace caused by globalization, resulted in a reduction in
global communication differences.
Harmonization, standardization, and benchmarking decrease the worldwide
differences between regions
In Europe, there is a smaller institution known as “Euro FM” (European based and
international oriented association for Facility Management) which is in line with the
ISO standards (Euro FM, 2022). According to Jensen et al. (2013), Euro FM
standardization process aims to create a basis for benchmarking across borders, by
establishing a new work group to develop a European standard with guidelines for
FM benchmarking (WG7). Benchmarking is a process where you measure your
company’s success against other similar companies to discover if there is a gap in
performance that can be closed by improving your performance (Oberlo, 2014).
Standardization and benchmarking could lead to little differences between
companies in the facility management domain globally. The ISO mentions the
following about this: “International standards can bring about a harmonization that
promotes strength for countries in all areas of their development. It enables them to
act cohesively instead of separately, gain a firmer foothold in the global marketplace
and open doors to new opportunities.” (Brady, 2019). When looking at the term
harmonization, the following definition pops up: “Harmonization is aimed at reducing
differences in (for example, financial reporting) processes around the world.”
(Dudovskiy, 2012). According to Parker & Tay (1990), all their three studies defined
harmonization in terms that referred to standardization. For example, the HHFA (The
harmonized health facility assessment) harmonized a standard resource package for
the health services, that is in line with the SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals)
(WHO, 2021). Companies that implement that resource package for their health
services, will have a similarity in operations. Resulting in decreasing differences in
their operations. More adaptation of these standardized packages and increasing
benchmarking will result in a decrease in differences between facility management
companies globally. Caused by standardization, harmonization, and benchmarking.
Corporate culture cannot be standardized and will lead to an increase in worldwide
differences
Most things can be standardized like health services, referring to argument three.
Some things can’t be standardized, like culture for example (Katzenbach & Zhou,
2019). Zooming in on the benchmarking process, copying organizational culture of
4
