Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background study
Every building need facilities Management. Facilities management is one of the most outstanding sectors in the industries. Facilities and their management have always existed for as long as people have needed somewhere for their daily routine such as some lighting for their work, a building in which to stay dry, wash, clean, eat food and use the toilet. Started in the 1970s, it became one of the main cost-cutting initiatives when outsourcing of services became popular (Mohd-Noor and Pitt,2009). It touches on some very important areas of the subject in relation to client satisfaction and providing good value for money. In addition, facilities management has been practiced worldwide and has fastest-growing professions in the UK. We can see that every different country has their own way of facilities management to perform and achieve their target. The growth of facilities management in Malaysia is not very impressive and it is still at early stage. We can see that buildings in Malaysia maybe have reach their service life-time and it is the role of the facilities management contractor to maintain the buildings.
Facilities management should not aim only to simply reduce the operating cost of a constructed facility, but also to enhancing efficiency of the facilities as well. Facilities management in Malaysia should be improved so that it will be more excellent and powerful sectors in the industries ahead. Besides that, with efficient facilities management can lead to good quality of building itself. Facilities management performance assessment is important for facilities management suppliers to refine their market strategies. Other than that facilities management service should be reformed to be customer-focused and be able to provide high-quality and cost-effective service to support customers in meeting their core objectives.
Malaysia is also well known as a shopping paradise because currently have approximately 132 shopping complex only at Klang Valley. Besides, excellent service is one of the most significant attributes of Malaysia’s retail industry, and the quality of service depends on both direct service provided by each shop and indirect service carried by facilities management companies. In order to successfully attract retailers and satisfy consumers, high quality facility management should be provided in the shopping complex area to create a good shopping environment.
1.2 Problem Statement
Although facilities management is one of the most powerful sectors in industries, it is also having its weakness. Facilities management supposedly to be a good and efficient ways to maintain the building. Each building must be maintained in proper ways in result to enhance its performance so that it can provide good quality and services to customer. The definition of facilities management is poorly understood, thus not being practised in an appropriate way whereby the automated computerised system, as an integrated approach, is the closest to define the adoption of facilities management (Myeda & MichaelPitt, 2014).
From observations, there are some of building in Malaysia that have a bad quality of maintenance. According to (Ruslan, 2007) the key issue as of now facing facilities management in Malaysia is the low service quality. Some of them have reached their life-time services but not being maintained. It might cause the buildings to have some problems such as cracking or lift being stuck. There are some facilities management contractors that not doing their role in maintenance works.
According to (Hui, Zhang, & Zheng, 2013) another problem about facilities management in Malaysia which is in terms of shopping complex management system is lack of knowledge about maintenance works and lack of standardize management organization. Shopping complex manager need to understand these perspectives before developing their own objectives and policies in managing their shopping complex. Having an excellent management team is no longer enough if the management systems are not effective. This will raise further issues in the areas of managing properties and facilities or in managing tenant mix within the shopping complex. Shopping complex managers should take these issues as a challenge in order to improve the existing systems.
1.3 Aim and Objectives
The aim of this dissertation is to identify the management of facility in shopping complex at Klang Valley. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives were identified:
1. To identify the structural form of facilities management in shopping complex.
2. To investigate the challenges of facilities management for shopping complex.
3. To identify the suitable method of managing facilities for shopping complex.
Problem Statement Objective Method Aim
1. Shopping complex management system is lack of knowledge about maintenance works and lack of standardize management organization. To identify the structural form of facilities management in shopping complex. Literature Review and Interview To gain more knowledge about the facilities management scope of work.
2. The key issue as of now facing facilities management in Malaysia is the low service quality To investigate the challenges of facilities management for shopping complex Literature Review and Interview To improve the quality of facilities management to be carried out on time.
3. Shopping complex manager does not understand facilities management concept while developing their own objectives and policies in managing their shopping complex To identify the suitable method of managing facilities for shopping complex.
Literature Review and Interview To provide better and efficient management system in order to full fill customer satisfaction needs.
1.4 Scope of Study
This research is focused on the shopping complex at Klang Valley. As we known, in Klang Valley have approximately 132 of shopping complex that already build and also under construction. The research will conduct at selected shopping complex only that divided into five group which are luxury shopping complex, branches shopping complex, wholesale shopping complex, standard shopping complex and old shopping complex. Each group will be represented by a shopping complex. This facilitate me distinguish in terms of facilities management between every shopping complex.
The research methodology was derived with purpose to achieve the research objectives and the research aim. Interviews were chosen as the only method. Interviews will be conducted with the management department of each shopping mall. Methodology of collecting the data and analyse the result will be explained further in another chapter.
i. Literature Review
A comprehensive literature review will be done through a variety of material sources. The data will be collected from books, published journals, articles, magazines, and electronic sources such as the internet. To authorise the data collected and to support in the analysis, further research will be carried out.
ii. Semi structured Interview
Apart from distributing questionnaires, the management of the shopping complex will be the respondent to answer some questions related to the process of facilities management of the shopping complex building. By this method, the researcher considers that the data will be more accurate as the interviews with the respondents are related to the objectives of the research.
1.6 Significance of Study
This research is purposed to identify an appropriate way of managing facilities at shopping complex. This finding eventually will improve the current facilities management in shopping complex. Thus this research will improve the environment of the building so that customer will have satisfied and feel free and safe to spend their time in the shopping complex. Additionally, through this research also increase business quality and enhancing the efficiency of the shopping complex at Klang Valley.
1.7 Dissertation Structure
Chapter one of this research explains on the literature review, problem statement, aim and objectives, scope and limitation of the study, research methodology and the significance/ applied value of the research.
In chapter two, the research explains on the literature review. This explain the definition of facilities management, the definition of shopping complex, the concept of facilities management, the practice of facilities management, the issues of facilities management in Malaysia and the challenges in managing shopping complex.
In chapter three, the research explains the research methodology. This chapter covers the introduction of the research methodology, the interview, the background of the sample case and the question design of for the interview.
In chapter four, the research explains on the collection of data and analysis of data. A qualitative method was chosen as a method of data collection. The data is separated into parts according to the objectives of the study.
In chapter five, the conclusion of the study is derived and recommendation from the study conducted is given for enhancements and future studies.