In progress
Multiskilling, Apprenticeship Ratios, and Apprenticeship Program Models
Research examining how multiskilling and apprenticeship structures relate to workforce capacity and jobsite outcomes.
Research Impact
My research examines how organizations plan, benchmark, and improve performance in facility management and the broader built environment. A recurring theme is translating operational data into evidence that supports decision-making on O&M cost and staffing, service contract performance, and workforce development.
01. Workforce Development, Staffing & Mentoring
This work examines workforce capacity in facility management and the broader built environment. Topics include workforce modeling, compensation trends, succession planning, and training pathways that influence staffing stability and organizational readiness.
Research Insights & Practical Contributions
- Workforce modeling and staffing decisions: Develops and applies staffing models and benchmarks that support planning, budgeting, and service delivery decisions across facility organizations.
- Succession and knowledge transfer: Examines how organizations identify critical roles, reduce transition risk, and retain institutional knowledge as senior leaders retire.
- Training pathways and field capability (active study): Evaluates how multiskilling, apprenticeship ratios, and apprenticeship program structures relate to workforce capacity and jobsite outcomes such as productivity, quality, safety, and schedule.
- Equity and retention: Studies barriers that affect retention and advancement in the workforce, including the role of role clarity, mentorship, and professional development.
Featured Outputs
T18
Succession Planning in Facility Management
Pilot study and roadmap for succession planning and knowledge transfer in FM organizations.
DEI
Retention and Advancement of Women in FM
Identifies critical barriers to advancement and the role of mentorship in retaining top female talent.
ELECTRI
White Paper: Facilities Staffing Benchmark Summary Assessment & Cost Benchmarking
Best practices for contractors implementing new tools and processes while sustaining delivery performance.
T14
Global Salary and Compensation Report
Analysis of compensation trends, benefits, and pay structures across the global FM workforce.
02. Procurement Governance & Acquisition Strategy
This research investigates procurement governance and supply chain integration across capital projects, technology systems, and facility services. We analyze how solicitation structures, scope definition, and value-based selection models influence vendor performance in high-stakes public and private acquisitions.
Research Insights & Industry Impact
- Advanced Technology Acquisition: Established frameworks for transportation agencies to procure complex, rapidly evolving technologies (like ITS and ATMS) where traditional “low-bid” models fail to capture long-term value and system interoperability.
- Scope of Work (SOW) Clarity: Developed the “Current Conditions” methodology for IT and software procurement, reducing change orders by requiring vendors to identify technical risks and integration challenges before contract award.
- Supplier Diversity & Equity: Analyzed DEI program structures across state agencies to identify which policy levers—such as aspirational goals versus mandatory set-asides—actually result in increased participation from minority and women-owned business enterprises.
Featured Technical Reports
NCHRP
Practices for Agency Procurement (NCHRP 23-19)
Guidelines for transportation agencies on procuring and managing advanced technologies.
T19
Facility Manager’s Guide to Procuring Technology
A strategic guide for procuring enterprise-level software and technology solutions.
T23
Supplier Diversity in State & Local Agencies
Review of current policies and practices for improving supplier diversity in public procurement.
03. Facilities & Asset Performance Benchmarking
This work focuses on measuring operational performance across building portfolios (90k+ buildings), developing validated cost and staffing baselines, and translating data into actionable strategies for budget defense and service planning.
Research Insights & Industry Impact
- Global Cost Baselines: Established normalized cost benchmarks ($/sq.ft. & $/m²) for janitorial, maintenance, and utilities across diverse markets, from major global financial hubs to developing economies in Africa and Asia.
- Sector-Specific Operational Models: Developed specialized performance indicators for complex environments, such as converting healthcare support service metrics into “cost per adjusted patient day” rather than simple square footage.
- Future-Readiness & Strategy: Quantified the operational impacts of emerging trends—including ESG mandates, hybrid workplace shifts, and circular economy demands—on long-term facility strategic planning.
Featured Technical Reports
T24
Global Trends in Facility Management
Analysis of the top trends impacting the built environment, including AI, ESG, and workforce resilience.
T22
Medical Center Support Services Report
Benchmarks for environmental services, linen, and transport costs per adjusted patient day in healthcare facilities.
T21
Africa O&M Benchmarking Report
The first comprehensive study of facility operational costs and challenges across the African continent.
T15
North America O&M Benchmarking Report
The flagship facilities benchmarking report covering janitorial, maintenance staffing, and operational practices.
04. Construction Project Delivery, Risk, and Safety
This research examines how construction delivery structures and execution decisions influence cost, schedule, quality, and risk outcomes. Core topics include alternative delivery methods (Design-Build, CMAR), contractor overhead and financial resilience across market cycles, execution risk and early planning, and lifecycle safety risk created by design and construction decisions.
Research Insights & Practical Contributions
- Delivery method performance: Evaluates when and why Design-Build and CMAR produce stronger outcomes on complex projects, with attention to coordination, risk allocation, and decision timing.
- Financial resilience and overhead: Examines overhead behavior during market downturns and identifies approaches that stabilize profitability while preserving delivery capability.
- Execution risk and early planning: Studies predictable sources of cost and schedule growth, including scope stability, risk identification, and preplanning rigor.
- Workforce and field productivity: Connects workforce training structures and multiskilling models to delivery performance. Detailed methods and current progress are described in the Workforce section above.
- Lifecycle safety risk: Investigates how design and delivery decisions create downstream hazards during maintenance and repair, and identifies interventions that reduce long-term exposure.
Key Peer-Reviewed Papers
- [J19] Differentiation of Evaluation Criteria in Design-Build and CMAR (Editor’s Choice)
- [J17] Quantifying the Impact of the Great Recession on the AEC Industry
- [J36] Re-evaluating Falls through Skylights: Has Anything Changed?
- [J33] Addressing Facility Personnel Safety & Health During Building O&M Activities
Featured Outputs
T27
Value of Early FM Involvement in Capital Projects
Examines the operational value of integrating FM expertise during design and construction.
ELECTRI
Organizational Change in Electrical Contracting
Best practices for contractors implementing new tools and processes while sustaining delivery performance.
NCDOT
Product Evaluation Tracking Tools
Structured tracking of product performance and evaluation outcomes to strengthen delivery decisions and reduce rework risk.
NCDOT
Preventive Maintenance Criteria Validation
Validated criteria supporting data-driven maintenance investment decisions and lifecycle-aware delivery planning.
Current & Ongoing Projects
Active research and industry engagement efforts spanning multiple themes, involving collaboration with industry partners, graduate students, and multi-university teams.
| Project | Theme | Sponsor / Partner | Students & Collaborators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiskilling, Apprenticeship Ratios & Program Models | Workforce | ABC • Simplar Foundation | B. Lines, K. Sullivan, R. Kassa |
| Delivery Method Performance: PDB, CMGC & Other Methods at NCDOT | Construction | NCDOT | PI: C. Le; Co-PI: J. Smithwick |
| FM Mentorship Guidebook & Best Practices | Workforce | IFMA | Juliana Somuah (Ph.D.) |
| Bridging the Skilled Labor Gap in Construction | Workforce Construction | Doctoral Research | Aric Barto (Ph.D.) |
| AI in Facility Management: Policy, Adoption & ROI | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| Workplace Amenities Study (Update) | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| Making the Case at the C-Suite for FM | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| FM Budgeting Tool | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| NAICS Industry Sector Reclassification for O&M Benchmarking | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| Asia O&M Benchmarking Report (Update) | Benchmarking | IFMA | |
| Global Salary & Compensation Report (Update) | Workforce | IFMA | |
| FM Outsourcing Practices (Update) | Procurement | IFMA | |
| Return to Office & Workplace Reentry Practices | Benchmarking | IFMA |
Research Sponsorship
Over $1.4M in external funding from industry-sponsored, practice-oriented partnerships:
Graduate Research
I work with M.S. and Ph.D. students on applied research in facilities benchmarking, procurement, workforce development, and construction safety. If these areas interest you, I’d welcome a conversation.