Making IT global – what facility management brings to the table?

ABSTRACT

Globalization retains an imposing future for the managers of numerous companies, while the global information systems (IS) play a significant role in the connection, collection, access and analysis of information produced in interrelated operations from numerous national markets. The popularity of such systems in textile, manufacturing, finance and supply chain grows, as well as the development of IT support for global services remains a challenge. Through a Participatory Action Research project in a global service provider specialized in Facility Management, we investigated the necessity of introducing a systematic integrative approach by a national company for the Global System Development and approaching the issues emerging in a multinational context. As a result, an expansion model for a globalizing company was synthesized and the issues regarding its application discussed. The cultural differences involved in Facility Management market operation regarding both developing and developed European countries were identified and functionality, non-functional requirements and architecture of a global IS were elaborated. Finally, IS development strategy/development process management is outlined for corporations to achieve and maintain global competitiveness.

KEYWORDS:

• Global IS
• global operations system
• global system development
• IT and the global community
• facility management

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Bartlomiej Gawin, PhD, provides a synergy between business activity as an IT Director and academic research. He has actively participated in numerous projects regarding the development, implementation and use of business applications, workflow tools as well as analytical techniques. He deals primarily with research regarding application of modern techniques and tools for analysis, design and simulation of business processes and IT solutions as well as Business Intelligence in service of energy efficiency.

Bartosz Marcinkowski, PhD, is currently engaged in research regarding IT solutions development within globalizing enterprises. The author of several best-seller SAND books published on Polish market. He is also an expert in computer networking and an instructor at numerous professional training ventures aimed at IT competences development. His professional skills are confirmed by international certificates, inter alia: OMG Certified UML Professional, OMG Certified Expert in BPM, Cisco Certified Network Associate Instructor Trainer, and ITIL V3.

ORCID

Bartosz Marcinkowski http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7230-2978