PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Professional Development for the Built Environment

Professional Development for the Built Environment

In this report we examine the unique management requirements for an EIP. We begin by considering the distinct business interests of the park's community of companies and the management of the property itself. Separate but overlapping management systems are needed to adequately reflect the two systems.

We then outline the basic functions of EIP management and provide a matrix indicating which would be the primary responsibility of the property management system and which would fall to the community's self-management system. Important key functions include maintaining the community spirit and values, supporting by-product exchange , and enabling continuing evolution of the system.

After discussion of the two management entities, we review several key management issues: autonomy within a community; maintaining the by-product exchange; the importance of total quality management and quality control; an emergency management system; and the ongoing role of the public/private partnership that helped form the EIP.

We then describe how a high-tech operations room could enable both management entities to work more effectively. We conclude with discussion of a number of shared support services.

There Are Two Management Interests in an EIP

An EIP encompasses two distinct but overlapping business entities. It is a real estate development property that must be managed to provide a competitive return to its owners. At the same time, an eco-park is a "community of companies" that must manage itself to gain common benefits for its individual members. The latter is a looser association in business terms, but the owners of member companies are no less concerned with their investment returns. You will need to respond to the needs of both entities in designing a management system for your EIP. Fortunately, their basic goals are very complementary.

Management of the Property: The team responsible to the property owners will be accountable for the business performance of the developed property. This function includes maintaining the stability of tenancy, filling vacancies as rapidly as possible, and keeping the park functional and attractive. It can also provide high quality and profitable support services to individual tenants and the community as a whole.

Management of the Community: The community of companies will share these concerns, but its members will need a management system that maintains their cohesiveness without compromising their autonomy. Except where external regulation or property covenants are involved, the community will depend on voluntary participation in any common initiatives. The management system for the community will have to use tenants' employees time efficiently. The property management team or firm will also be a member of the EIP community.

Management of the tenant community will be a self-organizing process, with facilitation and support from your project development team and park management. This process will begin in the recruitment and planning phase, as future tenants explore potential advantages they can gain from collaboration, including exchange of unutilized by-products. The process of forming relationships will continue as plant design teams work to embody project performance objectives in their ...