There aren’t many more stressful things than moving your office or having to fit it out. Both tasks require extremely careful planning in order to do it as swiftly and smoothly as possible.
Let’s look at some of the tips that you might want to consider if you’re trying to fit out your office without unnecessary fuss.
Plan Well Ahead
The deadlines you set need to be realistic, otherwise you’ll create frustration among all those affected by the works. You also need to plan the sequence of events carefully, since some works have to be done before others, while some can run simultaneously.
This is especially true if you perform a fitout in your office following relocation. In that case, you need to make sure that you finish as many construction and repair works as possible before you actually start moving in. Finally, you shouldn’t forget to sort out your internet access and phone lines in a timely manner.
Appoint a Project Manager
You definitely need to do this. One person has to be in charge of the whole project, to oversee the works and keep everyone informed about the latest developments. This is also vital since there are many different tasks that need to be performed and someone needs to coordinate them all.
This person needs to pay special attention to details, because they make the difference between a complete success and utter failure. The project manager needs to have a list of even the tiniest things that need to be done and their deadlines.
Finances
Like any other project, an office fitout requires a budget. It has to be realistic, allowing you to complete everything you need, but not letting you overspend. Before setting a budget, you need to get estimates from all professionals that you need to hire for the project. Remember that any successful office fitout needs people with experience and the right tools for the job.
The better you plan, the more precise your budget will be. If you fail to envisage a task or completely misestimate the costs, you might jeopardise the whole project. Hence, make sure you haven’t left anything out and that your numbers are realistic.
Free Some Space
This is a perfect opportunity for you to get rid of any unnecessary items and, hence, storage facilities, such as shelves and cabinets. You will also increase the amount of space available for any other purpose. Remember, if you don’t declutter now, you’ll be stuck with unnecessary items for quite a while. Getting rid of the things you no longer need also symbolically represents a new beginning, which is exactly what you want to achieve with your office fitout.
Apart from deciding what you’re going to keep and what not, you also need to think about the items that possibly need to be replaced, advise Sydney-based suppliers of office furniture. Perhaps you only need to replace, say, the chairs in the front part of the office, thus giving the whole office a fresh, new look. Of course, if you’re moving office, you need to check if the existing furniture can be used in the new layout. Getting this information right is also extremely important for setting the project budget.
Temporary Work Plan
Some, if not all of your business operations will be affected by a fitout, which is why you need to have a plan for the activities that can be done from another location, such as employees’ homes or shared offices. Your job is to make the transition as smooth as possible and try to minimise the impact on daily operations.
As you can see, no office fitout can occur without some stress, but your job is to try and organise everything so that most of the stress happens in the planning stage, while the actual works run seamlessly. The key lies, of course, in careful planning and availability of correct and relevant information.