Why move?
At some point every business will be faced with the dilemma of whether to relocate. It may be down to expansion or contraction, lease break or expiry, or driven by a planned change of working practices. Whatever the driver, the decision to relocate demands careful consideration.
Although many businesses would prefer to stay where they are, the benefits of relocation can be compelling. For example:
• Increased productivity and efficiency
• Improved staff morale
• Reduced occupation costs
• Proximity to key customers
Selecting the team
Any planned relocation has to make commercial sense and be supported by a proven business case. Armed with a clear and concise brief an internal steering committee should be tasked to prepare the business case. The committee chairman should be totally familiar with your business and have the authority to make decisions. The rest of the team will be drawn from key departments, particularly IT, finance and human resources. Remember an office relocation is an extremely stressful (and exciting) event for any company. Your staff will undoubtedly be unsettled by speculation and rumour. It is therefore a key responsibility for the team to communicate appropriately.
Once the decision to relocate has been made the external team should be interviewed and, providing it meets all requirements, appointed. Typically these will comprise a commercial agent, lawyer and fit-out partner, appointed – at this stage – with the aim of helping you identify the right building. It may also be wise to appoint a professional project manager who will understand how to support your management team and the chosen fit-out partner. The most important objective is to make sure the project doesn’t impact greatly on the daily routine of busy managers and staff.
The procurement method
Many companies make the mistake of starting the building search before appointing the professional team and deciding on their procurement route. As far as the procurement route is concerned the options are either to appoint a project manager, an architect or a specialist fit-out company. The decision will largely be dependent on the project size, timescales, your inhouse skills and the level of input you can afford to put into the project.
Many growing businesses will be attracted to specialist fit-out companies who are able to service the design and construction as well as the IT, furniture and the physical move. This is particularly relevant where there is a requirement for fast-track occupation and a need for cost certainty. A good fit-out partner should have experience in your business sector and be able to demonstrate best practice. An independent project manager can protect your interests and ensure you are getting value for money.
Appointing a fit-out partner
• Visit similar, completed projects
• Make sure they understand your business and brief
• Visit their offices and meet the whole team – not just the front men
• Make sure they have the key skills in-house
• Do you like the people?
• Do they offer a fixed-priced contract supported by a guaranteed start and finish date?
• Can they demonstrate value for money?
• Can they supply IT and furniture competitively?
• Do they offer post-contract services?
Whichever route you decide to follow, your fit-out partner has a fundamental role to play in identifying the right building and ensuring the final design solution is one that can carry your business through the next stage of its development.