Office Fitout Disasters and How to Avoid Them
Leading organisations are increasingly recognising that their employees are their single greatest asset. They understand that a good quality working environment is a key ingredient in attracting and retaining talented staff.
Research has shown that increased standards of design can have a substantial positive effect upon the productivity of the occupiers of workplaces — not to mention greater employee satisfaction. People who work in well designed, well located workplaces naturally feel more valued as an employee and as a result, are more productive and less likely to be thinking of switching companies.
If planned, budgeted and managed correctly there is evidence that a good fitout can dramatically improve operational efficiency, enhance corporate image and competitive advantage and increase your client base. Unfortunately, for every business that gets a good fitout, there is another company that does not.
Read on to find a list of the most common mistakes that companies make when trying to manage the process without a professional that can manage the entire project on their behalf…
- Attempting to fit-out without a clear project brief
- Biting off more than you can chew
- Flying solo
- Assuming that all fit-out partners are the same
- Being seduced by cheap sales tactics
- Believing your fit-out partner’s choice of sub-contractors will have no impact on the project
- Believing that an investment in a Workplace Audit will be a waste of time and money
- Selecting the wrong building
- Believing that building surveys are not worth the paper they are written on
- Failing to consider green issues
- Designing your offices for the business you have today, not the one you want tomorrow
- Thinking that improving the workplace will make no difference to productivity or staff efficiency
- Expecting the power supplies granted to you by the Landlord will meet your requirements
- Losing control of the budget
- Expecting that senior management and staff will understand and agree with every aspect of the project
- Assuming your new landlord will just ignore dilapidations as a gesture of goodwill
- Allowing the comms room to be an afterthought
- Expecting that the new era of digital telecommunications will mean phone lines and broadband can be installed within hours of placing an order
- Concluding that ergonomic desks and chairs will make the staff too cosy, comfortable and inefficient
- Selecting end of line furniture ranges to make sure you get the best deals – you can always mix and match later for a nice mosaic look
- Taking no interest in storage requirements
- Treating tax as an after-thought
- Taking for granted that you are fully insured every step of the way through a project
- Avoiding taking any responsibility for health and safety matters, and hoping that the OH&S will not interfere.
- Disregarding the need to look after staff welfare and well-being
- Pretending that the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) does not exist or affect your business
- Thinking that vacating your existing premises is as simple as slamming the door and putting the key back through the letter box
- Assuming the physical move is best controlled by you
- Believing that drafting your own fit-out contract offers the best protection
- Taking for granted that most of the companies which share your office building will always be supportive, considerate and co-operative
- Taking your landlord for granted
- Ignoring statutory and other approvals until after the project has been completed
- Taking a back seat once the project goes live
- Accepting defects and snagging issues at the end of the contract
- Thinking it’s all over, but…..
- Failing to appoint CRCPG – Australia’s No. 1 Trusted Project Manager for Office Fitouts and Designs.