“Shrinking staff numbers may well lead businesses to consider a move to smaller premises,” he says. “But unless they really know what they are doing, that move could be the death of them”.
“Relocating a business is hugely complicated and highly stressful, leading potentially to extremely expensive mistakes being made by ill-informed managers. The simple answer of course is not to appoint someone from in-house – they more than likely won’t have the necessary knowledge or experience. A relocation and fit-out specialist will charge only a fraction of what companies stand to lose if they get it wrong. And if you factor in all the time that directors and managers often put into such a major upheaval, engaging a professional can actually save money.”
However, recognising that some businesses will still choose to go it alone, Alan has drawn on his 35 years’ plus experience of managing office refurbishments, fit-outs and relocations on behalf of companies of all sizes, from Marks and Spencer and Heineken to much smaller businesses, to identify the areas where the most common mistakes are made. He calls them ”the seven deadly sins of business relocation.”
An early mistake is to take poor supplier and contractor decisions. Architects, general contractors, project managers, interior designers, IT and IT suppliers, cabling specialists, security system installers and furniture suppliers are often appointed on an arbitrary basis, or because someone knows ‘someone who can get us a good deal.’
“No company should base decisions on criteria like these,” says Whitehead. “Instead, match your project as closely as possible with your supplier’s experience. Ask questions such as: does the supplier have experience on projects of your size? Have they succeeded on similar projects? Are they a specialist or a generalist? Experience is the key to judging what they tell you.”
The second mistake is poor co-ordination, leading to delays and cost overruns. Whatever timescale you give yourself, it will come under huge pressure. It is vital to remember that any rescheduling of construction work is bound to have an impact on non-construction tasks. “In fact, it is likely to impact on all the other suppliers. There can be dozens - and you will have to act as the referee in any disputes!”
The third mistake comes in two forms: arbitrary budgeting - and no budgeting at all! Either way, the costs will soon head skywards and the ‘cost-saving’ move will exact a heavy price.
“Getting the right staff involved is the fourth key area to get right“, says Alan. “With the range of tasks running from technology, via warehousing, to soft furnishings, proximity or seniority are unlikely to be the most useful selection criteria. Find out what your staff’s skills and interests are and use them to your best advantage. And be careful,” he adds, “because, as project manager, you will have to fill any gaps.”
The next two most common mistakes are connected: starting late and compressing the schedule. Once a suitable site has been chosen and all the paperwork has been seen to, a business move will still take months – and the larger the company, the longer you will need.
Alan explains, “Leave plenty of time for proposals to be developed and for materials and equipment to be ordered and delivered. If you don’t, mistakes will be made, things will go wrong and delays are bound to occur. Your schedule gets compressed and the added pressure creates further problems. It becomes a vicious circle, and an expensive one at that!”
The other potential problem with compressed schedules is that they can encourage contractors to cut corners or abandon their efforts to co-ordinate with other teams. Result: more wasted time and money.
So, having made good supplier decisions, co-ordinated the work, budgeted effectively, chosen the right staff and got all your timings spot on, what else could go wrong?
“Well, everything if you don’t communicate well at every stage of the move,” says Alan. “Customers, business suppliers, move suppliers and employees all need to be brought along with you at every stage. They need to work with you and remain with you when the move is completed. Information is the key and keeping in regular touch is essential.”
All businesses are, or should be, looking to increase cost-effectiveness and cut out any financial slack. If relocating offers the promise of a leaner, more efficient operation, following Alan Whitehead’s seven steps will see businesses move from suffering to success.
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In Summary - The mistakes to avoid
1 Poor supplier choices
2 Lack of co-ordination
3 Poor budgeting
4 Poor staff choices
5 Starting late
6 Compressing the schedule
7 Poor communication
The business relocation checklist – a brief summary
• Hire the Project Manager
• Hire the architect/designer/space planner
• Hire the property consultant
• Find the space
• Negotiate and sign the lease
• Determine the move-in date
• Prepare the floor plans
• Obtain all necessary permissions
• Hire the General Contractor
• Establish the construction schedule
• Select your internal move team
• Choose department co-ordinators
• Hire the telephone system supplier
• Order telephone service and data-lines
• Hire the cabling supplier
• Hire the security system supplier
• Hire the furniture supplier
• Hire the computer -1241008838 systems supplier
• Send letters to customers and suppliers
• Order new stationery
• Order new furniture
• Hire the furniture mover
• Order crates/boxes
• Label all items to be moved
• Store/archive records
• Arrange for waste disposal
• Schedule computer system downtime (back-up)
• Arrange for employee training
• Distribute keys/pass cards
• Re-paint company vehicles
Or alternatively, if you have neither the time, expertise nor inclination to want to get involved in all of this yourself then hire a business relocation and fit out expert such as Whitehead Francis Associates who can guarantee to save you much more than their very modest fees.
Specialist advisors with more than 35 years experience - and a `milion-and-one' contacts' - help clients save their precious time & money for all aspects of commercial interior fit out, refurbishment or relocation. Clients enjoy complete freedom to get on with what they do best — making profits for their own business!View the original article here
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