The need to either build a new office space or refurbish an existing one is a task that all successful businesses will face. However, whilst it’s easy to decide that an office fit out project is required, it can be a lot harder to execute one successfully due to the number of factors involved. And when you consider the amount of downtime and disruption this can cause your organisation, you begin to understand just how crucial it is to plan it properly.

There are certain steps you can follow that will help to ensure that your office fit out project goes are smoothly as possible, including:

1. Involve Your Employees: The most important element of any office is the employees that work in it every day. And their feedback on any potential change to the office is always valuable. After all, your employees’ well-being goes hand in hand with their motivation and productivity, so you want to avoid any changes to the office which could impact this. Therefore, to get your space planning correct, make sure you sit down with your employees and discuss the project to understand any concerns or comments they have on the project.

2. Minimise Downtime:The moment you start moving desks and computer equipment around you begin to disrupt the operations of an office. Whether you’re altering the layout or moving equipment to a different building, these processes severely restrict your employees’ ability to do their jobs. Planning how and when to carry out this work is essential. Where possible, complete as much work out of hours or at weekends when the office isn’t staffed. This allows greater continuity for your employees to complete their work.

3. Plan for Growth:Business changes rapidly, so it’s vital that you plan for any future growth during your fit out project. Winning a new contract, for example, can lead to a requirement for new staff and you need to make sure there’s room to accommodate them. It makes sense, therefore, to always build office space with an eye on the future rather than purely basing your needs on your existing situation. It may feel costly for space that isn’t required immediately, but space planning will save you a major headache in the future when you need to expand.

4. Work with Professionals: It’s unlikely that your organisation will have the skills to undergo fitting out a new premises, even a basic refurbishment can be complex. The best way of tackling these projects is to work with professionals who have the experience to advise you on the most appropriate solution for your needs and then to put this plan into action.

5. Set a Budget: The foundation of all office fit out projects is a budget and, when cost planning is done correctly, you can guarantee a project which meets all your operational needs and financial needs. Establishing your proposed budget should be the very first step of any fit out project and needs to be planned carefully to reduce the risk of having to rethink it half way through when funds run out.

At MGS we’ve built up extensive knowledge of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to office fit out projects, and together with our complete project management service, we pass this experience on to our clients in each new project.

If you have any questions about how we can support with your next project, don’t hesitate to get in touch and speak to one of the team.