Managing an office relocation project might seem straightforward—"just moving a few boxes and it's done." Unfortunately, I must dispel this notion. While it may not be a highly complex project, it certainly requires meticulous planning to ensure success from both an operational standpoint and in terms of employee well-being and satisfaction.
Maintaining high business productivity is challenging enough during regular office operations. Therefore, once you've found the ideal space for your business, it's crucial to sit down and plan the entire operation—from the initial planning stages, through necessary space adjustments, to understanding the requirements for a seamless transition. The goal is to ensure operational continuity without wasting valuable time or incurring unforeseen costs.
Given these considerations, two critical actions must be taken early in the process to significantly impact the success of the relocation:
Appointing a Point of Contact (POC): This individual will coordinate the relocation on behalf of the company. Typically, they will assemble a team, including a real estate broker to find the property, a designer, professional consultants for planning, a moving company, and representatives from the IT and HR departments. Experience shows that only large corporations handle this systematically. In contrast, medium and small companies often assign HR or procurement personnel to lead the relocation, which can dramatically impact the project's success or failure due to their lack of experience.
Developing a Program (Progerama): This document should outline the company's needs and serve as a solid foundation for planning, preparing the necessary resources for the move, and executing the relocation. The more accurate and professional this program is, the smoother the project will proceed, ensuring functional continuity without disruption.
DVIEWSION specializes in managing office relocation projects, including developing comprehensive programs for such moves. Our experience has taught us that the program's development stage is critical to the project's success. The earlier this document is prepared, the more equipped we are to address the countless questions that arise during the planning phase—from finding the right property for the company and its employees to analyzing and determining the required spaces and their sizes. Once all the data is professionally consolidated, the project can be effectively managed with real estate agents and the necessary professionals.
Developing a professional program requires deep market understanding, including real estate market prices, defining functional spaces according to client needs, and engaging specialized consultants in areas like acoustics, multimedia, and infrastructure (e.g., electrical systems, lighting, ventilation, etc.). Additionally, a deep understanding of the operation and management of systems that directly affect contracts and agreements, such as food services, logistics, and ongoing maintenance, is essential.
Optimizing the Planning Process
For every space identified as a requirement at the macro level, DVIEWSION breaks it down into detailed planning under the following categories:
Users and their characteristics
Frequency of space use
Functional location
Connectivity between spaces
Architectural design
Required infrastructure
Equipment and furniture details
Key considerations and design aspects
We also recommend including images or illustrations to align the design with the client's vision.
Conclusion - All of the above directly impacts not only the accuracy of the needs and their effect on the final structure and fundamental requirements but also the post-relocation phase and ongoing budget considerations. These elements form a crucial foundation for planning and giving the green light for company executives to proceed. Any shortcuts or attempts to bypass program development will ultimately lead to poor decisions, potentially costing tens or even hundreds of thousands of shekels in unplanned expenses as the project progresses.
Comments