Moving a Company: The office plays an essential role in the organization’s life; therefore, its change should be carefully considered and preceded by a thorough analysis. The relocation process should be well planned and started well in advance of the scheduled date of the move. Below are some of the most critical aspects of the process that you should pay attention to.
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Define the needs of your company and define the budget you have at your disposal
An office means something different for different organizations and fulfills a slightly different function. On the one hand, it can, for example, be an image and sales element that increases the company’s prestige. On the other hand, it can be typical business support and operational strategy. A law firm will look for a different office and a production company. The former will probably focus on the prestigious building in the central part of the city. At the same time, the latter will be more interested in the proximity of the production plant and transport hubs and the possibility of convenient communication between branches and entities with which the company cooperates. Therefore, it is crucial to define the role of the office at this point.
Then you need to think about what our organization needs and determine the exact budget. To make a choice easier and make the best decision, we can use the help of an adviser who will present a list of potential real estate in the city of interest to us based on the current market knowledge.
It is also worth analyzing the situation in the labor market and considering the location of a new office. Nowadays, companies compete with each other for the best employees. An attractive office with numerous amenities and the possibility of quick access encourages future employees to consider our company as a better employer. So it is an additional advantage.
What model of work prevails in your organization?
Think about the nature of your new headquarters. Do you only work from an office in your company, or is remote work predominant, or is there a hybrid model? It will be easier to design an office if you answer this question. In the first case, there are usually more individual workstations assigned to each employee, which also affects the size of the office. The hybrid model, in turn, assumes rotational workplaces and focuses on shared workplaces. With the advantage of remote work in the organization, the office’s main role is the representative and supportive one, which is used to exchange information or project work. This model works most often in service and sales companies.
If you have a budget, it is worthwhile to conduct a work environment strategy study. Based on the analysis, you can determine the new workspace for fully effective use. The result of research on the work environment strategy is to establish guidelines for the arrangement of new office space, e.g., how many workplaces we need, how many focus rooms and conference rooms, how ample the space should be, and, as a result, what arrangement of the office will be the most advantageous for your company.
Find out what is currently happening in the office market.
When deciding to change the company’s seat, it is worth looking at the situation in the office market and the prevailing trends. Up-to-date information can be found, e.g., in the CBRE report Warsaw office market in Q1 2021. Despite the prevailing pandemic, interest in new office space continues. In the first quarter of 2021, the capital market grew by 8%. Despite the prudence associated with Covid-19, tenants are willing to conclude new contracts. The most popular offices are located outside the city center, and this is an important tip for a future tenant.
It is not only the office lease price that matters.
Some companies tend to make decisions based primarily on price, and this is not exactly the right thing to do. When choosing an office, remember that in addition to the price, the condition and quality of the building also counts, by which we mean, for example, the class of materials and technologies used, modern air conditioning and ventilation, energy efficiency, available amenities and certificates that the building has.
High quality and the applied modern technologies make the everyday use of the office easier. Their presence often affects the rental price of the office, but it is sometimes worth choosing a more expensive offer to enjoy the new space for a longer period of time.
At this stage of the relocation process, we should start making the final decision, focusing only on 2-3 buildings, from which, taking into account both financial and other aspects, we will choose the optimal one for our organization.
Office lease agreement negotiations
When negotiating an office lease agreement, it is not only legal support that matters. It is equally important to have knowledge of commercial real estate and to include the most critical points in the lease agreement. You have to remember about such aspects as, for example, securing technical issues in the contract and ensuring its flexibility in the event of the company’s development or necessary space reduction.
From office design to implementation
When the formal issues are closed, it is time to prepare the executive and architectural designs for the new office. Here, the support of an experienced architect will be invaluable, who will indicate the current trends in the design of office space and, taking into account our budget and preferences regarding the appearance of the office, will prepare an appropriate design.
At the implementation stage, it is worth using the support of a technical specialist – The project Manager. This will avoid unnecessary stress and potential mistakes. Thanks to his competencies, such a person will easily coordinate and check arrangement works, as well as manage the budget and ensure that everything is carried out according to the schedule. The Project Manager will also support us when picking up the office and point out any shortcomings and indicate possible defects and material defects of our new office space.
Moving – enjoy your new office
Before the final move, it is worth choosing the right transport company that will carry out the process efficiently. You should also plan a schedule with the new and existing building managers. Let’s remember about the necessary consents. We cannot always move furniture and equipment at a convenient time for us; sometimes such works can only be carried out at weekends or in the evenings so as not to interfere with the normal functioning of the building. For example, the lack of a good lift and the necessity to use standard elevators for building employees may be difficult.
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