Opting to redesign your office could be the greatest decision you make for your office space.

Redesigning can mean that you free up more space and provide your clients and employees alike with a space they can feel free and welcome in.

Presumably, you’ve made the decision to redesign because your current office space is not functioning productively, whether it’s in individual employees’ work or simply in the way traffic is filtered throughout your office. When it comes to redesigning, smaller offices often have the luxury of trial and error. They can afford to move furniture around multiple times with little to no effect on productivity. Unfortunately, medium to large office aren’t able to do this quite so easily.

So what can you do to make sure your redesign goes as smoothly as possible and doesn’t interrupt productivity?

Solidify your plans

If you’re not in position to be engaging in trial and error, it’s essential to get your plans down on paper. Speaking to an architect to work out what’s feasible for your office space will save a heap of time down the track.

Having your plans drawn up by an architect means you will know exactly how the redesign will look in its final stage and your architect’s team will have a clear guide as to how to action your plans. This ensures there will be no mix-ups or misunderstandings further down the line, saving you a lot of time, money and stress.

Schedule strictly

The biggest hit to your office’s productivity could be the length of time a redesign takes. If you’re lucky, the overhaul could take a single weekend, but if your redesign is on the heftier side, it could take longer. Speaking to an architect means you can get great guidance on exactly how long everything will take. Your architect can break the redesign up into segments according to each stage of the redesign so your working week can continue as usual with little to no disruptions.

Hand over the controls

Many business owners rightly feel as though they should be in control of their office redesign. After all, it is the space they have to work in day-in, day-out.

If productivity is at the forefront of your mind during the redesign, it might be time to give up some of that control and hand it over to your architect. They’re the ones who made the plans with you and know exactly how the redesign will play out, together with their team they can handle all the suppliers of new furniture or decor as well as put your office together for you, all without you having to lift a finger so you’re free to get back to doing what you do best – running your business.

An architectural-run fit out is more than an extra pair of hands

Project managing an office fit-out ought not be dismissed as simply following a list of tasks and meeting deadlines. Great project management ensures your redesign goes smoothly whilst bringing the expertise to avoid any obstacles early.

Not only will an architect take over coordinating the suppliers of your new furniture and workstations, ensuring they are delivered when and where you need, they also will liaise directly with builders in regards to any cosmetic or structural work being carried out. You may find you need to work differently around the redesign if you are staying on site, so your architect can also ensure removalists and IT people are managed to make sure your transition is smooth.

An architect can help you understand some of the fine print in the agreement with your landlord. Leases can prove to be serious barriers to a project’s completion by impacting timescale and costs. For example, the fit-out contractor may be obliged to only work outside normal business hours, may not be permitted to use the lifts for bringing in materials or furniture, and may have restrictions on delivery times and noisy working.

Another common error is realising there’s not enough power or data points. Understanding and planning for this prior to the fit out should be an easy task but it’s forgotten all too often.

Taking advice from less experienced companies or ill-informed people can also lead to problems. It is important that the company you’re talking to has all the necessary qualifications as well as a proven track record for the services you require.

A redesign of your office will require an architect who can meet your deadlines and budget requirements while delivering the perfect final result you’ve been working toward. Find someone who’s up to the challenge and you can be sure your redesign will live up to your expectations.