There is a lot of thought that goes into an office fitout. These usually have fixed budgets and timelines so choosing the right people to work on these projects is a big consideration. You also need to have a good idea of why you want a new office fitout and what you hope to achieve from the final result.
Before you start construction, make sure you have a comprehensive quote from a professional team consisting of designers, project managers and other consultants so that you don’t need to worry about additional expenses. This is a real risk with dealing with poor management and rushed quotations as there can be a lot of things that can get missed. The final quote should have all the costs of the project including costs for the design brief, plans, project management, delivery of materials, construction, rectification etc. If you are not happy with the quotation given, make sure that you go over it with the contractor again to ensure that it is comprehensive.
The design should reflect your brand. Anybody will be able to provide a decent design but it takes a professional to understand your company and create something that reflects what your company stands for. It should reflect company culture and what you value as a business. You have to think about how technology can be integrated in order to improve the functionality of the office. For example, your customer service department needs to be in constant communication with the clients so you have to improve the reliability of the communication system. There are legal requirements you have to consider as well. Construction in the building has to be carried out according to health and safety codes in your area. There are government requirements that you should comply with when it comes to fire safety, electrical safety, functional working environments etc. You should also uphold health and hygiene standards so that it minimises the risk of illness in the workplace.
It is also very important to sort out your services from the beginning. The fitout company can consult with the landlord and other consultants relating to building services to get an idea of how to modify the current systems or how to create something new. You should have a power system that is sufficient for your business operations. Also, you have to think about the lighting. If it is a building where you have natural light, you have to use that to your advantage and locate workspaces in these areas. But you may need certain window treatments to deal with glare. Consider the requirements for artificial lighting by looking at the lux levels for different task areas. Then there are the air-conditioning requirements for server rooms and other areas. Ventilation is an important aspect to consider. For example, you will have to break the ventilation systems provided for office areas and kitchen/dining areas so that the smell of food doesn’t spread everywhere on the premises. Even if you have no plans at the moment, you should always keep the possibility for future expansion in mind when you select the building or design power requirements.
