Office renovation is a huge undertaking. There are plenty of factors to consider like the condition of the building, design, expenses, and productivity. It takes a lot of planning, but if done right, it can be extremely rewarding for your business in Portland.
Before you jump in, here’s what you need to remember before, during, and after the renovation.
Before
- Identify your goals. Ask yourself why do you want to renovate. Is it to improve your company image? Is it to make employees comfortable? There are plenty of reasons to undergo renovation, so make sure you know what drives the project.
- Assess existing conditions. Research the status of the building to find out if it can support the renovation. How old is the building? Is there a history of past renovations? Doing an evaluation allows you to uncover conditions like the presence of lead and asbestos. These unforeseen conditions can halt the process and even result in costly redesign expenses.
- Create your team. The success of the renovation relies on your project team. Conduct a thorough search of service providers in Portland to find the following: the right design team, contractor, and commissioning agency.
- Plan your strategy. Once you have your team, plan a renovation strategy with them. This should include a realistic timeframe, budget, cost of construction, and what you’ll do with your employees once the renovation started.
During
- Keep your communication open. Be sure to send everyone involved in the project a copy of the work schedule. This includes the design team, contractor, commissioning, landlord, and office staff. Regularly update them about the progress of the construction. Also, address concerns and give tours to staff from time-to-time so they’d feel appreciated.
- Monitor productivity level. Once the construction starts, expect a dramatic change in your staffs’ productivity level. In some cases, productivity level can severely drop, which is a common concern that comes with major office renovations. That’s why you should take care of certain things like lighting and noise levels in your temporary workspaces. You can also let your employees work from home while construction is on-going.
After
- Create a Maintenance Checklist. Make sure building systems such as your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC function and perform as intended. Enlist a commissioning service in Portland who will review your systems’ design, verify equipment installation, and observe modes of operation.
- Train staffs on the new space and technology. Once the renovation is finally done, don’t forget to observe how your employees will adjust to the new space. If you implemented new technologies, be sure to train them on how to use it. More importantly, give them time to get used to the new work environment.
A renovated office leaves a great impression on your clients. At the same time, it creates a happier and more comfortable environment for your employees, which lead to an increase in productivity. However, it can be a huge undertaking for business owners. But with the above tips, you’ll be ready to take on such task and reap a promising reward.
