Refurbishing An Office
At its simplest an office refurbishment project is based upon headcount, timescale and building services, and factors unique to your business. Once you decide that refurbishing your office interior is desirable, these steps are a basic checklist that is typical for all office refurb projects.
I want to refurbish my office…
In project management parlance we talk about the project management triangle, also known as the triple constraints. This is a relationship that illustrates how a project’s scope, timeline, and office refurbishment cost are related and affect project delivery, project quality and benefit for the organisation.
The triple triangle conveys how a change in one constraint will impact the other two, and how maintaining quality could be undermined. For example, a project with a tighter deadline (time) might need more resources (cost) or reduced features (scope).
The three project constraints
Scope: The features and functions of the project, or the total amount of work to be completed.
Time: The program and critical path/deadline for project completion.
Cost: The budget allocated for the project, covering labour, materials, and other resources such as office furniture.
The Balanced Triangle
Time: If you want to finish a project faster, you may need to increase the cost (e.g., by paying for overtime) or reduce the scope (cut features).
Cost: To finish a project under budget, you might need to extend the timeline (time) or reduce the scope (cut features).
Scope: If you need to add more features, you will likely need to extend the project’s deadline (time) or increase the budget (cost).
Relationship to quality
The triangle suggests that quality is often the result of balancing the other three constraints.
It is impossible to improve one constraint without impacting another. For instance, adding more scope while keeping the same time and cost would lead to a decrease in quality, while trying to speed up the project by throwing more resources at it without changing scope may be cost-prohibitive.
An office refurb has some specific elements to bear in mind. Space planning with defined objectives such as staff numbers etc is typically the starting point. Obviously the complexity of the objectives will reflect your business plan goals. Budget, and timeline form a set of measurable parameters. Designing a layout that optimizes space and meets company needs as well as bringing design flair and solutions is the element most people enjoy. Managing the project with a professional team, legal and ‘code’ compliance, and clear communication are the aspects that are typically covered by the refurb specialists. Executing the physical work, which can involve everything from cosmetic updates to infrastructure upgrades like electrical and HVAC systems is the nuts and bolts of the scheme. Refurbishment usually implies works around existing business operations and continuity is the magic of marrying works and trades with staff and business as usual.
All these aspects feed into a successful office refurbishment. Click here to see more about the refurbishment services from Fusion Office Design.
