Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

According to a recent research report by Deloitte, the office is not getting any smaller or going away anytime soon, even with advances in mobile and digital technologies. In fact, from 1990 to 2017, the amount of total available office floor space in Australia even grew by 60%.

Technology is definitely transforming the workplace and how people work – but not the way most people think. Robots won’t be replacing everyone’s jobs. Deloitte mentions that people will still be ‘central to the future of work.’ What will change is the types of work humans do and the skills needed to succeed in the future.

At a lunch-and-learn event, we covered how technology drives workplace transformation. In this post, we go deeper into the discussion and focus on the impact of technology on the way people work:

Regarding the use of meeting rooms, how do you give people a choice when it comes to physical space and being able to duck into a room without the need to book?

1. Help employees to be more productive. People don’t come to the office because they want to. They come to the office to simply do their work and be productive. Employees ask themselves: ‘What’s in it for me?’ Things like meeting rooms and booking services need to help employees navigate obstacles and do their jobs effectively.
2. Provide an on-demand and personalised experience. It’s about giving your staff what they want, when they need it and in a form that is very personalised to them. They have to be able to identify with the experience and see its value. Take the example of the Uber experience. The service is not the vehicle or the driver. A normal taxi can provide that. The real difference that Uber offers is the ability to provide on-demand services, whenever and wherever they’re needed. Once you give people the confidence in choosing a meeting experience from anywhere at any time, you will see a change in behaviour. The work environment is no longer a big deal, and you will see a significant increase in workplace efficiency. We can create variety and choice across the whole environment that permits them to basically operate from anywhere but it’s underpinned by that confidence model.

When should you start considering technology when planning an office move or redevelopment?

You need to start thinking of how technology can be integrated as early as possible. According to Dan, you have to consider technology in the early stages of the process and “talk about technology today as a scalable investment.”

During an office move or refurbishment, people usually focus on where the space is going to be and what it’s going to look like. They defer technology decisions towards the end of the project – when budgets and timeframes are already constrained. This results in making some significant sacrifices on the technology front. They start cutting down on the things they wanted at the beginning. And they end up letting down the people who are going to use that work environment, ultimately impacting the level of potential productivity that could be leveraged.

So, don’t make the same mistake. Start to think about technology as a platform approach and identify and invest in what you need early.

Also, by thinking about technology early and properly communicating your needs to providers and partners, the better off you will be in meeting expectations and deadlines and achieving the outcomes you wanted at the beginning.

What is the behavioural impact of enabling technology in the way people operate, such as working from home or working non-traditional hours?

Technology has such a significant impact on the workplace, that it is changing the way people work. Here are some insights from our panel of experts:

People still seek human connection
With advances in mobile and digital technologies, people are now able to work anytime, anywhere. These days, people have the freedom and flexibility to work from home and outside the normal 9-5 hours.

But it seems employees still look for human connection. There is a slow shift back to people wanting to work in the office. They like meeting face-to face, looking people in the eye, shaking hands and directly engaging with colleagues and customers. Some even think that they are more productive and effective when working side-by-side with their team in the office.

Work-life harmony
Let's call it “work-life harmony” rather than balance as we all have to go to work and go home at the end of the day. Both work and home life are intertwined but it’s the communication piece in the middle that enables us to connect with our families and colleagues. Nothing can replace the element of human connection.

That’s why companies like Axiom develop workplaces that enhance human experiences and implement technology that enables harmony between work and home life – encouraging people to come back to the office. This then creates a cultural shift attracting employees of all levels, including leadership, to come in and get the work done.

Personalised service
Why would someone come to this office? As an employee, why would I want to do this? What’s in it for them? These are some of the questions that you need to consider when building workplace environments.

It’s not just about how impressive the technology is that you want to integrate. It also needs to serve a purpose. People need to see and experience the value of the service. Plus, it needs to be personalised to each individual’s need. For every inconvenience, we need to give employees two conveniences so they can start to offset one another, and they can start to see the value proposition beyond the friction.

Technology won’t be able to solve everything. There are going to be certain problems that you’re never going to be able to overcome or be able to rectify, but if you start to add lots of little things people can identify with – then they will begin to see the overall value of what you’re trying to do.

So, don’t just give your employees a desk to work on, personalise the service and make things easier for them. This would not only increase employee job satisfaction but also improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

This is how it all comes together; you’ve got to treat the working environment with respect and your employees with respect.

Want to learn how a design partner can help implement the right technologies to create a more productive and engaging workplace for your employees? Check out our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner. Download it now!

“A direct impact on productivity, engagement and people’s happiness coming to work”
– Lauren, HR Manager, 1-Stop Connections

A global leader in port logistics solutions, 1-Stop Connections creates innovative products for the global market. From shipping and ports to road and rail, their suite of integrated products and tailor-made solutions aim to maximise operating efficiency throughout the supply chain.

Before Axiom…

Global logistics is fast-paced. 1-Stop are true innovators in the field and has rapidly outgrown their premises, taking on additional team members at an exponential rate. This is not set to slow down. Beginning with a staff of under 20, their team in 2018 comprised over 100 individuals with this figure set to double in the next five years. As such, they needed a space which would highlight their innovative spirit, spotlight their efficiency, facilitate collaboration and provide the scope to grow with the business.

Split across 4 floors, collaboration was waning, and the company looked to secure new premises where the connection between teams could be more readily fostered.

Axiom was invited to present their vision to 1-Stop decision-makers and was almost immediately engaged. Through a series of briefings, we brought together a team of designers, estimators, project managers and construction experts to create a visionary workspace.

With 1-Stop Connections, our team enjoyed the benefit of developing the workspace from a minimal blank canvas. We were presented with the new Redfern premises as a refurbished but older building complete with polished concrete floors, an open ceiling and industrial/warehouse vibe, all of which highlighted the initial acoustic challenges.

When collaboration is key, we need to manipulate space to provide areas which buzz and others where there is a possibility for quiet interaction. Installing the right materials to balance the environment’s sound was a challenge we addressed instantly. Part of the solution was to include a central breakout area, smaller one-on-one meeting rooms, shared spaces and 100 workstations which treated the acoustics uniquely in each area.

After Axiom…

“Already connection is felt across the business”
– Michael Bouari, CEO 1-Stop

From inception through to the ideation and implementation of the project, the Axiom team successfully transitioned 1-Stop from their previous premises into their exceptional new workspace.

Interior design, concept development, construction management, electrical and lighting solutions, furniture & workstations and project management were all within the brief and delivered within a 12-week timeframe to budget.

The creative vision was realised as a sleek, bold, modern and dynamic space. Careful, creative and considered, we approached the project as an opportunity to sculpt a unique space. Elevating the working environment, our design incorporated leading technologies and finishes as well as beautiful natural elements to increase workplace wellness.

Working with a progressive and innovative client, Axiom was able to push boundaries and arrive at meaningful, sometimes playful design decisions to achieve a space in which the team thrive.

“A deliberate process which delivered what we wanted”
– Tony Payn, GM Finance, 1-Stop

The concept rested on weaving the company’s story into every possible aspect of the fitout. Shipping containers were recycled and used as wall finishes. Aerial views of shipping ports were referenced in flooring patterns, and graphic elements throughout the workspace paid homage to the logo.

Bright blue cables were featured throughout the space – overhead, along walls and throughout breakout spaces to encourage the idea of constant movement. A playful take on tracks, shipping lines and journey maps – these features underpin the company’s ethos of progression and dynamism.

Largely open plan, the space caters for team discussion, high-level presentations and more private consultations. A creative core was constructed in the form of a communal kitchen/breakout space and an innovation lab was created which provides the opportunity for the team to share ideas and inspiration.

Ethical, energy-efficient and low carbon footprint options were also addressed as part of the design. Throughout this project, we had sourced many local materials, used existing fittings and applied a stringent vetting process to use suppliers who worked with a considered environmental approach.

We tackled the project with a mandate to re-purpose and re-invigorate as much of their current workspace as possible. By surveying their fixtures and fittings, we were able to bring into the new space a range of furniture that we upcycled and appropriated – thus reducing waste, maximising budget and removing the need to purchase more occasional furniture. Finally, our team ensured that the space provided exemplary abilities to recycle its own waste.

“Pretty much perfect”
– Michael Bouari, CEO 1-Stop

Pumping with enthusiasm, primed for spontaneous collaboration and right at the forefront of innovation – 1-Stop Connections now have a workspace which keeps pace with their energy.

Adaptable, dynamic and providing the flexibility to grow, Axiom has created a workspace which not only fulfils the current needs of the client but nurtures them towards the future as well.

Find out how Axiom can transform your current or new office space. Book a free consultation to see what we can do for you.

Technology is changing the way we work. The current workplace is no longer a single place people go to do their jobs. With advances in mobile devices, networks and cloud computing, employees can now work anywhere, anytime with just a laptop and an internet connection.

This enables enhanced staff flexibility, collaboration and productivity never before seen in the workplace. However, to achieve the best results, companies not only need to provide the right workplace technology and tools for people to do their work but also create a working environment that caters to individual needs and preferences.

In this post, we focus on some valuable insights to help you create a workplace culture that adapts to advances in technology, and more importantly, delivers greater efficiency, productivity, flexibility and employee job satisfaction.

As a small to medium business, what are the things you can do to future-proof your workplace?

For a growing business, it’s important to make sure that the decisions you make today are still going to be relevant in the future, as change can happen so quickly. Here are some key actions to future-proof your workplace:

Digital workplace transformation goes beyond simply enabling remote work. It focuses on rethinking how people, processes and digital tools come together to create a more connected, flexible and productive work experience. When done well, it allows organisations to adapt faster to change while supporting employees with the right technology at the right time.

1. Review the current environment: The first step is to get a full view of the current work environment. You need to know what is and isn’t working. Try to include your staff and the key stakeholders in the business and understand their current needs. Also, do a review of the workplace technologies currently in place – and how people are engaging with those technologies.
2. Make sure people are communicating effectively: One of the biggest hurdles in growing your business is making sure people are communicating effectively. Communication is fundamentally critical to anyone’s business. So, what technologies do your staff use to communicate? How effective are they to date? How can you overcome the challenges they’re experiencing? Then make sure the tools and technologies you invest in are simple and easy to use.
3. Engage a trusted partner: Yes, tools are becoming easier to use, but most people still feel overwhelmed with new technology. Therefore, it’s important at an early stage to engage with a trusted partner to help with the discovery piece and plan the move forward. This partner can also run workshops with stakeholders in different departments and groups to understand technology needs across the organisation.
4. Look to the future: Think Nokia or Kodak. They were market leaders at some point but failed to adjust to future market needs. So often we make decisions today based on historical facts that are now obsolete. It’s not so much about what you want to do today, but more about how you want to position your company in the future. Think about where you want to go and how you can add value to your customers in the years to come.

What is workplace technology?

Workplace technology refers to the digital tools, systems and infrastructure that support how employees work, communicate and collaborate within an organisation. It includes software, hardware, cloud platforms and connectivity solutions that enable both in-office and remote work environments.

These actions are most effective when supported by the right mix of technologies in the workplace. Communication platforms, cloud-based tools and mobile solutions all play a role in enabling collaboration, flexibility and long-term scalability. The key is ensuring these technologies are aligned with how people actually work, rather than forcing new behaviours.In this post, we focus on some valuable insights

What role does workplace technology play in helping your employees become more innovative and creative?

We all know that the greatest resource for any business is its people. There are two ways technology can add value to your employees and help them become more innovative and creative:

1. Customising the experience

It’s important to realise that most of your staff just go to the office to do the work they need to do and collect a pay cheque. That’s the reality. So, how can you help them to be more innovative and creative in their work? It is essential that you treat your employees with respect and understand that every employee is an individual, with their own needs and preferences.

You need to customise the experience for them. And technology plays a big role in doing just that. Tools and applications can be customised to suit employees’ life and work styles. Mobile and digital technologies can also make life easier for your staff – providing greater flexibility, efficiency and productivity. In essence, technology can give people more time to think creatively and focus on the more important things at work and in their personal lives.

2. Enhancing workplace culture

When people come together and collaborate at work, technology often works in the background and is not given much thought as it works on demand. However, technology plays an important role in enhancing the workplace culture. For instance, digital signage in the office can actually help inspire people at work. You can tell stories about the business, where it’s going and the success it’s currently having.

If you’re working with teams interstate or all over the world, how can you ensure people get the best experience with video conferencing?

We’ve all experienced some sort of frustration when connecting with people via video conferencing. We hear comments like ‘I can’t hear you’ or ‘your video froze’ or even ‘connection just dropped’. So, how can you ensure the best experience?

It’s important to start with understanding your company’s communication needs. What would make it easier for them to communicate with each other? How will employees use video conferencing? Is video conferencing the best solution? Of course, you first need to make sure that the technology would be widely adopted by the different teams before you invest in improving the experience.

With the internet and Wifi connectivity becoming stronger, more stable and a lot quicker, people expect video conferencing to just work. If it doesn’t, they will find another way to communicate. We always try to find the easiest way to get things done. While video conferencing is important, it is not the only way to communicate. Businesses need to be able to offer employees a lot of choices when it comes to communication – audio, video, email and text.

How can IT departments manage the security of sharing and storing information, especially across cloud platforms?

Security needs to be at the core of your technological and digital initiatives. You need to understand the flow of information across your organisation. Business data could be emailed, shared on social channels or stored on the cloud in applications like, OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive.

But how secure is the cloud? Cloud applications are getting more and more secure plus companies are now better at implementing security protocols and measures to protect business data.

The bigger threat isn’t the cloud – it’s the internet of things (IoT). IT departments need to be more concerned about the devices, machines and apps connecting to the network. These ‘things’ connect to anything and have the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human interaction.

Also, stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog, as we go deeper into the experts’ discussion on how technology drives workplace transformation! Subscribe to our blog to make sure you don’t miss out and also read our Guide to the Future of Work.

Want to learn more about technology in the workplace? A design partner can help future-proof your business by implementing the right technologies to achieve your long-term objectives.

Check out our free ebook 'Digital Transformation: The Role of Workplace Strategy'

“ELMO HQ has realised more connectivity and community engagement than I had ever hoped for.”
Monica Watt, General Manager HR and Admin, ELMO

As one of the fastest-growing HR tech companies in the region, providing innovative cloud HR and payroll technology to more than 1000 organisations across Asia-Pacific, ELMO were quickly outgrowing their space. As well as moving to a more centralised location in the Sydney CBD, ELMO wanted a fit-for-purpose space that would re-energise their employees (or “ELMOnians”, as they’re affectionately called), and help keep the company on its path to growth.

Before Axiom…

Having experienced exponential growth over the past few years, ELMO were fast outgrowing their original headquarters in Bondi Junction. But ELMO didn’t simply want a bigger space – they wanted a space that would truly reflect their personality, culture and values. They wanted a space that would foster connection and collaboration, increase engagement, and also be highly adaptive to each ELMOnian’s preferred way of working.

There was also the added challenge of a relatively short lead time – with ELMO growing so quickly, they only had a timeframe of 12 weeks in which to bring their vision to reality.

Axiom worked closely with ELMO, conducting in-depth workflow and organisational studies to fully understand ELMO’s needs and help them achieve their objectives.

“The Axiom team was great to work with from the commencement,” says Monica Watt, General Manager HR and Admin of ELMO. “They were engaging and responsive to our needs … [and] honest about what they had and had not done. Once they captured our thoughts and concepts … we then worked together to continuously evolve the design. The space is a combination of our ideas and their design magic coming together.”

After Axiom…

One of the most important traits ELMO wanted to cultivate in their new space was connectedness and collaboration. With this in mind, the Axiom team designed a central town hall at the very heart of ELMO’s new home, with tiered seating where employees can gather. This space is connected to a breakout zone on another floor by a staircase, further emphasising the idea of connectedness.

Annelie Xenofontos, Axiom’s Senior Workplace Strategist, explains the team’s approach: “We wanted to connect the Elmonians by creating a vertical village through the two floors. The continuous louvred finish across the two floors achieved that visual connection and was accentuated with the larger cutout in the concrete slab.”

Employee wellbeing was also highly important to ELMO, with the attraction and retention of top talent being a key objective of the new office. To that end, the design included a café and community space where staff can relax and socialise, and a wellness room where they can practise yoga and meditation. As per ELMO’s request, the meeting rooms were also placed at the core of the design, to ensure that employees could be seated close to natural light.

“I love that every day from morning through to afternoon, I see our people enjoying a cuppa, working, talking, and sharing the space. There is a spot for everyone and everything,” says Watt.

To reflect ELMO’s growth and maturation, a new colour scheme was devised, keeping true to the company’s history and evolution while showing the company’s progressiveness and innovation. The use of green and greenery throughout makes the space feel calm and inviting.

Axiom also future-proofed the new HQ, ensuring it is flexible enough to incorporate more employees as the company continues to go from strength to strength.

“The greatest success was hearing the oohs and ahs from our people. I will be honest, I was overwhelmed with various emotions on day one – I sat on the tiered seats and just watched the people enjoying their new space,” says Watt. “I am in awe of what we have created and the opportunity it presents.”

At a glance…

• Increased connectedness and collaboration achieved
• Emphasis on employee wellbeing
• Flexibility to adapt to continuing growth
• Design successfully developed and implemented in just 12 weeks

Ready for Axiom to work some design magic on your current or new office space? Book a free consultation to see what we can do for you.

Few would argue with the notion that technological innovation in business is the lifeblood of successful and competitive companies today. If you’re a company stuck in the grind of ‘business as usual’, business technology innovation may hold the key to unlocking your employees’ hidden potential for creativity and growth. (And it doesn’t have to break the bank either.)

Here are 5 ways technology can support innovation in the workplace.

Improved communication and collaboration

There’s a reason why so many companies are trying to break down silos within the business and foster more collaboration – improved communication frees the flow of ideas, allowing for better insights and faster decision-making. Deloitte has even put a dollar amount on the benefits of collaboration, estimating that quality improvements brought about by collaboration are worth around $2517 per employee and manager per year.

Collaborative platforms like Google Docs or Slack allow people to share files, collate discussions around particular topics, centralise knowledge and work on documents simultaneously. This means you can get on with the business of working together without any of the frictions and frustrations that often go with it (‘Where did that email end up?’, ‘Why haven’t they got that document back to me yet?’ etc.).

Video and voice conferencing technology, such as Zoom, can help to tear down communication barriers, which is particularly helpful if your team is spread out geographically. Interactive whiteboard technology like Webex or Jamboard also gives your team the freedom of brainstorming on a whiteboard combined with the ability to pull information, images and documents directly from the web, while again allowing team members to participate from wherever they might be.

Improved collaboration strengthens ties across the employee organisation chart, including senior management. Better accessibility to managers, directors and the C-suite – whose buy-in is vital when it comes to actually implementing ideas – can smoothen the path to innovation, allowing for creative ideas to become reality much faster.

Increased efficiency and productivity

Just about every job is susceptible to automation to some degree. Many CRMs and marketing automation platforms, for example, automate tasks like data capturing or lead nurturing. And while the idea of machines ‘taking away’ certain aspects of our jobs can be somewhat anxiety-provoking, automation can often be good for workers (when implemented mindfully and in conjunction with good workplace design).

Technology can foster innovation simply by making our lives easier. By partially or completely automating repetitive and mundane tasks, employees have more time to engage in higher-value tasks such as strategising and analysis, which of course often leads to innovation.

Better access to data

Data is essential to innovation – without accurate, up-to-date data, technology innovation in business and informed decision-making simply aren’t possible. Today, technology plays an essential role in information gathering, from a simple IoT sensor picking up a single data point, to dashboards that help make sense of the information, to cloud data stores that hold and compute our vast swathes of data.

Getting a good handle on data visualisation using tools like Tableau can also help pave the way to innovation, making data manipulation and analysis far easier, thereby putting innovative ideas at your employees’ fingertips.

More flexibility

Innovation means coming up with new ways to do things – and this, of course, requires a great deal of creativity. But employees who are sitting at the same desks, doing the same things day in and day out, aren’t going to be feeling particularly inspired.

Technology can help here, too. Collaboration tools like those mentioned above can be perfect for a remote workforce, allowing people to feel connected and involved no matter where they’re working from. You can also use technology to support flexibility within the workplace – sensor solutions, for example, can give you real-time information on things like desk and office availability, minimising time wastage and helping to facilitate a more agile, activity-based work environment.

The regular change of scenery, and interaction with different people in the organisation, that comes with such flexible work arrangements can do wonders when it comes to helping people think outside of the box.

There’s also a lot to be said for a fast, reliable wifi connection! After all, it’s pretty hard to be innovative these days without internet access.

Aside from these direct impacts on innovation, giving your staff flexibility at work can increase employee engagement, which in turn makes them more willing to search for and develop ideas that will benefit the company, rather than simply going through the motions of the daily grind.

Boosted wellbeing

It may surprise you to know that improving your employees’ wellbeing can also lead to innovation – after all, happy, healthy employees are creative, engaged employees! And believe it or not, tech can play a role here as well.

Things like wellness portals, where employees can do things like book gym classes or monitor certain aspects of their health, can give employees the tools they need to stay fighting fit. Sit-stand desks can help promote exercise and movement throughout the day, helping employees to perform at their peak. Even a simple app that reminds workers to stand up and move about on a regular basis can be a way to get the creative juices flowing!

Giving employees more control over their environment can also help boost employee wellbeing. For example, smart lighting solutions that give staff individual access to the lighting in their particular area allows them to adjust the lighting as necessary depending on the time of day or task at hand, ensuring optimal working conditions at all times. Similarly, individualised climate control, which enables employees to adjust the temperature in their particular area, can also help ensure employee comfort throughout the day, so they can focus fully on the job in front of them.

A culture of innovation

Fostering a culture of innovation is not just about providing your employees with the right tools – it’s also about seamlessly integrating these tools into your workplace design, so they become as much a part of day-to-day business as email or the photocopier. Ensuring employees have access to communication tools in collaborative hubs, or conferencing software and equipment in meeting rooms, for example, can ensure everyone actually makes use of the technologies at their disposal, so they can get on with the business of innovating.

Is innovation a core value for your business? A workplace design partner can help ensure your office reflects this. To learn more about how a workplace design partner can foster innovation at your business, check out our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner. Download it now!

Strategic Office Move Planning for a Seamless Transition

Relocating your office is more than just packing boxes; it's a business relocation planning process that requires detailed coordination and foresight. Whether you're moving office across the city or shifting your entire operation to a new region, having a solid office move checklist is essential to avoid disruptions and maintain productivity.

Our office move planning checklist covers every step, from initial budgeting to setting up your new workspace. With years of experience in corporate move planning, we understand the unique challenges businesses face when moving business premises. That’s why we focus on a smooth, structured approach that aligns with your timeline, budget, and business continuity needs.

Some of the key things to consider when moving business premises include IT infrastructure, employee communication, legal notifications, and furniture logistics. Each of these aspects is covered in our moving business location checklist, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.

For companies undergoing a large-scale business relocation, our business relocations checklist is designed to minimise downtime. We also provide expert support in office move coordination, working closely with internal teams and third-party vendors to execute a streamlined transition.

Whether you're planning a small office move or a full workplace relocation, our resources and team are here to guide you. With our comprehensive planning an office move checklist, you can transform what might feel like a daunting task into a strategic move that supports growth and efficiency.

So if you’re considering moving offices or need help defining your business moving strategy, get in touch with our relocation experts today. We’ll help you turn your office move into an opportunity for improved space, workflow, and performance.

If moving house is one of the top five most stressful events in a person’s life, just imagine what the stress levels are like when it comes to moving your office.

While moving  an entire office is a significant undertaking, by planning carefully and breaking the process down into small, manageable chunks, you can have an easy transition, with minimal disruptions and associated costs.

That’s why we’ve put together this super-handy checklist, so you don’t miss a thing while you move your office from one place to another. It seems like a simple task but involves number of steps to be taken in order to ensure that everything is fine.

With an office  relocation, there are many moving parts. It’s important, therefore, to get your ducks in a row as early as possible. Careful planning and preparation can help ensure the office move is not just smooth, but that it actually benefits your organisation in the long term.

12–18 months before the move

• Determine what your key objectives are for your move (e.g. do you want to reduce costs, boost productivity or attract top talent?)
• Find an expert: a workplace design partner to help you with a workplace design strategy to identify your key objectives and determine the future way of working for your company. This will determine how much space you will actually need.
• If based on the above, the decision is made to relocate:
  • Look into your current lease and determine how and when to give notice to your landlord. (If you need to vacate your current premises before the lease is up, you may need to sublet or assign the lease to another tenant or negotiate a termination. You may want to seek advice from a property solicitor to work out what may be the best option for you.)
  • Do you have a make-good obligation? Consider the budget for this and adequate timing to have it completed
• If the desired outcome is to create significant change in the environment, then refer to your workplace design partner for a change management program to ensure all staff are brought on the journey
• Conduct a location feasibility study of shortlisted sites to determine the most suitable space – your workplace design partner can also assist with this

6-12 months before the move

• Negotiate and finalise the terms of your new lease
• Put together a detailed timeline to ensure the move is completed on time
• Liaise with the building manager at the new property to help determine the layout
• Create an inventory of your existing furniture and fittings, and determine what will be moved to the new office, and what new furniture and fittings will be required
• Involve IT with your workplace design partner to perform an audit of your current IT and communications systems (computer, photocopies, phones, etc.), and determine what equipment will be kept and what needs to be upgraded. (It is essential that all your IT equipment, systems and phones are all fully functional on the day you move in to ensure minimal disruption.)

3-6 months before the move

• Select a moving day
• Devise a detailed moving budget (for moving costs only, separate to your relocation budget)
• Schedule wiring and cabling of all computers and phone lines
• Create a master change-of-address list, listing clients, vendors and suppliers that will need to be notified of your new details and order new stationery
• Hire a professional moving company
• Hire a professional cleaning service for the vacated property
• Create a company moving team, ideally with a representative from each department, to help coordinate the move across the organisation
• Depending on the extent of the change, ensure the staff are regularly informed about and involved in the moving process, in conjunction with the change management program (if applicable)
• Keep a hand in with your workplace design partner, ensuring everything is going in the direction you need it to

1 month before the move

You’re on the home stretch! This is the time to make sure things are still on track, and to double (and triple) check nothing has inadvertently been left by the wayside.

• Hold a meeting at the new premises with all the parties involved (design/construction/movers/IT etc.) to ensure all details have been covered and responsibilities for the upcoming weeks are clear
• Put together a welcome pack for employees, outlining information about the building and the neighbourhood, so employees can quickly settle in
• Organise an office warming party to welcome employees to the new office
• Finalise employee seating plan
• Implement a clean-up program (purging files, disposing of rubbish, moving old files to storage etc.)
• Back-up business operations
• Acquire packing supplies for the move
• Create a detailed moving day plan
• Reserve loading dock and elevators, and acquire any necessary permits (such as parking)
• Sort out keys and access cards
• Start setting up IT and communications systems
• Give staff a tour of the new premises, so they know what to expect when they arrive on day one

On the day

The big day is here. While much of the work will be in the hands of professionals (thanks to all your careful planning), you’ll still need to be keeping an eye on things and ensuring everything’s ready to go when employees walk in the door.

• Arrange with the building manager to have air conditioning switched on prior to entry (this will make the day much more comfortable!)
• Ensure workstations are assembled and correctly labelled with numbers or employees’ names, so employees can easily find their desks
• Test computers, phones, internet, and other technologies to ensure everything is connected and working properly
• Ensure old site has been cleaned thoroughly
• Ensure the new site is clear of excess furniture, crates and packing materials

After the move

Hooray! The hard part’s over. Now it’s time to tie up any loose ends, let your clients know about your new location, and reap the benefits of a brand new office.

• Brief staff on new premises, such as workspaces, break areas and amenities
• Distribute welcome packs and new phone lists
• Address any residual issues reported by staff
• Confirm termination of the old lease
• Schedule press release and client announcement
• Review office fitout and design, and track relevant metrics to see if key objectives are being met

As you can see, moving an office is a lot of work! That’s why you want to ensure you reap maximum benefits from it. To help your business get to the next level, choose a workplace design partner that can help you achieve your objectives and prepare your new space for you. To learn more, download our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner now.