What services should your fit-out specialist offer?

If you’re currently under lease and looking to move to a new location or a refit of your current space, then chances are you’ll be looking for a fit-out partner at some point shortly.

This process can be time-consuming, especially if this is your first time considering what path will best serve your business in the future. So to help you navigate the waters of selecting your next fit-out partner, here are some key services you should expect from your workplace specialist.

Project Management

All fit-out specialists are going to project manage your build and or move, but it’s the level of attention to detail that goes into the project management that you want to look for. Pay attention to the amount, and frequency of the communication that will be offered throughout the process. This includes site visits, weekly or bi-weekly WIP meetings and access to key members of the project team so you have all the relevant content at every step. Clients will have varying levels of involvement in their builds, so make sure your fit-out specialists' project management process works in conjunction with your expectations.

Communication

Clear communication with your project team is going to be of key importance. Whilst most specialists are very good at communication, you want to ensure that most of the communication is kept in writing, so emails are a great way to keep track of what’s been said. Phone conversations can be followed up with an email to confirm and project update meetings should be concluded with minutes so that all parties are aware of their responsibilities and accountabilities in the production process. If it’s not written, it’s not said.

Location and lease management

This is an extremely critical step, and certainly, one that requires you to have a great workplace partner in your corner. Whilst many companies do a good job in this space, what we’re looking for is an organization that has relevant experience in your field and can show examples of how they’ve assisted in the location and lease management process for other similar businesses. A proven track record that satisfies your requirements will go a long way to partnering with the right fit-out specialist.

Best Price

This builds off the previous point of ensuring that your partner has relevant experience in dealing with similar businesses to yours. That proven track record and experience will assist greatly in achieving the best price in the market for not only your location but for the build itself as you will have previous benchmarks to measure against. Make sure when considering the best price in the market, you do so with a balance of quality in fit and finish in mind, as cheap doesn’t equal best.

Budget and Timeline

Some of the most contentious issues associated with a move and build, or a straight refit, come from time and money. You want to reduce as much stress as possible from this process, so ensure that when you’re seeking a new fit-out partner, you ask for examples of how they manage the budget and timelines process. Don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions around budget blow-outs and roll-out delays. Getting these topics on the table early, and understanding how your workplace specialist handles these matters can go a long way to making the right decision for your future workplace project.

Transparency

 

 This is a touchy subject with some companies, but it is certainly a worthwhile conversation to have with your potential fit-out specialist. Much of the transparency that we’ll be seeking comes in the form of the commercials attached to your partnership. The more transparency you can achieve around what you are paying for the services rendered, the more at ease you will be with the budget management process. Many of the issues around cost and budget come from uncertainty around what a client is getting for their money, or a lack of perceived value in the result. Push this conversation forward when selecting your next partner and get them to step you through their process before you commit.

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