The Human Spaces global study of 7,600 office workers in 16 countries has confirmed what had long since been suspected by anyone who has ever set foot in (or been liberated from an undersized, poorly-lit cubicle: office design and employee productivity are linked, for better and at times, for worse.
Hopefully, your current office design is not undermining productivity or driving turnover. However, even if it is not working against your business, it is not necessarily working for it. That is, you may not be optimizing all of your available space, fully supporting your employees, or completely elevating your brand.
To achieve these critical objectives – which are not just “feel-good” improvements, but directly translate into more efficient operations, better results and higher profits – you may be considering an office redesign. If so, then here are 5 key questions to ask a prospective interior office design and construction firm:
1. What is your level of experience?
Do not under any circumstances work with a firm that does not have in-depth, verifiable experience. Simply put: there is absolutely no substitute for experience when it comes to interior office design and construction. You literally cannot afford to have your firm surprised or stymied by anything they encounter.
2. Are all of your contractors licensed, insured, and bonded?
This importance of this question is self-evident. If you do not get an immediate “yes, yes and yes”, and if evidence of this is not supplied upon request (or included in a proposal), then it is a major red flag.
3. Who will supervise the project?
Some firms will hire both contractors and sub-contractors, which is fine. However, there must be a designated supervisor who will be accountable to you at all times during the project, and will take command of all trades, vendors, etc. This supervisor must be very experienced and have a track record of successful commercial renovation and re-design projects.
4. How long will the project take?
This is not a question that a firm can answer initially, since they will need to know more about your specific needs. However, at the appropriate time – and obviously BEFORE you enter into any agreement – you should have a clear understanding of how long the project should take. After all, you cannot afford to have your business closed to employees and customers for weeks when it is supposed to take days!
5. How much will it cost?
Again, this is not a question that a firm can answer immediately. Plus, you will make certain design-related decisions that will directly impact cost (for example, open office designs are usually less costly than traditional office designs, etc.). However, at the appropriate time, you should be provided with a robust cost projection. You should also demand that any firm you choose leverages value engineering to help you reduce material/supplier costs, but without compromising your vision.
Learn More
To learn more about what to ask an interior office design and construction firm – and the answers you need to receive in order to safely move forward — contact the Key Interiors team today. Your consultation is free.
