The economy has been good to your company. You have outgrown your space, forcing your employees to practically sit on top of each other. The obvious solution is to get more space, buy new furniture, move your staff and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. Questions arise: Do you consider a new facility, renovate your existing space or relocate to a developed space? Where do you turn for planning and design assistance? How do you determine the best type of furnishings and equipment for your employees? How do you coordinate your voice and data systems with the installation of the furniture? How do you move employees, their belongings and existing equipment? How do you communicate the move to your employees? How do you do all of this and not lose a day's worth of productivity? It can take an overwhelming number of steps to create an efficient, productive and esthetically pleasing work environment. Many companies don't have the in-house professional resources to successfully coordinate all of the required activities. Quite often a company's management will turn to the office manager and tell that person to find the appropriate office space, buy some new furniture, call in the contractors and move the office. This does not work! A statistic noted in USA Today, pointed out that 68% of those who managed their office's move or renovation were demoted of fired, shortly thereafter! That's a frightening statistic for the person designated for the task. Just as with any complex project that requires a specialist, so too, does an office move or renovation. Such an event requires a specialist who understands the issues and can coordinate the many resources needed for a smooth and efficient transition to the new facility. The most successful moves have been accomplished by having a close collaboration between the real estate professional and the office facilities firm that can provide a single source of accountability for creating an effective business environment. Office environments are about people and the work process that affects people. Office furniture specialists who have incorporated additional facility project disciplines into their organization offer the client the broadest range of expertise and experience. These companies are specifically focused on the human factor within a workspace. They understand the needs of the individual in terms of work support requirements and the human interaction with the technology that supports their work. They also understand the need of a company to have their corporate culture reflected in their facility. The office facility and furniture specialists that have built up strong alliances with the commercial real estate professional offer the client the absolute best solution for developing a cost effective, work enhancing, productive office facility. How does a company determine which organization has the dedicated resources needed to execute the facility project? It's not the "high-way" office furniture dealership that can offer "such a deal....with free space planning!" It must be a professionally recognized organization with the credentials and experience worthy of being entrusted with keeping a companies' business running while making the transition to a new facility. A company anticipating a facility project should evaluate the prospective office facility specialist in the following catagories. People What is their individual breadth of capabilities? What is the diversity of their expertise? What is the depth of their personal experience? Organization How big is the company? How many years has it provided the required project services? What is the management structure of the company? Do you have access to senior management? Intellectual Capital Does it have extensive knowledge and experience with products, services and comprehensive workplace solutions? Process Does it have a clear, concise documented process for managing the project? Is there a dedicated project team assigned to your project? Experience Does it have project experience similar to your project? Can it provide client references on similar projects? Technology Does it have the planning and design technology to assure accurate specifications? Does it maintain a secure online customer order system for product procurement and furniture management available 24/7? Product and Services Does it offer state-of-the-art products that will support your business? Does it represent a full range of products for the work environment including furniture and floor covering? Does it provide vital voice and data cabling solutions? Does it provide move management services? Does it provide project financing alternatives? Customer Service Does the company have a dedicated customer-service team? Does the company have professionally trained field technicians? Can you access customer service 24/7? Reputation What is the industry-wide reputation of the company? Does the company provide customer references? Creating an efficient and productive office facility is not a part-time job. It requires that you ask the right questions, and it takes a professional team to help you along that path to a successful facility that will enhance your business. *********************************************** June Carter is the Vice President for BFI's Melville Branch. You can reach June and Jcarter@bfifurniture.com