We have always wanted to have an office that has the agile concept; and today, we are happy that our office rental lease has been extended, as this gives us an opportunity to have a mini office renovation.
In June, Zhaoxin and I (renovation team) were excited when we were tasked to be the overall in-charge of the full renovation; from planning to source for suitable contractor to cleaning up after the renovation.
The news of the renovation was spreading rather fast to all departments where each department came up with their own renovation plan according to their needs and wants while the common area plan was planned by the renovation team.
Tips on Planning:
- Apply user experience – Prior to the renovation, it is always important that we had to first understand what our users want. We created opportunity from the own open space by bringing up topic on “office common area improvement”. In this meeting we gained much understanding on what our users need through their creative idea and constructive feedback on common area.
- Timeline – This is the next important step after understanding our users need. Strict and proper planning on the timeline has to be followed to minimize any disruption (e.g. staff shifting to other work area during working hours). Also, there needs to be a consensus in the timeline between us and the respective department managers.
- Contractor – Always compare the quotation from at least 3 contractors and provide recommendations on engaging which contractor’s service and include detailed information such as the time required for completion, cost etc. for management approval.
- Announcement – Information to inform all staff is essential in reminding staff when and what action is required from them. This can be done through various methods such as poster, social media and email announcement 2 weeks before the start of the office renovation. Do be reminded to include important points in the announcement and make detailed yet sweet and short; such as:
- Renovation period
- Shifting date
- Important notes (asset security, person in-charge)
- Work calendar – Print out the calendar and note down the milestone that needs to be completed; this is a useful tool and also a good reminder for us to ensure the plan is executed on time.
- Floor plan – As each department submitted their desire floor plan, it is good that we go through the plan with the department manager or in-charge to ensure the plan and actual work done is achievable.
Tips on Execution:
- Staff shifting – It is essential that the renovation team is present to prepare the tools (box, tape, etc.) and to be there to oversees and assist in the shifting.
- Tally work done – Ensure that the renovation performed is checked after completion to avoid any dispute in the event of any wrong work performed (e.g. plan not followed).
- Social media update – Share the good news with staff! Just like any of us, staff are also excited to the updates of the renovation; so share constantly with the staff on the Facebook close group.
- Promptly seek advice on any design difficulty – As much as we want to have a perfect and smooth renovation, we are bound to experience some obstacle (e.g. design difficulty)., Seek for help immediately from the relevant department manager and keep him / her informed and have a discussussion on how we can overcome this obstacle.
- Check timeline – Check the timeline weekly to ensure that the project plan schedule is executed on time
Sounds complicated? Not at all! We just need to learn from experience. Therefore, the last segment to end the renovation process is to have a post review with all staff to seek constructive feedback and gather improvement.
T.8ytes by Titansoft 