As the person responsible for managing the new business premises project you need to know the reasons why the relocation is happening and therefore the outcomes you are expected to deliver.
It is always best to get these answers from the key stakeholders of the business and get them in writing so everything is crystal clear.
Make sure you are very clear on the objectives because this will help your project run smoothly and for you to deliver the goods. You may need clarification on such things as the number of people to be accommodated, is it all the team or only the sales team …get exact details.
There are many high level items to consider such as premises location, proximity to public transport, type of building, lease terms, business growth and any number of business items that will impact on how the new office should operate.
Maybe a better question to ask is “What are the key elements that affect your business and what makes the business operate at optimum level ?” The answers to this question should guide you to finding the right property, design and fitout.
Don’t dwell on small details at this point. High level viewpoints are what you need, smaller details will be flushed out in later stages of the process.
At this point you also need to establish the other key players involved in the process. Plan to meet with them at a set time and set period through out the project to ensure all areas are kept on track. Key players might include Information Technology, Accounts, Human resources and Marketing.
Don’t at any time ask everyone in the business what they think about this or that, or you will be bombarded with opinions and questions for the duration of the project. This will cause you to question your decisions, engaged in long conversations and waste a lot of essential time on trivialities . If you have an internal project team use them, your boos and the experts you are about to engage.
Most importantly – Meeting Minutes are Crucial, minutes written by you and distributed in a timely manner will ensure everyone knows what is said, what was agreed and who is doing what. It’s the best way to provide an instant report to anyone up the line and the starting agenda for the next project meeting.
The first step to a successful project is to understand the “WHY” for your key stakeholders.