What To Consider Before Opening your Newly-Constructed Office
Inaugurating a newly-constructed office is an exciting time. It’s vital, though, to proceed carefully and make absolutely certain that everything is in place before allowing staff and clients into the brand new premises.
A good starting point is to draw up a post-construction cleaning checklist of things to do before operations start at the new office. This article takes you through some of the main points, from dealing with potential hazards to snagging reports and installing furniture and equipment.
Visible & Invisible Debris
One of the biggest priorities on a post-construction cleaning checklist should be ensuring that all the debris caused by the construction process has been removed.
Following building or renovation, although builders will have cleaned up to a degree, there will most likely still be some evidence of the construction work. While this might include leftover building materials or tools that were accidentally left behind, there will certainly be building dust on surfaces and present in the air. All this debris need to be disposed of, to ensure your new office space is clean and safe.
Doing this is particularly beneficial to certain office users’ health, as a thorough cleaning means people who suffer with asthma and other breathing issues and allergies won’t be subjected to unnecessary irritants.
Removing Hazards
Just like debris, any potential hazards should also be removed from your newly constructed office. Make this a separate point on your post-construction cleaning checklist, remembering that some hazards may be part of the building’s fabric and will need to be removed with caution.
It could include anything from loose or hanging wires to nails and screws sticking out of the floor or walls. While it’s unlikely that reputable contractors or construction companies would leave such hazards behind, it’s still important to check, to protect against serious harm to staff, visitors, contractors and anyone else using the space.
Snagging Reports
Although you’ll no doubt have vetted the contractor or company that did the construction work, even the best professionals make mistakes sometimes. This is why, alongside your post-construction cleaning checklist, it’s essential to get a snagging report carried out and to act on its recommendations, before opening your office. A comprehensive snagging report will identify any defects in the building work and specify remedial measures needed to make the space safe, immaculate and ready for occupation.
This report could highlight any issues which you, your contractors or the construction company might have missed. Snagging reports are there to inform you of minor and more serious issues with the construction of your office, covering anything from areas of messy paintwork or other poor finishing details, to minor cracks in plasterwork or maybe even structural problems.
Choose a reputable company with specific experience in inspecting commercial properties and producing snagging reports. This could be a specialist supplier or another qualified professional such as a chartered surveyor.
Emergency Precautions
Prior to debuting a newly-constructed office, it’s critical (and a legal obligation) to have the right emergency precautions in place. There are lots of safety and emergency precautions to keep in mind, to ensure that staff and visitors alike are kept safe at all times.
This includes measures like a fire safety assessment, which includes making sure fire exits and escapes are working, and setting up a first-aid station in case of any accidents.
In addition, people will need to understand how to get out of the workplace in an emergency, including clear emergency exit signs.
Change of Address
There will obviously be numerous administrative tasks to complete before a newly constructed office can become operational. Most important is to remember to change the address associated with the business on all relevant communication channels.
You should also strongly consider letting your database of customers, clients, suppliers and other business contacts know about a change of address, ideally via an email, as well as through social media.
This way, you can keep everyone updated, so they know where to find you and you can continue to work together without interruption.
A Professional Reception Area
First impressions matter, so making sure that you have a welcoming reception space is an essential step before allowing access to a newly constructed workplace.
This is the first thing your clients will see when they enter your new office – and it’s the first impression your employees will get of their new workspace.
That’s why it’s a good idea to begin with this space when considering the new office’s overall design and aesthetic.
Whatever it’s size or location, the reception space should reflect your company, your overall brand, and your values.
Hardworking Furnishings & Decor
Now you have a brand new and clean office space, but there’s still plenty to tick off the post-construction checklist. There are many things to consider when furnishing a newly built office, most notably the business’s guiding design or aesthetic, functionality, and comfort.
From the moment they walk into their brand-new workplace, you want your entire team to be as productive as possible, and to feel valued and at ease while at work – installing comfortable, good-quality furniture is one way to achieve this.
In addition, the look and feel of office furniture should reflect your business’s ethos and the feeling you want to give colleagues and clients when they enter. For example, brightly coloured sofas, or even beanbags, can help people feel more relaxed, while in meeting rooms a large, sleek table with simple, comfortable chairs in a similar colour or material will visually reinforce quiet professionalism.
Choosing Office Equipment
Once your furniture is in, it’s time to choose and install the equipment for your newly-constructed office, covering everything from kitchen appliances to computers and other technology.
When choosing your equipment, it’s important to keep the needs of employees in mind, rather than focusing just on budget or aesthetics.
After all, they’ll be the ones using the equipment every day, so it needs to be functional and efficient.
It’s tempting to economise at this stage, especially where an entire workplace has to be kitted out. However, selecting high-quality, durabl appliances and technology will save time and money associated with getting replacements in the long run.
Smart Security Options
It’s essential to have a proper security system in place before you open your office doors.
This could either mean getting in security staff – if your business calls for it and if your budget allows – and/or setting up security alarms around your office.
A properly functioning security system means people will feel safe in their new workplace, as well as keeping valuable business hardware and sensitive information safely under lock and key.
Encourage Early Feedback
Now that almost everything is set up and ready for the grand unveiling, it’s a good idea to invite staff into the newly finished workplace before officially opening it.
This way, you can ensure your employees are on board with the new site, and that they are happy to work at this new office.
Getting feedback from the people who spend the most time in your office is imperative, as satisfied employees means lower turnover and higher productivity. Enabling your team to express their opinions on the pros and cons of the new space, without judgement, is likely to generate some useful ideas for future improvements.
Keep Checking In
Once everything is up and running and the new office is working at full capacity, there could still be some remaining ‘to-dos’ that you may not even be aware of. This is why, as part of the post-construction checklist, it’s a good idea to keep asking employees how they feel about the workspace, and to request feedback from visiting professional partners and clients who are seeing it for the first time.
Set up a schedule and method to check in with employees every so often to make sure they feel safe, comfortable and happy. Ask clients to suggest anything specific you could do to make them more at ease when they’re spending time in your office.
Keep Your New Office Looking Its Best
After all the planning, expenditure and sheer hard work it took to get here, opening a brand-new office space is definitely something to be celebrated.
Preserve that positivity and the pride you and your colleagues feel in being part of a business that invests in its environment by ensuring it’s always immaculate. By partnering with The Clean Network, you can be confident your brand-new office environment will stay pristine.
Contact us for a quote or to discuss how we can tailor our comprehensive range of office cleaning services to your workplace’s precise needs.