Getting best value from your business space

A great deal has been written about rising rental prices and the shortage of good quality business space in recent times – and the signs are that that situation is set to continue for some time to come.

However, it would seem that the rather more surprising fact is that when many companies are faced with change and have a need to address their requirements for space – whether that be a need for more space, less space – or just different space for changes in the business – amazingly few companies stop to research their own business and clarify exactly what their space needs really are.

This is particularly astonishing when so many companies cite growing overheads as a major reason for cut-backs or price hikes.

Interestingly, companies launching new services or products would never approach such an expensive exercise without first researching their market and satisfying themselves that they had all the facts in front of them. However, when it comes to one of the biggest overheads, they often ignore the very simple, but valuable exercise – that is, to carry out a workplace analysis.

Scottish architecture and space planning practice Space Solutions has worked with numerous organisations to help them establish exactly their requirements. 

“The reality is that when firms undergo change, they tend to concentrate on delivering their product or service,” said managing director Steve Judge. “The suitability, or otherwise, of the premises is often overlooked, even though it is a significant overhead – but something which could have a major impact on the effectiveness, and therefore the profitability, of the organisation”

Change is happening faster and faster in today’s business world and whether firms are growing, contracting, or just changing the way they work, it’s crucial for them to go through the exercise of carefully examining all aspects of the business in order that they are clear about their genuine space needs. However, the evidence is that far too many organisations are making big property-related decisions without going through the process.

Ken Cope, studio director at the Aberdeen head office of Space Solutions has specialised in this area for many years, having worked extensively with the energy industry and its suppliers – an industry absolutely characterised by on-going change.

“The process is very simple, but in order to give a client the optimum solution we need to carry out a full appraisal and that means understanding both the current and anticipated needs of the organisation,” he said.

“The exercise falls in to two parts. Firstly, we need to gather information about the business and its processes. We need to understand those issues which will affect the need for more, or less, space in the future. We will interview key personnel to capture information about work settings, job functions and communication. Additionally, we need to capture key information about the premises to fully understand any shortcomings or challenges”

The second part of the exercise involves drawing up a blueprint, based on all the captured data.  This “model” is then used to test any potential premises to ensure that decisions are made to give optimum suitability.

Global hose and fittings supplier Hydrasun recently commissioned Space Solutions to carry out a workplace analysis to provide a solid foundation on which they will make some major decisions in the next year or so.

Chief operating officer, Bob McAlpine is in no doubt that the exercise is crucial if Hydrasun are to provide them with the most effective operating environment going forward.

“We have over 300 staff and equipment spread across a number sites in Scotland, including several in Aberdeen.  Obviously, this doesn’t lend itself to the best working practices so we need to address things in a robust manner and once we have our blueprint in place we can be certain we’re working from a position of absolute clarity”

In the case of Hydrasun, it might be some months before the blueprint translates to physical change, but Bob McAlpine is certain that irrespective of the changes in his industry and the state of the property market – it’s essential that he has the facts, all captured professionally and independently.