The #1 Secret to a Successful Office Fitout:
Are you and your contractor singing from the same song sheet?
Does your office fitout specialist truly get the spirit of the job?
Let me put it this way: I strongly believe that if an office fitout company doesn’t truly understand the essence of your project—if they’re not focused on the bigger picture of what you’re aiming to achieve rather than just the specific details and items listed in your quote—then you’re at risk of not getting the results you intended.
What are we talking about here?
We’re talking about the very first conversation you have. It’s about sitting down together without any forms, plans, or more than a rough idea of your budget, to figure out exactly what you want from the project. This conversation should be entirely about you, with the person from the fitout firm fully immersing themselves in your way of thinking. They need to align themselves with you and start walking in your shoes.
Out of that conversation will come a clear sense of where you are trying to get to. What will the end result look and feel like? What are the obstacles and challenges that are causing the most grief? What are the priorities? What are the limitations? Once you’re walking the same path, you’re already winning because you both know where you’re heading. Then it’s up to your fitout specialist to work with you to find the best way to get you there.
We’re talking about design interpretation. About picking up a designer’s concept and exploring the intention of the thing, rather than getting fixated on the measurements and the angles on the plan. I’ve struck jobs where clever, impressive bespoke designs have gone no further than the pages they’re printed on for years because no one can quite get their head around it. But a good fitout specialist will take a step back and look at the bigger objective. Then will come up with a creative solution (or two) that will see the designer’s vision that got you so excited in the first place finally realised. There is always a way.
We’re talking about finding the solutions that no one else can see. It’s about putting aside that daunting stack of folders that meticulously outline the certifications and approvals you’re told are essential to complete the job. Instead, approach the project with a fresh perspective, thinking creatively around those constraints. There’s always another way—a workaround that allows you to meet the necessary compliances with half the stress, while achieving all the impact and utility you envisioned in the final product.
Above all, what we’re talking about is someone who’s going to take up the job and run with it; to take up your problem and own it, not hand it back to you. You’re looking for an experienced commercial fitout specialist who takes your interests to heart, and keeps them there. From go to whoa.
Bryan Palmer
