Three Mistakes to Avoid When Redesigning Your Office

Dustin Staiger

You lead a young, growing company, and you’ve outgrown your mismatched furniture, awkward layout, and hand-me-down cubicles.  You’ve gathered feedback from your team, and they are excited about a fresh look, better equipment, and more comfortable chairs. Still, you want to get the most out of your investment. You want your new, improved office to represent your brand and its growing culture, increase individual productivity, and facilitate team collaboration.

WHERE DO YOU START?

You may have done some research online and found some trendy new furniture and a few open floor plan concepts you like—but is that enough? Sure it looks good, but what about noise? How do you keep an open-concept floor plan from being too loud? Which commercial furniture manufacturers are best for you and your office? Should you consult a professional designer? How much should your office furniture cost? You must consider a lot of things when it comes to redesigning your office.

All these decisions can lead to mistakes. We have heard from many businesses that have experienced redesign catastrophes in the past. We can help you avoid going through the same pain. Here are three pitfalls to avoid so you can make your office redesign a success.

MISTAKE #1: REDESIGNING WITHOUT A PLAN

It’s important to develop a plan before you do anything else. Making changes, even obvious ones, without a strategy can lead to costly mistakes down the line. For example, if you redesign your floor plan before considering your furniture purchases, you can miscalculate how much space your office equipment will actually take up. As a result, you may let too much space go to waste or find yourself cramming tiny desks into your office.

The functional layout of your office space, the performance and durability of your office furniture and equipment, and even the overall aesthetic of your workplace can have a huge impact on your business. Having a modern, comfortable, stylish office can help you attract and keep the kind of sought-after, talented employees that will help you grow your business. In fact, many studies have shown that a company’s work environment can have a significant effect on employees’ productivity, attitudes, and job satisfaction. You also shouldn’t underestimate how much the overall look of your office can affect the first impression potential clients have of your business. A stylish, functional office conveys success and inspires confidence, which can be the deciding factor when it comes to snagging their business.

“With so much riding on your redesign,
you owe it to yourself to do some research.”

With so much riding on your redesign, you owe it to yourself to do some research. But what questions should you ask as you put together a plan? It can be confusing to know where to start, so answer the following questions to help gauge your business’s needs:

1. Does your company culture lend itself to more time spent in formal conference rooms or informal quick meeting places?
2. Will office chairs be used occasionally, used all day and by one person, or shared among many?
3. Should you have work surfaces at multiple heights for those who prefer to stand up and work, or height-adjustable surfaces?
4. Consider your workflows. The more thought you put into this prior to purchase, the greater the likelihood of success. 
5. Are you growing? If you are, create space with your future and growth in mind.

Turn a critical eye on your existing workspace and consider what currently works well for your business and where you see the potential to improve. This can be one of the hardest steps because when you deal with problems day in and day out, you learn to work around them, so you may not even recognize them as problems.

MISTAKE #2: NOT ADDRESSING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Your employees are your most valuable resource, so it makes sense that they’ll have good input to help you make decisions when you’re buying new office furniture. As we’ve mentioned before, comfort equals productivity, and comfortable, well-designed furniture can make the difference between happy, enthusiastic, productive workers and unhealthy, unsatisfied workers who are uncomfortable in their workspace.

Fittingly, your employee’s workstations are one of the most important areas to invest in when redesigning your office. On average, your employees probably spend about 5 hours a day sitting in their chairs, and those hours can add up over the course of weeks or months. Unfortunately, not all chairs are created equal.  Ergonomic design features in chairs such as contoured seats, lumbar supports, adjustable heights, and armrests are important as they can help minimize work-related injuries and lost workdays. The longer employees spend in their chairs, the more thought you need to put into your furniture selection.

 “your employee’s workstations are one of the most
important areas to invest”

MISTAKE #3: STARTING WITHOUT A BUDGET

Establishing a budget for your office redesign is crucial, but it can also be a challenge. If you’ve never had to undertake a project like this before, you might have no clue how much to budget.

Start your budget by breaking it up into smaller categories to make the process easier. Establish a low, medium, and high range for each category. Breaking down the different types of furniture you need and having ideas for where you can shift priorities and spend money will help your sales representatives or designers identify different solutions in your price range that address all your needs.

Consult an Expert to Help

Considering the investment and the complexity of decisions you’ll be making, it’s a good idea to enlist a professional to help. A professional design firm will walk through your existing space to see how you operate. They will determine what is working and what is not. Then, they will develop a plan that meets your needs, considers plans for future growth, and works with your budget and time constraints. Such an experienced perspective can help you solve problems you may not realize you have.

The right furniture dealership will have a wealth of design knowledge and many manufacturers to choose from to help you find furniture that meets your needs and works within your budget. While service may not seem important when making a small purchase, an outstanding service team is crucial when you’re orchestrating an office move or remodel. The level of guidance, customer service, and installation quality you receive from a dealer can help determine the success of your redesign.

At McCoy Rockford, we have partnered with the best manufacturers in the industry across multiple price points. With over 50 years of faithful service to our customers, we are a dedicated, experienced company focused on helping you reach your goals, ensuring that you stay on budget, and making sure you see a clear return on your investment.