Facilities Manager's Desk Reference, 3rd Edition

12Workplace and Accommodation Management

12.1 Workplace and accommodation changes

FMs (facilities managers, or facilities management) must ensure that changes in workplace accommodation proceed smoothly, cost‐effectively and with minimal interruption to business. This requires careful planning and co‐ordination of all the elements of the move and keeping the various stakeholders (clients, end‐users, customers and colleagues) informed at all stages of the process. Workplace moves need to be effective and efficient due to the potential impact on the productivity of the people being moved.

The per person or per workstation costs of workplace accommodation moves in commercial premises vary hugely depending on the location and timing. This cost variation is due to the space guidelines in each organisation – if all workstations are identical, then moves just concern people; however, if organisations permit personalised office equipment and other artefacts, then there is a lot more disruption and associated costs.

As in all good management practices, a regular review is required to check that the space is providing the appropriate resources for the organisation to achieve its operational objectives. Policies and standards may have to be reviewed, moves and relocations managed, and new ways of working introduced. With the majority of commercial organisations embracing new or agile ways of working, there is less equipment to move, but employees are likely to have higher expectations ...