09:47
Faizan
It's never too early to start planning for your company's next office relocation project. Moving your firm's office is a major undertaking and can be quite a headache if it's not planned out correctly. And when I say headache, I really mean, a wallet-ache, because mistakes can cost you money.
Thankfully, companies don't move very often, maybe an average of every 6-8 years or so, but that's also what makes it so challenging. The chance that you have someone qualified on your staff, who has recent experience with a major office relocation project is slim. Even if you have someone who has been involved in a office relocation project in the past 5 years or so, chances are he may have forgotten the small details that can cause you so much aggravation.
As a voice and data cabling contractor for the past 18 years, I've seen the mistakes that can be made when planning a major relocation project and I've also seen how some of those mistakes can be avoided. So here are the top 5 most common mistakes made when relocating your office, as it relates to your voice and data cabling infrastructure.
1) Underestimating the budget-
Practically everyone has a boss. If you underestimate the cost of what it will take to install a new voice and data cabling infrastructure, then you have to go back to your boss to ask for more money. That is never an easy thing to do and could make you look like you screwed up. After all, if your boss has to go to his boss to get more money approved for your budget, some one eventually is going to ask, what happened? The only answer when coming in over budget will be either you left something out or you made a mistake. Neither answer puts you in good light.
There is a secret in the construction business and it's goes by the name of "change orders".
The construction business is predicated on the "low bid" model. If your only criterion for selecting your cabling contractor (or any contractor, for that matter) is low bid, then be careful. Contractors need to make a profit to remain in business. If their model for winning projects is to low bid everything, they're going to have to make it up somewhere, and the difference is usually made up when you forgot something or you make a mistake or the design changes. Design changes during the construction project are normal. Life is a video, not a picture. The low bid was based on the "picture" at the time of the bid. But as the project progresses, things change and design changes will result in pricing changes, typically an increase. Your boss will usually be the one making the design changes, so you won't have to answer for those cost increases. But of you were responsible for setting the original budget and you left something out or made a mistake, a change order price increase will rest on your shoulders. At this point, you may want to ask yourself the question, "How does the construction industry, which relies on low bidding to win project manage to make enough money to stay in business?" For the answer, just Google the words "change order yacht".
You'll see a dingy named "Original Contract", being towed by a huge boat called, you guessed it, "Change Order". It's not a fake picture.
2) Underestimating how much time will be required of you once the project is underway-
Thankfully, companies don't move very often, maybe an average of every 6-8 years or so, but that's also what makes it so challenging. The chance that you have someone qualified on your staff, who has recent experience with a major office relocation project is slim. Even if you have someone who has been involved in a office relocation project in the past 5 years or so, chances are he may have forgotten the small details that can cause you so much aggravation.
As a voice and data cabling contractor for the past 18 years, I've seen the mistakes that can be made when planning a major relocation project and I've also seen how some of those mistakes can be avoided. So here are the top 5 most common mistakes made when relocating your office, as it relates to your voice and data cabling infrastructure.
1) Underestimating the budget-
Practically everyone has a boss. If you underestimate the cost of what it will take to install a new voice and data cabling infrastructure, then you have to go back to your boss to ask for more money. That is never an easy thing to do and could make you look like you screwed up. After all, if your boss has to go to his boss to get more money approved for your budget, some one eventually is going to ask, what happened? The only answer when coming in over budget will be either you left something out or you made a mistake. Neither answer puts you in good light.
There is a secret in the construction business and it's goes by the name of "change orders".
The construction business is predicated on the "low bid" model. If your only criterion for selecting your cabling contractor (or any contractor, for that matter) is low bid, then be careful. Contractors need to make a profit to remain in business. If their model for winning projects is to low bid everything, they're going to have to make it up somewhere, and the difference is usually made up when you forgot something or you make a mistake or the design changes. Design changes during the construction project are normal. Life is a video, not a picture. The low bid was based on the "picture" at the time of the bid. But as the project progresses, things change and design changes will result in pricing changes, typically an increase. Your boss will usually be the one making the design changes, so you won't have to answer for those cost increases. But of you were responsible for setting the original budget and you left something out or made a mistake, a change order price increase will rest on your shoulders. At this point, you may want to ask yourself the question, "How does the construction industry, which relies on low bidding to win project manage to make enough money to stay in business?" For the answer, just Google the words "change order yacht".
You'll see a dingy named "Original Contract", being towed by a huge boat called, you guessed it, "Change Order". It's not a fake picture.
2) Underestimating how much time will be required of you once the project is underway-
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