Office area in a warehouse.

Three Reasons To Move Offices

Posted by Chas on

Every business experiences changes. Sometimes these are changes we want, sometimes they’re changes we don’t want. When it comes to office relocations it’s the same thing; sometimes a business moves because it wants to, sometimes it moves because it needs to. That being said, even if a business is moving offices because it wants to, it can still be inconvenient as well as be a disruption to the business. Because of this, a decision to move offices shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Let’s explore some of the reasons why a business may choose to relocate. This list isn’t exhaustive of course, and your reasons for relocating will depend on your business needs. However, if your business is experiencing any of the below, it may be a good opportunity for a fresh start in a new location.

The Lease Is Up For Renewal

Commercial leases tend to be longer than residential leases, so when they’re up for renewal, it’s re-signing or extending the lease isn’t always a simple task. As a tenant, your business may need something out of the premises that the landlord isn’t either willing or able to supply. On the other side of this, with a lease up for renewal, your landlord may be seeking to renegotiate the lease terms and asking for something your business isn’t willing or able to supply. So either way, it may be best for your business to find a new office.

Although this isn’t an ideal situation, moving a business due to leasing issues can give that business a fresh new start. It’s a good time to evaluate your business’ needs and plan for the future. Basically, turn this situation into an opportunity.

The Business Is Growing

Having to move offices because your business has grown out of your old one is a good problem to have. Like other office moving situations, it can be a bit disruptive, but a lot less disruptive than having an overcrowded office. As businesses grow they take on more staff, and what may have worked in term of office space a few years ago just doesn’t work anymore.

When moving a business in order to expand, it’s also a good opportunity to evaluate your needs and perhaps look for a facility that the business can grow into over time, eliminating the need to move yet again if the business continues to grow. It can also be a good time to look into more premium office space or get a more premium fit-out now that the business can afford it.

General Change Of Business Needs

Just like a business grows over time, sometime the general needs of a business will change, making their current premises no longer suitable. If you have a business that relies on a warehouse, perhaps you need to be closer to a customer base that’s recently moved. Businesses that rely on IT infrastructure may need a more modern building that can support it. A new product or service may mean certain facilities are needed on site or close by. The list goes on.

Because of all of this, a business may find itself needing to move simply because its needs change. This can be an exciting time because it’s acknowledging how things are changing and evolving, and can be treated like a new era. Embrace it!

If You Are Moving Offices, Get Some Help

Whatever the reason for relocating a business, it’s often best to work with experts like A1 Precision Solutions. We offer complete end to end business relocation services including not only physically moving office furniture and equipment but also office and building fit-out services.

For vacating an old office, it’s also important that the old premises is left in a suitable condition for your landlord. For this, we offer end of lease make good services.

Combined, we can provide all aspects of business relocation. This means you only need to work with one provider, ensuring the relocation happens quickly, easily, and with minimal disruption.

Unloaded double deep pallet racking.

What Happens To Complete A Warehouse Fit-Out?

Posted by Chas on

Here at A1 Precision Solutions, we do a variety of different fit-outs. We do a lot of office fit-outs involving getting businesses set up with things like office partitions, installation of utilities, carpeting, and more. We also do a lot of warehouse fit-outs as well, which are another important part of our business. However, what’s involved in a warehouse fit-out? How is it different from a other fit-outs? And what should you expect if you’re doing one.

Let’s Start With The Floor

Building from the ground up, it’s important to make sure the flooring for the warehouse is suitable for use and in good repair. Obviously most warehouses have a simple concrete floor but, depending on what the warehouse will be used for, the flooring may need to be changed. For example, for warehouses storing potentially hazardous materials, flooring that can be easily cleaned of spills may need to be installed. And of course, if the flooring of the warehouse isn’t in good condition, it will need to be repaired.

Planning Of The Warehouse Layout

Warehouse optimisation needs to be done before any storage equipment is considered. This ensures that the layout of the new warehouse is conducive to optimal storage densities while also making sure it’s easy to operate within the warehouse, move materials throughout the warehouse, and more.

Part of planning the warehouse layout may also involve deciding if something like a mezzanine level will be installed and, if it’s installed, where it will be and how it will be used. All in all, there’s a lot that goes into planning the layout for a new warehouse in order to ensure it operates at its highest capacity.

Installation Of Storage Systems

Warehouses typically have pallet racking and shelving to store goods on. The type of pallet racking or shelving will depend on what’s being stored, how it needs to be stored, and how it may need to be accessed. Different types of warehouse storage systems have their own pros and cons, and it’s often important to get expert advice on the exact kind of storage that’s going to be needed. This will all be worked out when the initial plan and optimisation of the warehouse is designed.

Installing the pallet racking in a new warehouse is very often the the biggest part of the warehouse fit-out process, and also often one of the most expensive parts of a new warehouse fit-out. We can provide all the advice on the exact type of pallet racking needed for the project.

Installation Of Safety Systems

The most important part of a new warehouse fit-out is the safety systems. Safety systems may be as simple as line markings and safety barriers, but may also be more complex and involve sophisticated safety systems.

Safety in the workplace always needs to be of the highest priority, so it’s important to plan safety systems and not cut any corners here. While cost savings can often be made in other areas, safety is not an area to go with a budget option.

Materials Handing Equipment

Every warehouse needs some sort of materials handling equipment. This may be as simple as a couple of forklifts, or it may be a variety of different pieces of equipment including conveyor systems, access equipment, and much more. The type of MHE needed in a warehouse will very much depend on what’s being stored there, how it’s being stored, and how it needs to be moved. There’s a variety of specialised equipment that works perfectly with what needs to be done.

Contact Us About Your Next Warehouse Fit-Out

We’re a true end-to-end commercial construction company that can help help with all aspects of a new warehouse fit-out. Whether it’s pallet racking, flooring, safety, or anything else, A1 Precision Solutions can provide all aspects of a warehouse fit-out. Speak to us about your next project.

 

 

Outside of a very large cool room mid-construction.

The Different Types of Sandwich Panels

Posted by Chas on

Sandwich panels are a great type of building material that combine light weight with good rigidity. Of course they’re not as strong as load bearing materials like concrete, but they work well for insulating walls, roofing, and more. Here at A1 Precision Solutions, we use sandwich panels in a variety of ways, most notably in the construction of cool rooms and large cold storage facilities. Sandwich panels work well here because of their insulated core and generally light weight.

So what, exactly, is a sandwich panel, and what are the types that are used in construction?

A sandwich panel is made up of three layers. The middle layer is typically a low density insulating core while the two outer layers, the skin, is a rigid material like aluminum. Since the panel is made up of a core layer sandwiched between two outer layers, it’s called a sandwich panel. The make up of the core and the material the skin in made out of will depend on the type of sandwich panel and what it’s being used for. For example, the core may be solid to provide more insulation or it may be a honeycomb shape to be rigid while reducing weight.

EPS Panels

EPS panels, or expanded polystyrene sandwich panels, use a polystyrene core. Because of this, EPS panels work well as an insulator and are often used in refrigeration. However, their use goes beyond this. Because of their insulating properties, EPS panels are quite versatile, and are often used in office and industrial settings as a general insulator to keep workplaces naturally cool or warm.

With that in mind, EPS panels also work well in the construction of clean rooms because, again, their insulating property keeps temperatures relatively consistent, which can often be needed in these kinds of environments.

PIR Panels

PIR stands for polysocyanurate. Like EPS panels, PIR panels work great for insulation, often even more so. Another advantage of PIR panels is that, unlike EPS panels, the make up of the core structure is resistant to rodents, making it less susceptible to damage by pests.

As mentioned, PIR panels work great as an insulator but they can be more expensive than EPS panels. Because of this, it’s important to choose wisely when considering whether to use PIR or EPS panels in a project requiring insulation. Of course, the highest amount of insulation possible is great, but if it’s not needed, EPS panels may be a better option.

XFLAM Panels

A main drawback to EPS and PIR sandwich panels is that they’re not fire resistant. XFLAM panels, on the other hand, have great insulating properties while also being resistant to fire. Like other insulating sandwich panels, XFLAM panels work well in cold storage environments, clean rooms, and the construction of processing facilities that may need temperature control. However, if the facility being construction also has fire concerns, XFLAM panels are likely the way to go.

As with PIR versus EPS panels, although fire safety is important, if there’s no risk of fire in the facility (or if it’s mitigated another way), the extra expense of XFLAM panels may not be worthwhile. So similarly, it’s important to choose the type of panel correctly and also make sure it works well with the rest of the project.

And More

Although we’ve discussed the main type of sandwich panels here, there are many more that are manufactured for various specialised applications. If you have a project coming up that may require the use of sandwich panels, speak to us early so we can help decide the type of panel being used and how it will work into the facility as a whole.

Warehouse containing many rows of selective pallet racking. A forklift is in the foreground.

The Differences Between New And Used Pallet Racking

Posted by Chas on

Running a business can be expensive, so it’s important to find savings where you can. In a warehousing business, one of these savings can be on pallet racking. Pallet racking comes in a lot of different varieties and brands and, although it can be great to get new racking, if your business is looking to save money, used pallet racking may be a good option.

Let’s take a look at new versus used pallet racking to explore the benefits of each. All in all, good quality used pallet racking can be almost indistinguishable from new pallet racking, so it may be a good choice for your business. However, if you’re willing to pay the higher price for new pallet racking, if may be worthwhile.

The Benefits Of New Pallet Racking

The biggest benefit to buying new pallet racking for a warehouse is that you can take advantage of the latest technology in warehouse storage and pallet racking in general. Sure, if all you need is selective pallet racking, it may be tempting to go the budget route, but technology changes, even for the simplest warehouse storage systems. The steel may be stronger, there may be better fastening systems allowing for higher loads, or it may just be more durable. Getting the newest of anything, racking or otherwise, ensures you’re getting the best and most up to date thing possible.

With this in mind, buying new pallet racking ensures you’re able to get exactly what you want. If you’re on a budget and only considering used pallet racking, you may need to shop around in order to find the type of racking you’re after, especially if you’re after something relatively uncommon. Of course, pallet racking can be customised, whether it’s new or used, but your choice is a lot higher if you’re willing to consider something new.

The final benefit to buying new pallet racking is that you’ll know the history. Of course, most pallet racking dealers only stock good quality used pallet racking, and here at A1 Precision Solutions we thoroughly inspect all of our used pallet racking, but you never know the history of it beyond what you’re told. We’re not saying this to scare customers away from used racking, but some people like the peace of mind afforded by buying a new product.

The Benefits Of Used Pallet Racking

The most obvious benefit of buying used pallet racking is the money saving. The amount of money you’ll be able to save buying used racking for your warehouse will depend on what type of racking you’re getting, but if your business needs to save money, it can be significant. The money saving is the biggest reason to buy used pallet racking rather than new.

Additionally, although it may be difficult to find some brands or types of pallet racking used, used pallet racking does give some choice in terms of finding older racking that may be compatible with your current racking. Since racking designs change over time, going with used pallet racking may be the most practical option if you need uniformity between your racking.

Finally, even though used pallet racking is older and has been used before (it’s in the name), it’s still going to be up to relevant Australian Standards if it’s purchased from a reputable dealer. All of the used racking that we sell adheres to AS4048:23. Although the price of used racking is the biggest selling point to it, the fact that used racking is still certified to the standard is, perhaps, the most important aspect of buying it. Of course new racking adheres to the standard, but, for workplace safety purposes, it’s extremely important that you ensure used racking adheres to the standard as well.

Which Is Right For You?

Regardless of whether you decide to purchase new or used pallet racking, ultimately you’ll get a good product and a great storage solution for your warehouse. However, sometimes a business needs advice on the way to go. If you’re not sure what type of racking you need, feel free to contact us to discuss your warehouse storage needs. We’re happy to help.

 

Glazed Office Partitions

Moving Office Checklist

Posted by Chas on

Whether it’s because of growth, the end of a commercial lease, change in needs, or something else, many businesses will move offices in their lifetime. Although it can be inconvenient to the business, managers, employees, and customers/clients, ultimately an office or business relocation can be beneficial for everyone. Moving offices gives give the opportunity to have a new modern office fit-out, create more space for everyone, and streamline operations with something created completely fit for purpose. All in all, the inconvenience of an office relocation can be outweighed by the long term benefits.

To make your office relocation easier, we’ve created a short checklist/guide on what to expect and what to plan for when moving your business. This list isn’t necessarily exhaustive, of course, as all businesses will have different needs and challenges. Use this checklist as a guide to expand and plan your move.

3-6 Months Before The Office Move

While a lot should be happening a year or more prior to your office move, things really start to get busy 3-6 months before the move. A year prior you should have scoped out (and found) new office space and began working with a builder on an office fit-out. Now it’s time to figure out how you’re going to be leaving your office.

Things to do and consider around this time include:

Notifying internal and external parties: ideally employees will know about the upcoming move as early as possible, but about 6 months in advance is a good time to give them firm dates, plans, and timeline ideas for the next 6 months. This is also a time to notify any external parties of your move, making sure you give plenty of notice for services that may require them. Remember services like:

  • All utilities, including internet and specialised IT services, making sure important IT infrastructure and data isn’t lost in the move.
  • Services such food/water deliveries, office plants, stationary deliveries, etc. These services may require a notice period to cancel them or relocate them, so start early.
  • Keep clients across the move as well. They’ll need a reminder closer to the date, but it’s good to let them know what’s going on.

Engage with an office relocation specialist: office and business relocation specialists like us here at A1 Precision Solutions are used to working with tight timelines, but the early you can engage with use, the better. The extra time allows for extra planning and making sure nothing is forgotten.

Start planning your make good: when finalising a commercial lease, the vacating tenant will likely have make good obligations. Make good obligations are what the vacating tenant needs to do to ensure the property is left in a suitable state for the landlord. This may involve simply removing fit-out items like partitions or it may include stripping the building back to its base. It’s important to review your commercial lease, understand what needs to be done, and engage with a builder to plan your make good.

0-2 Months Before The Office Move

Obviously a lot is going to happen in the 3-6 month period prior to the move, but if you engage early with professional office relocation specialists and make good specialists, they’ll guide you through the process. These are the two biggest parts of an office move, after all, and engagement with specialists will help you create further check lists that are unique to your business.

So, as moving day approaches, you need to ensure the following:

Make sure the fit-out of your new office is on track: you don’t want your employees and business to be without an office, so it’s important to make sure the fit-out for your new office is on track. If it’s not, it’s important to create a contingency plan whether that means pushing back your move out date, creating a temporary working from home option, or finding short term office space. This will all depend on the way your business operates as well as the terms of your lease.

Ensure utilities will be ready in your new space: it’s always easy to forget utilities, so make sure they’re ready to go in your new office space. As mentioned when discussing shutting off utilities, pay special attention to IT infrastructure and how it will rollover between the two premises, especially if it needs to be always on and is business critical. This may also mean communicating with customers on expected downtime.

Start packing early: recognise what can be packed up early and pack it, moving it to the new office if possible. While you obviously can’t start packing up work stations until the very end, things like paper records that need to be kept for legal reasons (but are very infrequently accessed) can easily be packed and moved, relieving stress on moving day. Use this as an opportunity to go over the plan for moving day as well.

Communicate with employees: a few weeks before the move, it’s important to communicate with employees what their obligations will be on moving day; we’d suggest doing this verbally in a town hall style meeting as well as in writing with clear instructions they can follow. What employees are obligated to do will depend on the office set up, but it may include them packing up parts of their workstation themselves, taking personal items home, or just a general tidy.

Communicate with customers: although you should have communicated with customers months prior, it’s also important that you remind customers of your upcoming move a few weeks beforehand. Although your office move will likely go well, it’s important to let customers know there may be some communication delays (whether planned or unplanned) in order to pre-empt any problems.

And Don’t Forget The Fit-Out Of The New Office

This article only briefly touched on planning the fit-out for the new office. This is a topic all in its own that we won’t go into here. What we will say though is that A1 Precision Solutions is a true end-to-end commercial construction firm. This means we can handle the fit-out of the new office, the make good of the old one, and the move in between. This allows clients to only have to work with one provider, not having to worry about coordinating three. Feel free to contact us regarding your office move. We’re happy to help.

Temperature Controlled Cleanrooms

How To Prepare For A Make Good

Posted by Chas on

When ending a commercial lease, whether it’s an office lease, retail lease, warehouse lease, or something else, it’s typical for exiting tenant to have make good obligations. Basically speaking, make good obligations require the exiting tenant to leave their old premises in a certain state. This may mean simply leaving the old facility in a neat and tidy manner, it may be repainting and repairing elements of the building, or it may be as large as removing all fit-out elements of the facility and returning the premises to its empty base state. It can really very between buildings depending on the state of the building before the tenant moved in, the landlord’s requirements, what modifications were made to the building, and much more. All that being said, the make good requirements will be outlined in the commercial lease and will have been agreed to prior to commencing the lease.

So, although you may be relocating your office, it’s still important to consider your old office is left in a good state. This is to avoid fees and repair charges from your old landlord. Fortunately, preparing for a make good isn’t that challenging and, with the help of a company like A1 Precision Solutions, we can make sure it goes smoothly.

Understand What’s In Your Lease

Before commencing your make good, it’s important to understand what the make good actually requires.

As mentioned, make good requirements can vary, and what actually needs to be done will be outlined in your commercial lease. Because of this, it’s best to start with the lease to see what is needed.

If your facility has limited fittings and make good requirements, you may only need to remove the furniture and leave the building in a neat and tidy state. If that’s the requirement, just arrange office movers and you’re likely finished.

However, it’s more likely that your business will at least be responsible to repair any damage done to the building over the course of the tenancy.

Bigger make good requirements may include removing any fit-outs that were installed during the tenancy. This may include office partitions, signage, and even carpeting if that’s what’s specified. Going further, make good requirements may even require a full strip out, getting the building completely back to its base.

As mentioned, all of this will be outlined in the lease.

Make A Checklist Of What Needs To Happen

To stay organised, it’s important to make a list of what needs to happen to complete the make good. Assuming your business is relocating, it’s likely there’s already a checklist relating to the actual move. Just make another pertaining to the old location.

Generally speaking, make good tasks will fall into three broad categories.

Removals: these are things that need to be removed. Furniture is the obvious one here, but it may also include things like carpet and office partitions.

Repair: it’s inevitable that parts of the building may be damaged over the life of a tenancy, so having a list of what needs to be repaired can be handy.

Restore: restoring parts of a building, whether that’s through restoring a building back to its base features or something else, will be a large element of the make good.

If you talk to a professional make good company like ours, we can help you with what needs to be accomplished.

Speak To Your Landlord

Once you have an understanding of what needs to be done, it’s usually a good idea to have a pre-inspection/pre-make good walk through with your commercial landlord or their representative. Here you can go through your checklist and outline what will be completed in the make good process. This is an opportunity for your landlord to see what you’re intending to do for your make good obligations and request any further work, should it be needed. In this way, you can ensure no further repairs or alternations will be needed after your make good company finishes work.

Get A Reputable Make Good Company

A good company that is experienced in make good obligations can help you and your business manage all of this, ensuring you can concentrate on moving into your new premises. Get in touch with us early to make sure everything goes to plan.