COVID-19
When To Hire a Project Manager?
Real estate projects, like renovations and relocations, are complex and have many moving parts that can feel overwhelming for even the most seasoned business professional. They’re not typically part of an organization’s routine operations and likely fall outside the scope of day-to-day business. Hiring dedicated, third-party project management will help ensure your real estate project is completed on time and on budget. It’s smart business sense compared to the DIY approach that many businesses take.
Why Not the DIY Approach?
Many business leaders delegate the leadership of their upcoming relocation or renovation project to an internal team member. Unfortunately, they don’t fully understand the complexity and scope of what really needs to happen, and in what order, when renovating or relocating offices. Some immediate red flags are forgetting about IT services or leased goods that may need special permissions to be relocated. There are also legal liabilities when moving out of, and into, buildings. In short, it’s very easy to find yourself in over your head with a hundred issues you had no idea about. Some companies hire a real estate agent to help guide the process. While this is a positive step, there are many more scope and complexity issues to be anticipated and solved than might first appear on the surface.
Anticipating Scope and Complexities
It’s always a good time to hire a project manager when you have a project that is outside your expertise. An experienced project manager will know all the right questions to ask and gather all the answers you It’s always a good time to hire a project manager when you have a project that is outside your expertise. need to decide the future of your business.
Strategic analysis: Project managers establish the business needs, future goals, and objectives of the project. They review existing leases for unique and potentially costly variables. Return to Base or Broom Swept clauses may affect how you leave your current space and how you must leave your future space.
Cost Analysis: Project managers develop budgets for relocation and renovation options. They anticipate a phased move strategy or determine if alternate office relocations are required during the renovation which can affect the budget.
Planning: A project manager will conduct site assessments, select vendors, negotiate contracts, deal with landlords for alternate temporary space if required, develop timelines for construction or phased relocations and shepherd the project through municipal and safety approvals.
Implementation: Project Managers organize the physical relocation into phases, manage IT requirements, bandwidth, and contracts such as internet/phone/fibre connections, and conduct equipment and furniture relocation and installation. They hire cleaning and disposal services which ensure both paper and electronic information is moved or destroyed securely.
A Project Manager is Your Best Friend
A project manager will develop, communicate, and manage all project timing and action plans. Successful results require field-tested processes and vigilant project implementation standards. That’s what a project manager brings to your renovation or relocation project. Your project manager serves as your advocate and representative—your single point of contact and accountability—throughout the project lifecycle, working to ensure your best interests.
D.J. McGauley & Associates have decades of experience, which allows us to anticipate project hurdles and proactively address challenges before they become problems. At every stage of the renovation or relocation project, we listen to your business needs and goals to ensure the results add value to your organization. We provide a single point of contact to coordinate all aspects of construction and relocation from start to finish.
Call us. We’re here to help.
Contact Us to Learn More (416) 239-1931
Please contact us to arrange a no-obligation site meeting. By the end of that meeting, you will know all that would be required to make your project a successful reality.
www.djmcgauleyandassociates.com
Email [email protected]
Call 416-239-1931
Michael McGauley
D.J. McGauley & Associates Inc.
Office 416-239-1931
Mobile 416-917-5389
March 2023 Welcome Spring New & Used Office Furniture
Check our our March 2023 Welcome Spring New and Used Office Furniture Mailer.
March New & Used Office Furniture Sale 
– https://mailchi.mp/…/new-used-office-furniture…
Introducing NEW Document Handling Services
Document Scanning and Data Capture Services with Hosting Services
- Easy access to documents regardless of their source
- Scalable, workflow solutions with flexible search capabilities
- Streamlined collaboration between departments enabling faster and better service to clients
- Secure web-hosting and retrieval
- System, application and document level access controls complete with user tracking
- Monthly security/penetration testing
- Customized reporting capabilities
- CSAE/SSAE SOC compliant services
Document Shredding/Destruction Service
- Cross-cut shredding to destroy documents thoroughly
- Destroy electronic media completely
- Clear valuable office space
- Align with your retention policies
- Support your green initiatives
- Shred documents in bulk
- Secure Certified Document
Complaint Hard Drive Shredding Service
- Compliant destruction program
- Protection of confidential business information with a compliant destruction program, a critical part of a well maintained records management program.
Contact Us to Learn More (416) 239-1931
D.J. McGauley & Associates Inc. is your Office Space Planning, Renovations and Relocation Project Management Company of choice and now we’ve added Document Handling. Please contact us to arrange a no-obligation site meeting. By the end of that meeting, you will know all that would be required to make your project a successful reality.
Michael McGauley
DJ McGauley & Associates Inc.
Office 416-239-1931
Mobile 416-917-5389
5 Common Mistakes In Office Design
1 Cramped Layouts and Clearances
Companies move into new office space and suddenly realize that, despite looking great on paper, their office furniture won’t fit into the actual space. Usually, this is a result of the plan drawings presented by the realtor not aligning with the actual dimensions of your unique furniture and office equipment. When real-world accuracy of the dimensions is not considered when drawing out a new floor plan on paper, results can be catastrophic. Buyer’s remorse sets in, and then crisis management takes over. We design spaces which deal with all your clearance and dimension issues and create a real-world plan that gives you exactly the space you need.
2 Lack of Sound Deadening
Many offices today are open-concept designs, with hard surfaces like polished concrete floors and walls, exposed open ceilings and lots of glass. They look great, but the downside is increased noise levels. Voices bounce off the hard surfaces and soon everyone can hear every word of everyone else’s conversations. When noise overwhelms the workspace, productivity declines. Utilizing sound-deadening elements that help limit and absorb excessive noise. Adding fabric dividers between desks, suspending felt artwork from the ceiling, acoustical wall and floor coverings, and a drop ceiling helps to keep the noise levels down. Also, custom sound booth installations, known as phone booths, can offer staff a soundproof space for private conversations.
3 Poor Lighting
Often when people make modifications to their offices, they don’t think about their practical lighting requirements. Dim light makes it hard to see and strains the eyes. Florescent light can be overly harsh and can trigger migraines and other health issues. We engineer the lighting plan for the exact number of lumens you require in a space. We plan your computer monitor location and overhead lighting configuration to avoid shadows on your desk and to ensure the space is bright and inviting.
4 Inadequate Equipment & Storage Space
In many office environments, storage becomes a catch-all place to conceal clutter. Thinking critically about storage requirements and implementing esthetically appealing and practical storage solutions can provide time-saving functionality that boosts productivity and frees up space for other office uses. The same logic applies to office equipment. A large photocopier in a small room may work for making copies, but it leaves no room for supplies and no flat surfaces for collating documents. If someone has special job-related needs, it’s worthwhile to have a one-on-one private consultation to ensure the space works for them individually. But remember, while it’s great to have staff input for unique situations…it’s not practical to seek a company-wide consensus on every space being created.
5 Not Planning for Growth
When building out a new space, always consider your projected growth over the next 5 to 10 years. Are you acquiring enough space to suit the projected growth? How is the balance between private offices and open workspaces? What about meeting rooms? Do you have enough for onsite staff and for remote workers who may come in just to use a meeting room? While growth rates are hugely hard to predict, it’s better to err on the side of a little more than you need, than just what you think you need now.
At D.J. McGauley & Associates, we think about all the things you may not consider when designing your office.
Michael McGauley
DJ McGauley & Associates Inc.
Office 416-239-1931
Mobile 416-917-5389
Times Are Changing
As we all try to stay ahead of the many changes in our lives as we live through COVID-19.
Many companies are asking what do we do with our offices?
How do we bring people back to the office?
Should we bring people back at all?
What accommodations do we need to make to our space to make people feel comfortable to come back?
Should we reduce our office size?
How many staff should stay home and for how long?
These are difficult questions with not always a straight forward answer.
Many of our clients are making modifications to their work space to address social distancing. Others are reducing the real estate foot print planning to keep a portion of there staff working for home permanently.
If you need to modify your office space with a social distancing floor plan, and or furniture to accommodate your staff’s needs, or if you are looking to down size your space?
We can help!!
New space plans to accommodate social distancing
Modifications to your furniture i.e., adding panel separators to your existing furniture
Replacement furniture that helps to keep your employees safe
Moving to a new space that better severs your needs
We would be glad to be of service!
Stay safe!
Michael McGauley
DJ McGauley & Associates Inc.
Office 416-239-1931
Mobile 416-917-5389
Corporate Space Planning & Relocation Advice 