Florida Banking August 2022

BANCSERV ENDORSED PARTNER: ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

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DECOMMISSIONING OFFICES WHEN DOWNSIZING OR CLOSING WORKSPACES

BY MARINA FLETCHER, SR. DESIGN MANAGER, DESIGN STUDIO AT WORKSPACE INTERIORS BY ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS™

OFFICE DEPOT IS NOW KNOWN AS ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

F or a facilities or office manager, figuring out what to do with furniture that is no longer needed because a workplace is downsizing or closing can be challenging. Where does the furniture go? What if I want to store some of the furniture for later use? How is the move-out process coordinated with the landlord? What else should I be taking care of before leaving? These questions are timely as many organizations reevaluate their office space needs in response to changing times. The Process of Decommissioning Offices As part of its furniture solutions portfolio, ODP Business Solutions Workspace Interiors offers office decommissioning services to help make it easier for commercial tenants to reconfigure or leave office spaces. We've workedwith various companies over many years to take the stress out of what can be a complicated situation with many moving parts. Here are the top six things many organizations wonder about when they begin the process of decommissioning offices: 1. Considering what happens to the furniture that is no longer needed In general,when an office closes, furniture is repurposed, recycled or disposed of. Repurposed furniture is often donated to a nonprofit organization where it finds a second act.Otherwise, unneeded furniture is deconstructed and delivered to a recycling service and responsibly discarded. It may be necessary to engage an electrician if any of the furniture is hard-wired. 2. Storing furniture that might be needed later Furniture that an organization may want to use in the future can be inventoried, packed up and moved to a storage warehouse. 3. Disposing of electronic equipment Many municipalities or government agencies require special certifications for the disposal or recycling of electronics. It can be helpful to archive this documentation in corporate records.

4. Coordinating with the landlord Working hand-in-handwith the landlord is helpful when moving out or reconfiguring office space to understand when the move needs to take place (daytime or after hours), if there is access to an elevator or dock and expectations for the conditions of the emptied space. It may also be necessary to coordinate certificates of insurance before a move-out can begin. 5. Finalizing the condition of the site In addition to removing furniture and equipment, figuring out how to finalize the condition of the site before handoff can include repairing walls, removing cables and signage and disconnecting electrical. It may also be necessary to remove any debris and vacuum or sweep the floor. 6. Handling office sites in multiple locations If the changes in space leases affect multiple sites, how will the logistics be handled when several parties are involved? It can be helpful to work with vendors that have a national footprint. The Workspace Interiors Approach The team at Workspace Interiors seeks to be a trusted advisor to simplify the process of closing or reconfiguring office spaces and decommissioning furniture by working directly with the property managers and other service providers to do a site survey, create a working timeline and handle the move-out. Are you looking for more information about decommissioning offices and furniture? Workspace Interiors can help, visit www.workspaceinteriorsod.com to get started. As the senior design studio manager, Marina Fletcher manages the national design managers, design resources and the architecture division. In addition, she assists in the development of operational services specific to the national design groups necessary to support the sales initiatives. She is responsible for implementing the established company goals and contributing to the strategic direction of design within the furniture and interiors division, both nationally and internationally.

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