Planning

Preparing and refining concept plans while coordinating with various department heads and personnel is vital at this time. Are the space expectations being met? Every physical detail must be looked at and incorporated into the project at this time.

Complete AutoCAD design
Now it is time to put all to paper. A detailed space plan is put together incorporating all information to date. After the initial floor plans are coordinated the furniture and equipment layouts will be added. Electrical plans showing outlets for power, telephone, data, security and sound systems will be completed.

Federal & State Compliance
With regulations constantly changing it is imperative that the project meets current guidelines.  When dealing with a new facility there are numerous regulations that have to be incorporated into the design and finish in order to prevent fines.  One such regulation that effects our healthcare clientele is the HIPAA Privacy Rule that will be enforced by April 2003.  This regulates how medical files are stored.  For more information on this and other regulations visit HIPPAAdvisory.

Noise reduction strategies
In many cases the noise issue is not addressed until it is too late. Be it a medical office that must consider patient confidentiality to a high tech environment with hot, noisy equipment...the costs of time and money are far greater if not dealt with early on.

Furniture & equipment planning
Now that the space plan is complete and the original furniture inventory is in hand it is time to begin considering what additional furnishings are needed. Each room is looked at individually and a furniture schedule is consolidated with a given budget in mind.

Voice & technical planning
The technical aspects of the new office should be coordinated in the beginning of the project with future needs in mind. Some areas to be considered are computers, security, telephone, sound systems, and video conferencing.

Scheduling
Many issues need to be addressed when coordinating the schedule. Space planning, design, architectural drawings, construction bids, permitting, construction and move in all need adequate time to proceed correctly. In many situations individuals not experienced in this type of transition can propose unrealistic schedules. It is vital that all aspects of the move are understood and real time frames be put into place to accurately define agenda and expectations.