PiMS Workspace Case Study – C B Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) is the world’s leading commercial real estate advisor. With over 300 offices in over 50 countries, it has more consultants advising more customers than any other property firm in the world. In the UK alone, CBRE has 13 sites and 1,800 employees. With an intimate knowledge of all classes of real estate in every major market in the world, it provides analytical research and market intelligence to support services to businesses in all regions.
As it rapidly expands and evolves, CBRE needs to constantly re-assess its own accommodation portfolio, scaling up and down in different areas to meet the rapidly changing needs of its business, maximising use of available space and ensuring efficiency of occupation
Relocation, re-stacking, fit-out and reconfiguration of offices are all regular requirements for CBRE. Keeping staff happy in their working environment and maintaining healthy levels of productivity are also important objectives, so alterations must be executed quickly, efficiently, and without disrupting day-to-day operations.
PiMS Workspace was selected to manage and deliver CBRE’s workplace change for its West End and London City locations, as well as supporting an expanding number of regional offices.
CBRE Director of Office Services, David Yost, explains:
“CBRE is a dynamic company. The property markets are constantly changing, so we need our accommodation to change to meet each new demand. We need professional support that understands our company culture, to manage and deliver relocations whilst allowing our staff to carry on their day to day activities.”
To ensure high levels of communication between client and service provider were maintained at all times, PiMS Workspace began by embedding a full-time consultant at CBRE’s West End offices. Yost continues:
“We have the flexibility to scale our PiMS Workspace resource based upon demand The consultant requires very little day-to-day management, only general direction and guidance for her to liaise with all the right people and deal with any issues. Having one point of contact for every detail makes life much easier, and it’s a scalable arrangement that we can increase during peak workload.”
PiMS Workspace carefully drafts new office plans in line with CBRE’s identified requirements, allocating space by function, not status and minimising the need for cellular office layout.
As an independent company, PiMS Workspace is able to ensure a robust tender process for all relocation and fit-out works, selecting the best value, highest quality contractors to undertake fit-out and physical relocation works for CBRE.
PiMS Workspace has been providing on-going move, relocation and fit-out services to CBRE since 2003. Within the last year alone it has managed over 45 relocations and moved 1,587 employees. During a recent project, 225 people were relocated, nine offices were demolished and seven new ones were built in just one weekend. 2500 linear metres of filing and 14500 linear metres of power and network cabling were moved, with everything in place and ready for work to begin as usual on Monday morning.
As the working environment is refreshed on a regular basis by PiMS Workspace to support business and technology changes, directors at CBRE have noted improved levels of interaction. Instead of staying within individual comfort zones, the workforce tends to make new alliances and network with colleagues, sharing news, ideas and opportunities. Yost concludes:
"A successful workspace strategy continuously monitors the organisation, the technology and the social networking needs of employees, to maintain a company that’s fit for business and ready for the future. With the help of PiMS Workspace, CBRE maintains a tight control of its accommodation."