Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa October 2018 | Page 40

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Churn made easy in
the office environment
BY RUDI NIEMAN
F
acilities Management should provide value and solutions
to commercial tenants in a way that reduces overheads,
minimises risk and improves the overall quality and com-
petency of your business. With a few simple steps, the time and
expense associated with churn can be drastically reduced.
Dictionary meaning: Churn - (with reference to liquid) move
or cause to move about vigorously.
“Agility” and “activity-based” spaces have become buzzwords
in the context of modern space planning. Current trends in
office space planning focus on designing workplaces which
accommodate several activities, from formal meetings,
workshops and informal discussions to impromptu interaction
with colleagues, information sharing, “hot desking”, desk-bound
activities and relaxation. 
Although the activities undertaken by an organisation are
largely dictated by its nature, almost every modern workplace
requires a robust environment with enough flexibility to allow
for ‘churn’; the term used by facilities managers to describe the
continuous cycle of relocations in the office environment.
Even in its simplest form, churn is an intricate operation
involving a series of activities, such as reconfiguring desk
layouts, moving partitions, relocating electrical, data and voice
cabling, rebalancing air conditioning units and ensuring that fire
detection, fire protection and fire escape routes meet statutory
requirements. This can devolve into an administrative and
logistical nightmare. 
Added to this, churns usually take place outside normal
working hours; thus, poorly managed churn can be extremely
expensive, not to mention disruptive.
Because of this, and with moving costs ranging from
R3 500 to R50  000 per person per move, it is vital that the
facilities manager plans meticulously to ensure that changes
in accommodation occur smoothly, cost effectively and with
minimum disruption to the business. The following four easy
steps provide a framework for churn in a corporate office
environment:
1. Ensure a fit-for-purpose churn policy:
The churn rate, or ratio between workstation moves and
personnel, is indicative of the fluidity of the business. The higher
the churn rate, the bigger the financial burden on the business.
With churn rates reaching as high as 500% in some commercial
office buildings, it is vital that the facilities manager persuades
the decision making powers to enforce a flexible space offering
to the employees – such as “hot desking”, seating in an informal
area or in an area where relaxation takes place, like a cafeteria.
2. Standardise:
Meaningful
operations.
standardisation
facilitates
seamless
churn
• Using standard furniture throughout the organisation makes
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
for easier moves and allows generic, practical layout designs;
• Standard IT reduces the costs and burden on the IT
department;
• Space planners should adhere to ceiling tile layouts to ensure
easier alterations in future;
• Standard documents and processes, such as battle tested
contract documents, work flow procedures, templates and
checklists, make it easy to adhere to cost, quality and time
requirements and will set the benchmark for consensus
between all parties;
• If practical, make it a rule that relocations take place during
normal working hours rather than weekends and evenings,
which is more costly.
3. Fit for purpose procurement:
Instead of obtaining quotes or tenders for minor jobs, like
replacing existing carpets, it may save time and money to obtain
“interval tenders” on a quarterly basis.
• Request a space planner to draw up three hypothetical jobs
of various sizes (small, medium and large).
• Compile detailed bills of quantities for each job, separated
into two sections: preliminaries (giving the contractor a
chance to price for items not directly linked to a trade) and
building work - ensuring that all possible items for a churn
job are included.
• Obtain at least three quotations and tenders based on the
hypothetical jobs.
• Include all commercial and Occupational Health and Safety
aspects in the documentation.
• Once prices have been garnered, convene with all the
contractors and use the prices obtained as a basis to fix rates.
• Alternate future jobs between the identified contractors.
• This procurement procedure will ensure a pool of
immediately available contractors who will work to an
agreed rate. Construction costs may be reduced as the
successful tenderers are able to draw on economies of scale. 
4. Get assistance from the experts
Where there are many large, complex churn projects, an on-site
facilities manager may benefit from the experience and expertise
of a professional facilities management company with a proven
track record to assist. Excellerate Facilities Management is able
to churn over 1.5km of drywall per annum in a large commercial
office block, at a rate of less than R10 000 per person.
SOURCE
Excellerate Facilities Management