The 5 Phases of End to End Project Management
What if your new workspace was ready when you were? If you pick a turnkey route and partner with the right office fit out companies, you compress schedules, prevent stop‑start handovers, and get to day one sooner. One coordinated team plans, builds, furnishes, and signs off the space so your people keep working while the fit‑out programme runs.
A turnkey office fit‑out covers design, approvals, build, furniture, technology, testing, and aftercare. It shortens your path to day one, and we coordinate delivery for a clean handover.
What do turnkey office fit out companies do?
A turnkey fit‑out covers the lot from first brief to handover. One partner leads the design, secures approvals, procures long‑lead items early, manages subcontractors, and delivers a ready‑to‑use workplace. That includes:
- Design and approvals. Workplace strategy, layouts, and sign‑offs, plus statutory and landlord approvals.
- Build. Cat A or Cat B works, services, finishes, and compliance documentation.
- Furniture and technology. Specification, orders, deliveries, and setup so the space works on day one.
- Testing and aftercare. Commissioning, snag closure, and support while teams settle in.
Cat A sets the landlord base build (services, ceilings, raised floors). Cat B adds your layouts, finishes, furniture, and technology. Agree how to track decisions before drawings freeze: a weekly list with owners and dates.
With a turnkey model, you don’t juggle separate designers, builders, or furniture suppliers. The same programme controls every stream, which cuts friction and saves time. This design and build fit out route gives you a single point of responsibility and fewer handovers.
How does a turnkey fit‑out reduce downtime?
A single schedule overlaps design, procurement, and build so workstreams move in parallel. Therefore, decisions land faster because the same team designs and delivers. In addition, order long‑lead furniture and AV early. Site works follow a clear sequence. In addition, testing starts as areas complete. As a result, you see fewer gaps in the programme and a shorter wait for handover.
Turnkey partners also plan around your business rhythms. They sequence disruptive tasks out of hours, create swing space if you need to keep trading on site, and set day‑one acceptance criteria so sign‑off is objective. Example week at a glance: Stage 3 review on Tuesday. Place furniture POs on Thursday. Book lift slots on Friday. Start AV pre‑commissioning on Monday. Meanwhile, keep PO numbers on the run‑sheet so everyone can see what’s been ordered and what’s still pending. When you weigh routes, use a simple delay frame: staff × hourly rate × hours offline + lost trading.
Where does collaboration with office fit out companies save days on the programme?
Time slips when teams wait for answers. You protect the schedule when everyone works to one plan:
- Early contractor involvement (ECI). Bring build and furniture leads into design reviews. They flag lead times and buildability while drawings evolve.
- Single source of truth. One risk log, one run‑sheet, and one set of drawings stop versions from drifting.
- Fast decisions. Update the decisions list each week to keep choices moving, and update procurement the same day. Share the live drawing set link in every meeting invite to stop people using old PDFs. Close the decisions list in the review and upload it before you leave.
For Ops: Publish the live run‑sheet and book 30‑minute lift slots.
For IT: Agree the WAN cutover MOP with a rollback.
For Managers: Issue a one‑page staff brief at T‑3.
What does “ready when you are” look like in a turnkey office fit‑out?
On handover, the space is ready for people. Install desks and meeting rooms, complete lift movements, and put wayfinding in place. Staff log in and get to work while AV, printing, and room‑booking tests pass. Log and close snags quickly in the first week, with a single contact if you need tweaks. Target: by 08:30 on Monday, staff are up and running. Place a QR code at reception so staff can log day‑one issues in seconds. In addition, use Soft Landings with a short post‑occupancy evaluation (POE) to keep day one stable and reduce disruption in week one.
What are the signs you’ll move in sooner with a turnkey team?
- One named project manager owns risks, decisions, and comms.
- Place long‑lead orders against a tracked schedule early in the programme.
- The build plan shows out‑of‑hours slots for noisy works.
- Keep the run‑sheet live and update it after each review.
- Write acceptance criteria before day one.
- Keep the decision register current by close of play each Friday.
How does Bates Studio work with office fit out companies?
Bates Studio works with leading office fit out companies and listens first, then coordinates design, furniture, and build so you get one plan and one point of accountability.
- Design. We shape the brief through workplace consultancy, agree layouts, and provide visuals so your team signs off with confidence. See our workplace consultancy and office design.
- Create. We specify and supply furniture and finishes, book deliveries to match the build, and install so areas go live on schedule. Explore our furniture and interior solutions.
- Build. We align Cat A and Cat B works with the fit‑out partner, coordinate compliance, and manage testing to a clear standard. Learn about Cat A & Cat B fit‑out.
Throughout the programme, we run a shared risk log and a single comms channel. We hold short weekly reviews. We put a name against every task. That keeps decisions moving and removes gaps between workstreams. We publish the week‑ahead plan every Thursday.
How can you cut downtime during your office fit‑out?
- Lock the brief early and publish a decisions list with dates and owners.
- Place long‑lead orders as soon as you sign layouts.
- Book lift and loading‑bay slots and set out‑of‑hours windows in the plan.
- Write the day‑one acceptance criteria and test scripts before build finishes.
- Agree a first-week support window with named contacts.
What if your new workspace was ready when you were?
If you want a faster programme and less disruption, partner with a team that can carry design, furniture, and build under one plan. We listen first, coordinate one timetable to match your timeline, then hand over a space that works on day one. See how we work with office fit out companies to cut downtime.
Start your move plan today. Contact the team.
Related reading: see our recent projects on the case studies page and learn more about how we work with fit‑out partners on About Us.