Office outlook

zoom

But no matter which category company's fall into, Muktadeer says both areas are slowly choosing to modernise the working environment and opt for flexible furniture that can grow with the company.

"Businesses are starting to look for functionality, something that is user-friendly and ergonomic. People spend a lot of time sitting on chairs and one of the selling points to ergonomic furniture is that it will enhance productivity and help create a more comfortable working environment," he says.

"Companies are increasingly searching for flexible furniture and ease of adding or removing pieces, without changing the overall look and feel."

Companies like Officeland are a great resource for the region's FMs who are tasked with refurbishing existing office space. Muktadeer says he often works closely with a company's FM to ensure the logistics of the refurbishment are carried out well and with as little disruption to the company's working day, as possible.

"It's a challenging task because while companies want their offices to be functional, we have to plan the logistics of dismantling old furnishings and erecting the new stuff. Many of the companies wanting to refurbish are looking for a visual change in identity but the office needs to keep functioning and space is a restriction for us," he explains.

Muktadeer gets around the problem by sectioning the office. While section A is being refurbished, the staff in section A are working in section B. Once complete, the staff will move back to section A and section B will be refurbished. The staff is section B will work in section C and so on.

For those companies looking for new office space, it is worth thinking about the logistics of refurbishment in potential offices for ease, should it be required.

When employed to provide a full turnkey solution for the client in a new build, Officeland often encounters problems with things like the positioning of air conditioning vents or sprinklers. Because of this, Al Aqili has its own in-house engineering team.

"When you do a full turn-key job you often find there's a lot of AC, ducting and sprinkler relocation. We do sub-contract some of the in-house MEP work out but we also use the engineering department," Muktadeer says.

While Officeland itself has a small number of staff, Muktadeer claims the secret to its success lies in the 350-strong workforce Al Aqili employs. "We are able to pull resources from other departments within Al Aqili to ensure we can deliver, as promised, the solution to the client. It's a core strength and how we obtain our manpower," he says.

With rivalry now hotting up in the fit-out sector, when asked about the future of the industry, Muktadeer says he is looking forward to some serious competition.

"With so many offices being built in the region, we see a lot of competition and overseas companies launching into the local furnishings industry.

"The competition is going to be stiff, but it will have a positive impact on the client and they will be able to choose quality products," he concludes.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM