Irwell Valley going agile

The interior of Halton Housing’s new offices which could provide a blueprint for Irwell Valley’s new approach to organisational structure.

Irwell Valley were TAG’s first client back in 2009 so it is great to have them re-appoint us for the next phase of their development as they seek to consolidate their office functions under one roof in a new and exciting format.

Irwell have office locations in Worsley, Bolton and Old Trafford. The idea is to replace these with one facility roughly half the size. However, the new facility will need to be able to accommodate the same number of staff, if not more. The solution will involve a comprehensive adoption of agile working principles.

This project is multi-faceted and is an opportunity for the organization to refresh not only its property portfolio but also its technology, logistics and productivity.

It is rare that a client approaches a relocation project with such a wide-ranging agenda and it will undoubtedly be an exciting project to be involved with.

As part of a fact-finding exercise I recently accompanied some of Irwell Valley’s senior management team around an exemplar project. The new headquarters of Halton Housing in Widnes was deeply impressive and might well provide a roadmap for Irwell’s own journey over the next 12-18 months.

This photograph of a 1990’s call centre in India is about as far away as you could get from what Irwell Valley are seeking to achieve for their new office environment.

The above shows an office environment that has fully embraced agile working.

So what is ‘Agile Working’? Is it just another way of describing ‘Hot Desking’ or does it have a deeper, more fundamental meaning for an organisation? And what impact is it likely to have on staff and, particularly their productivity and well-being?

‘Agile Working’ is a concept designed to improve productivity through more flexible applications of technology, interior design and personnel management. Whilst solutions will inevitably vary between different organisations and between different sectors, agile working looks as though it is here to stay. The reason for this is that technology has changed the way we are all now interacting with data. The emergence of smart phones, tablets and lightweight laptops together with 5G and better quality Wi-Fi means staff do not have to be chained to their desk eight hours a day. Instead, they can choose the work setting that is best for them. This new-found freedom is empowering and motivational. It is also believed to improve productivity by reducing presenteeism and increasing collaboration between individuals and teams.

As you can see in the office pictured above, individuals and teams have the freedom to choose from a variety of workstyles to suit their needs at any given moment. There are collaborative spaces, informal meeting areas, individual study cubicles as well as traditional open plan work stations.

However, agile working is not simply about a fresh approach to furniture design and an investment in wireless tech. To work effectively, agile working requires a new style of management. Put simply, it requires a new level of trust between managers and their staff. This can sometimes prove challenging.

If you would like to discuss agile working in more detail please contact Martyn Markland on 0161 457 1422 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

Needham to move, quickly!

Towns Needham are currently based at Brook House on Fountain Street in Manchester City Centre.

Boutique law firm, Towns Needham, have just 8 weeks to vacate their office in Manchester because their new landlord wants to redevelop their building.

The influx of new investors into Manchester’s office market is having severe consequences for some local occupiers including Towns Needham. Many older office buildings have been sold in recent months at levels which can only be justified by investors charging tenants far higher rents. This is accelerating the refurbishment of many of the city’s poorer quality buildings.

Whilst this is good news for the physical fabric of the city it is starting to price some occupiers out of the market. The situation is being made worse by a growing number of office buildings being converted to alternatives uses such as hotels, student accommodation or ‘PRS’ (private rented sector). The depletion of secondary office stock is changing the character of the city centre. Many would argue this is for the better unless of course, they happen to be in the market for cheaper office space. 

The challenge for occupiers such as Towns Needham therefore, is finding economic space within the central business district that is not going to be at risk from redevelopment or conversion any time soon.

Can we deliver what they want and all within an 8 week timeline? I will keep you posted.

If you would like advice on an office relocation either in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 457 1422 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

Caspian moves to Norfolk

Part of Caspian’s new offices at Norfolk House which feature existing glass partitions and office furniture.

Rapidly growing insurance brokerage Caspian Insurance has entered into new 5 year leases on Suite 1 and Suite 3 on the ground floor of the Grade A office building known as Norfolk House in Manchester City Centre.

Norfolk House recently underwent a significant transformation. What was previously a rather cold and characterless building reception has given way to a warm and cosy waiting area complete with complimentary bean to cup coffee machine.

The communal kitchen and break out space (above Left) and the remodelled building reception area (above Right) at Norfolk House.

This far more welcoming interior design theme has been carried through to the remainder of the ground floor suites which now feature their own exclusive kitchen and break out area. There are also two useful meeting rooms that can be joined together to form a mini-conferencing suite complete with the latest AV technology.

These features combined with the benefits provided by an existing high-quality fit-out and the array of office furniture left by the previous tenant, made this a very attractive proposition for Caspian who were previously occupying a rather tired Grade B building elsewhere in the city core.

If you would like advice on an office relocation either in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 457 1422 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

Godel’s Neo move

Leading software development house Godel Technologies Europe has completed its move to the Neo building in Manchester.

Godel has moved from the 27th floor of City Tower to Bruntwood’s cutting edge Neo Building on Charlotte Street.

In addition to finding its new home, TAG was also tasked with disposing of Godel’s existing lease in City Tower which does not expire until June 2019. This has been achieved through an assignment to one of Godel’s previous neighbours in City Tower namely, the architects Sheppard Robson. 

Godel first appointed Tenant Advisory Group in 2013 when it decided to relocate from Manchester Science Park to the city centre. This led to the acquisition of their current office in City Tower in 2014.

Godel has taken up residency on the 9th floor of Neo in order to accommodate the company’s rapid growth over the last five years in both its HQ in Manchester and in its nearshore development centres in Belarus. 

“We’d grown out of our offices on the 27th floor of City Tower,” explains Neil Turvin, CEO.

“We now have over 500 software developers nearshored in Belarus who are all helping move large UK brand names to the cloud. A combination of a skills shortage in the UK and the speed of digitisation across all business sectors is driving our growth.”

“We thought the view was unbeatable from the 27th floor of City Tower, but NEO is a great, modern office environment in which we can grow.”

Godel was recently listed in the 17th annual Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table which ranks Britain’s private technology, media and telecoms (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales. Godel is a new entrant to the league table and one of just eight companies in the North West region that has made it onto the list.

If you would like advice on an office relocation either in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 457 1422 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.