Identifying Facility Requirements

In this step, an organization gathers knowledge of the physical facilities that support existing processes, to determine the impact of possible process changes on the physical facilities, and to trigger physical working environment construction, acquisitions, or enhancements, if required.

Techniques

Performing this step requires no radically new techniques. Professionals have been identifying facility requirements for decades. The key is to link the interrelationships that facilities and process change have on one another, with techniques such as

• Facility needs analysis

• Acquisition planning and budgeting

Lessons Learned

Don’t ignore this aspect of renewal—it’s often overlooked. Countless books, articles, and seminar presenters talk about people, process, and technology, and miss the key role that facilities and their locations play. Even existing facilities might require renovation to accommodate new work patterns or technology infrastructure requirements.

Time-proven techniques for success exist, assuming that the appropriate business drivers are known. Allow the facility professionals to use what they know works best—get them involved.

Look for opportunities to close unneeded space, eliminate storage facilities, combine locations, or distribute work to more locations. Centralizing can cut cost, but so can decentralizing. Both can improve customer service so long as access is possible either physically or electronically. Both can occur at the same time for different aspects of renewal.

Consider remote offices, telecommuting, and mobile workforces. Facility needs might be different from what you are used to.

Consider using process-to-facility grids for simplicity of communication.

Consider the impact that facility changes can have on ways of working as well as on the staff of the organization and other stakeholders.