Turn Strategy Into a Workplace Brief

THE MARIS METHODOLOGY:

Design teams can only solve problems that leadership has properly defined. At Maris Interiors, our methodology translates your strategic ambitions into a deliverable workplace brief via a strict three-step protocol.

Step 1: The Five-Layer Alignment. We structure the project brief across Context, People, Processes, Data and Technology using the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management model. This ensures every operational requirement is captured.

Step 2: The SWP Integration. We integrate PwC’s Strategic Workforce Planning framework to analyse your future talent supply. We specify precise spatial requirements based on your need to Build (training hubs), Bind (compelling hybrid environments) or Borrow (secure guest network infrastructure) talent.

Step 3: The Innovation Execution Model. We set radical, non-negotiable operational constraints to drive productivity. By linking compensation to ambitious targets and adopting an Innovation Execution operating model, organisations can achieve annual reductions in product development costs of around 10%.

THE CEO’S AND CFO’S CORNER:

For the C-Suite, a vague workplace brief represents an unacceptable financial risk. Let us examine the commercial ledger of a meticulously constructed project brief:

1. Capital Ringfencing: The brief is your ultimate financial control mechanism. By explicitly setting financial parameters and linking them directly to measurable business outcomes, you ringfence capital expenditure and aggressively prevent costly variations during the delivery phase.
2. Accountability Chains: A rigorous brief establishes strict stakeholder responsibilities from day one. It creates a transparent chain of accountability across the entire project lifecycle, ensuring the real estate portfolio remains a high-performing asset rather than an unpredictable sunk cost.
3. Quantifiable ROI: By setting clear success measures upfront, such as targeting a Leesman+ certification score of 70 or above, executives guarantee that the final environment delivers a tangible return on investment.

This approach fundamentally shifts the boardroom conversation from upfront capital costs to long-term sustainable value, ensuring the new workplace actively drives operational efficiency and supports the bottom line.

MARIS TOOLS:

• The IWFM Operational Translation Matrix: A comprehensive briefing tool that translates high-level business goals into specific project requirements across People, Processes, Data and Technology to ensure holistic project delivery.
• The Technology and Flexibility Baseline: A scoping document that defines the required digital infrastructure and hybrid working assumptions, ensuring the brief aligns with the demands of an AI-enabled and highly distributed workforce.
• The Strategic Decision-Testing Scorecard: A rigorous governance checklist used throughout the project lifecycle to ensure every design, spatial and investment decision remains strictly aligned with the original executive strategy.