Fit-Out As A Strategic Lever

THE MARIS METHODOLOGY:

REFURBISH, RELOCATE, OR REIMAGINE?

One of the first questions leaders ask is whether to stay or go. We guide clients through a strategic framework to make the right choice:

• Refurbishment: Best when the location is right, but the energy is wrong. It is often the most cost-effective option and minimises disruption.
• Relocation: Necessary when headcount forecasts change significantly, or when the current building limits your culture or talent attraction.
• Reorganisation (Reimagine): The often overlooked option. This involves “making what you have work harder” by analysing occupancy patterns and removing dead zones without moving address.

THE CFO’S CORNER:

VALUE ENGINEERING

For the Finance Director, the focus is on ROI and asset performance. Many clients sit on underperforming assets – floorspace that isn’t aligned to how teams actually work.

The Opportunity: By analysing occupancy patterns, we often find dead zones, congestion points and underused potential.

The Strategy: Convert meeting rooms into team-based collaboration zones, create touchdown areas for hybrid workers or swap executive suites for shared resources.

The Payoff: In one instance, a Maris client reduced their total square footage by 20% but saw a 35% uplift in productivity indicators. They achieved more output with less overhead by making the space purposeful rather than passive.

MARIS TOOLS:

OPERATIONAL READINESS

The best space fails if the operation fails. Success hinges on operational readiness. We use this tool to ensure the business is ready for the physical change:

• Change Enablement Plans: Preparing staff for new ways of working before the doors open.
• Tech Training: Ensuring teams know how to use the new hybrid meeting rooms on day one.
• Soft Landings: Facilities and IT handovers that go beyond the physical handoff to ensure immediate usability.
• Post-Occupancy Reviews: We do not walk away on day one; we assess and iterate the space over time.