Moving offices away from warehouse - thoughts?

[Click2Post.co.uk]

I employ 11 staff, 9 in the warehouse including a warehouse manager and 2 in the office.

It is getting to a point now where the office is constantly being distracted with warehouse problems, staff dramas.
I'm considering renting a serviced office in the city centre, which hopefully will leave such distractions behind and also help me employ better talent (who wants to work in a grubby warehouse office on a dreary industrial estate?)

We can afford it, but I'd be interested to hear thoughts from people who have done this with their own business and if it worked for them, or not?

On one hand, my office staff would be able to concentrate undistracted by the bass on the warehouse radio, warehouse lads banter and horseplay, or being asked to help in the warehouse for an hour, etc.
But on the other hand, the warehouse operation would have to be dealt with via telephone, and the physical distance between the two.(Although I do have a warehouse manager)

 

[Jon Neale]

I think it depends on how much interaction and guidance the warehouse needs from the office staff. In my experience the warehouse team is quite good at avoiding responsibility where ever possible going to the office staff for decisions. If you have a good warehouse manager and you set up a weekly review between them all or similar I wouldn't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[MOIC]

If the office staff need to be able to see and control the warehouse, which may be the case, why not implement the following:

1. Turn the bass down a decibel or two.
2. Soundproof the office.
3. Ensure the warehouse manager does his job correctly and doesn't bother the office staff unless absolutely essential.

Having full control (not via phone) of the warehouse is critical if they require to be supervised over and beyond the warehouse manager (mice play while the cat's away . . .)

. . . .Plus the cost!

It could be that you may be solving one problem, but creating another.

 

[GraemeL]

We can afford it, but I'd be interested to hear thoughts from people who have done this with their own business and if it worked for them, or not?

Done it. It has pros and cons. The single biggest issue, by a mile, is communication. It works if the people in the office who contact the warehouse and vice versa have both good communication tools and a commitment to make it work. We made sure the lads in the warehouse had landline phones they could carry around with them and not have to trudge to the warehouse office all the time. The data flow for orders, despatches and so on needs to work too.

Why have your new office in the city centre? Go for a cheaper location with lovely countryside views and places to park.