The FM Director's role in an office fit-out project: scope, deliverables to require, a 4-step method and indicators to manage without going off track.
"I'm the one managing it, how do I do this"
Project management without proper tools generates on average 8 to 12% in cost overruns on the works budget. On a 850 m² project at 1,200 €/m², the drift reaches 80,000 € to 120,000 €. Late change orders (relocated partitions, added sockets) weigh particularly heavily.
When internal consultation has been neglected, 41% of employees consider their workspace unsuitable. The FM Director then bears the perceived responsibility for the failure. The cost of readjustment after delivery frequently exceeds 150 EUR/m², not counting the impact on engagement measured by HR surveys.
Regulations impose precise thresholds on lighting, acoustics and circulation. The framework applicable to the tertiary sector also requires an energy reduction trajectory of 40% by 2030. Without documented project management, the FM Director exposes their employer to litigation and financial penalties.
Kytom works in tandem with the FM Director from the framing stage. A dedicated project manager, present on site at every milestone, takes charge of coordinating the 8 to 12 trades mobilised on an average tertiary project. Our 11 offices in France and Spain pool feedback from 1,200+ clients supported since 2006, which makes it possible to offer costed trade-offs (acoustics, density, flows) rather than open-ended options. The FM Director remains the decision-maker, Kytom produces the structuring deliverables: functional brief, dimensioned plans, Gantt schedule, detailed costing by lot, weekly monitoring. This division reduces the internal manager's cognitive load and secures deadlines (12 weeks on average between signing and delivery).
Occupancy audit over 2 to 3 weeks: measuring presence rates, interviews with 8 to 15 business leads, technical survey of the building. Deliverable: a costed programming report, shared with senior management, which sets the target in m² and in workstations.
Defining the budget, the schedule and priority trade-offs (acoustics, confidentiality, density). Deliverable: a framing file validated by the executive committee, incorporating the regulatory obligations applicable to workspaces and the trajectory of the tertiary decree. The FM Director then has a clear mandate.
Production of plans, mood boards and detailed costing by lot. Deliverable: a complete tender file (DCE), with referenced furniture (Vitra, Herman Miller ranges depending on budget) and technical sheets compliant with the standards in force regarding quality and safety.
Coordination of trades, weekly site monitoring, two-stage acceptance (pre-acceptance then clearing of reservations). Deliverable: a digital as-built file (DOE), delivered within 15 days after handover, which secures maintenance and ten-year warranties.
"I had 14 meetings a week on the project before Kytom arrived, I came back down to 4. The project manager absorbed all the technical coordination, I was able to resume my role as arbitrator."
The FM Director frames the needs, arbitrates between departments and validates the deliverables. They handle neither the project management of the works nor the technical execution. A commitment of 15 to 20% of their time over 12 weeks is a realistic benchmark for running the project.
HR handles the needs survey and internal communication, the FM Director handles the spatial and budgetary translation. A weekly 45-minute steering committee, with a shared report, is enough to avoid 80% of the arbitration conflicts observed.
Four structuring deliverables: a costed functional brief, dimensioned plans at 1/50, a detailed Gantt schedule, costing by lot. At delivery, the digital as-built file (DOE) compliant with the standards in force is essential for maintenance over 10 years.
Regulations notably impose a maximum ratio of 5 between general lighting levels and task lighting levels in the workplace. Requiring a compliance note signed by the provider, checked at pre-acceptance, legally protects the employer in the event of litigation.
Between 680,000 € and 1,275,000 € excl. tax depending on the equipment level, i.e. 800 to 1,500 €/m². Furniture represents 25 to 35% of the budget, technical lots (HVAC, electrical, partitions) 50 to 60%, project management 8 to 12%.
No, the physical transfer should be entrusted to a specialised provider, coordinated by the fit-out project manager. The FM Director validates the switchover schedule (usually a weekend) and the internal communication plan distributed 3 weeks beforehand.