Covid-19: Battleground

The global covid-19 pandemic has undeniably brought our world upside down. The ripple effects of the pandemic have already drastically changed economies and business systems, with companies around the world struggling to rethink and reconfigure their operations in order to adjust to the new pandemic pace. The economic and social turbulence has disrupted the supply chains, which have been moving unprecedently slow. More specifically, initial results from a nationwide survey reported that a staggering 68% of the UK’s most dynamic entrepreneurs have cashflow concerns (1). Consequently, the financial downturn has forced businesses to shut or minimize their operations, leaving thousands of employees unemployed. All in all, there is no shortage of disagreement that the pandemic has put businesses on shaky and uncertain ground. But have you ever thought that while production lines have stopped for some, others are pushing their productivity to the limits? Has it ever crossed your mind that the covid-19 crisis might have been a disaster for some, but yet a lucrative opportunity for others? As the pandemic continues to evolve and companies emerge from the initial shockwave, we ‘re quickly learning that while covid-19 has shuffled the deck for many businesses out there, there are still a large number of companies that have been standing strong, and even expanding their operations as a result of surging demand.

The other side of the story

Assessing the full impact is still premature, but yet, research from Startups.co.uk, for example, has shown that five new businesses were founded every day in April 2020 – representing a 60% jump on April 2019 (2). Meanwhile, the e-commerce order volume has increased by 50% compared to 2019 (3), driving significant growth to the e-commerce industry. What these numbers tell us, is that covid-19 has shone a light on particular industries and businesses, driving increasing demand and accelerating sales growth at an unprecedented rate. Therefore, for organizations in the e-commerce, construction, and other sectors that have been battling to satisfy the insatiable consumer demand, the global disruption has put forward a worthwhile opportunity to strengthen their infrastructure, lay the foundations for a transformative change, and move ahead stronger and better. 

Now is the time to reassess, reevaluate, and reshape operations to accelerate ahead of the competition in the post-coronavirus business landscape. For example, here at Manor Interior Solutions, we saw an opportunity emerging amid the chaos of the first lockdown period – and that couldn’t be any other than launching an e-commerce store that would cater not only for the needs of the ‘post-quarantine’ consumer but also for the unparalleled growth of the e-commerce industry. So here we are, 7 months later and with a fully functionable, user-friendly, and super convenient e-commerce site which you can find here.

Adapting to a new working environment

More than eight months have passed since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared covid-19 a pandemic, and there is no shortage of disagreement that as the effects of the Coronavirus are felt around the world, the primary focus of businesses around the globe comes down the health and safety of their employees. We all know that the working environment has changed drastically for the majority of people, and we all know that it will probably never go back to what it used to be – at least for the next months. “We all know that work will never be the same, even if we don’t yet know all the ways in which it will be different. What we can say with certainty is that the sudden shift to distributed work has provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine everything about how we do our jobs and how we run our companies.” says Slack co-founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield.

Taking everything into consideration, organisation agility and business innovation are today more important than ever. This is the time to adapt to the new normal. This is the time to plan and learn for the future.

A time for innovation… and renovation

Any business can agree that the ramifications of lockdown and stay-home measures are overwhelming on both a physical and mental level.  As we start to consider what the future holds, it’s vital to rethink the office space through forward-looking ways that would firstly protect employees, and secondly make them feel safe returning to the office with as little disruption as possible. We are entering a new era of working, which involves larger space areas, physical distancing, new office layouts, and a heightened focus on office transparency. It’s now the time to think outside of the box in order to adapt your office space to the new post-covid world in which hygiene, health, and social distancing come first. And if the idea sounds like music to your ears, but yet the economic burden of such an investment is out of reach – you can leave the worry out, we are here to help.

A little bit about us

Here at Manor Interior Solutions, quality and durability come first. Our many years of experience and expertise in warehouse refurbishment, together with our dedicated team of professionals, are our signature blend for excellence.

Our premises are located in Northamptonshire, and our client base spans from commercial developments, public buildings, industrial properties, educational developments, and large drylining projects. 

We pride ourselves on high-quality interior solutions and exceptional communication with our customers, regardless of the project’s size. Whatever your refurbishment requirements are, we will meet and exceed your expectations.

How Manor Interior Solutions can help…

Mezzanine Flooring

Taking into consideration the new physical distancing norms, chances are you are running out of office space soon (if you haven’t already). While moving to a larger office space might seem the only solution, we have good news for you. Installing a mezzanine floor in your existing building would be a cheaper alternative to moving your office space, especially if you’re looking for more storage or partitions. Such an addition could also add value to your existing building and should provide a good return on your investment.

Working with an experienced mezzanine floor contractor is paramount when investing in the future of your business. We ensure that your mezzanine floor installation has been constructed in the correct way to suit your business not only today but also with the future in mind planning for potential expansion and growth.

From initial site visit and survey to the mezzanine floor fitting service, we also install any office on your mezzanine, racking and pallet gates. In other words, we handle mezzanine flooring installation services end-to-end, so you can simply sit back and relax as we construct the mezzanine floor for you.

Warehouse Racking Installation

Similarly, if you are running out of warehouse space, racking installation can go a long way towards saving up some room. 

We use the best quality materials to build racks and shelves so that they last the test of time. To do that, a lot of planning and groundwork are involved, which we will do together with you. We will go over current and potential workflow layouts that may help improve your current production and picking processes in the future.

Glass partitions

We are almost 8 months into the pandemic, and it’s nowadays common to see temporary glass partitions in retailers, supermarkets, and customer service desks. The reality is that these measures have become a permanent measure for protecting staff and have been slowly rolling out to almost all office environments. 

The transparency of glass partitions allows optimal amounts of natural light to pass through while keeping your employees safe and protected. Interestingly, studies have shown that the amount of time spent in artificial light negatively impacts sleep cycles. Consequently, a glass partition that provides ample amounts of natural light actually promotes healthy circadian rhythms. 

Glass partitions also improve communication between co-workers. Why would a glass wall help to boost communication? People feel more comfortable approaching and talking with their co-workers when they can see the person that they will be talking with. It’s much more intimidating to knock on a closed-door because the person has no idea what is going on inside the office. Walls and doors decrease communication, but glass takes away those barriers to make people feel less awkward about talking with other people in the company.

We are happy to advise on selecting the most suitable glass partition system to suit your requirements. If you already have glass partitions in place, we can assess the existing type of glass partition and install a match. Whatever your requirements are when it comes to glass partitions, our glazing specialists will guide you through the process.

Industrial and Warehouse Refurbishment

An engaging and functional design is essential to help you make the most out of your industrial and warehouse space.

Many people think interiors are not important for industrial units or warehouses, but the reality is, good and pleasing aesthetics will go a long way in motivating your employees to be more productive. It gives them a sense of connection with the organization and a good interior design will provide a comfortable place for them to work. Besides, an eye-catching warehouse design is sure to reflect your business in a good light. For these reasons, industrial and warehouse refurbishments are an essential part of your business.

Many of our fit-out services also fall nicely into the category of warehouse refurbishment. Some of the areas we cover include:

• Suggest whether shelving or racking is ideal for your storage needs.
• Commercial floor painting services
• Warehouse redesign
• Commercial decorating
• Mezzanine flooring installation if needed to give you additional storage space.
• Do Cat A or Cat B fit outs, as needed.
• Refurbish and give a modern look, even if the building is old and dilapidated.
• Cold storage room installation.
• Pallet gate installation.

Warehouse refurbishments are time-sensitive, in the sense; they need to be completed quickly so you can continue with your usual warehouse operations right away. Spending a long time on industrial refurbishments could impact and slow your production productivity. Working with an expert warehouse refurbishment contractor that is used to dealing with these kinds of pressures and demands is of utmost importance.

We even make appropriate recommendations on the technology and other non-design aspects that you can incorporate when undertaking an industrial building refurbishment.

Reach out to us as your chosen warehouse refurbishment contractor, regardless of whether it is just a few hundred feet or spreads across multiple units in an estate, and we will deliver a functional workspace.

Need a hand with project funding?

Chances are that you haven’t predicted the covid-19 crisis to roll out like it did – and the same applies for almost every business out there. This means that you haven’t budgeted for larger office spaces or warehouse alterations and haven’t accounted for physical distancing measures. We know that unpredicted expenses can be overwhelming at first, but we ‘re here to help. 

Here at Manor Interior Solutions, we work closely with numerous partners and agents that could fund projects like yours. Also, we keep a close eye on any available local grants according to the country in question that could help your project set off .If your project meets the eligibility criteria, we ‘ll guide you through the funding process from the application submission to project execution.

Covid-19: The world ahead

As the covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve and work habits around the world are changing, it’s time to consider the future of the office. What is the post-covid new normal? What would make employees feel safe returning back to their office desk? What are the protective measures that need to be undertaken in order to comply with government regulations? What will team-working look like 5 months from now? This is the right time to rethink your business operations and reconfigure your office and warehouse layout according to the post-covid world – a world in which physical distancing matters the most. 

We understand that this might feel daunting at first, so our mission here at Manor Interior Solutions is to make this as easy for you as possible. With many years of experience and expertise behind our back, we know exactly how to make it work. It all comes down to re-examining the future of work and transforming the office strategy accordingly.