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Obstacles and risks faced during real estate changes

The world is continually changing, and so is the way we work.

Whether employees are remote, onsite, or hybrid, many organisations are rethinking their office spaces and work processes to create working environments that promote collaboration, improve engagement, encourage innovation, and increase satisfaction.

Planning for and executing these real estate changes, however, isn’t always easy. Obstacles such as file cabinets, obsolete IT assets, furniture, and cluttered employee workstations can take up valuable space, create risk, decrease productivity, and make project execution difficult.

Overcome these obstacles and risks; unlock the full potential of your workplace with Clean Start

Clean Start

  • 90%
    A recent IDG Study indicated that 90% of organisations are planning on making changes to their workplace within the next 6–12 months.
  • 87%
    According to a recent CBRE study, 87% of corporate real estate leaders are focused on portfolio optimisation as a top priority.

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Years of normal operations and employee turnover can leave the workplace cluttered and disorganised.

In addition to negatively impacting productivity, collaboration, and space usage, employees may not be motivated to return to and work from a messy office.

A recent study from the Economist indicates that 93% of organisations are ready to clean up legacy information assets; however, executing a cleanup project in-house could consume valuable resources and even lead to the risk of data breaches.

Our Clean Start experts can help you maximise your space and reduce clutter through the secure and sustainable consolidation or recycling of:

  • Paper records
  • File cabinets
  • Outdated IT assets
  • Employee workstations
  • Other information assets
  • Office equipment

Moving or restacking an office space can be stressful, and the last thing you need is the risk of exposing your organisation to a data breach during project execution.

Unfortunately, confidential information located in filing cabinets, storage closets, and at employee workstations not only creates risk, but also wastes valuable space.

While some organisations turn to traditional moving or real estate services companies for help, most don’t have the expertise, trained, and vetted employees, or secure chain of custody to handle paper records, IT assets, and other sensitive materials.

Iron Mountain Clean Start can help with a complete set of services that you need for a successful move or restack, all under a single vendor and following our unique approach to project planning and execution:

Clean Start can support a successful and secure move or restack project execution while also helping you optimise space usage in your new or refreshed workplace.

As employee work habits evolve, so does the need for physical office space.

A recent CBRE survey found that 87% of corporate real estate leaders are focused on portfolio optimisation as a top priority; however, closing an office location is never as simple as turning the lights off and locking the doors.

Sensitive information assets located throughout the facility, often commingled with personal employee items and office equipment, can expose your organisation to a data breach if not properly handled and managed.

While traditional moving companies and real estate service companies can support office closure projects, most don’t have the expertise, trained and vetted employees, or secure chain of custody to correctly handle and manage your organisation’s most valuable assets.

Best of all, Iron Mountain can provide all these services and more under a single vendor with our unique approach to planning and executing your office closure.

Global merger and acquisition (M&A) activity is experiencing record levels as companies look to leverage M&A to drive transformational change, per a recent Deloitte survey.

Real estate portfolio optimisation and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity are experiencing record activity levels as companies look to identify synergies and cost savings, and drive transformational change.

However, portfolio-wide real estate initiatives and M&A integration can be impeded by obstacles such as widely dispersed facility locations, large volumes of files or other assets, and conflicting processes and tools for sharing and protecting information.

Turn to Iron Mountain Clean Start to successfully navigate portfolio-wide real estate initiatives and M&A activity. With experts and resources located throughout the world, our team can help to:

Whether you need support for a single office or a standardised process to support the integration or closure of multiple locations, turn to Iron Mountain to simplify project management under one vendor.

How Clean Start works

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Why Iron Mountain Clean Start?

At Iron Mountain, we understand that transforming your workplace—whether downsizing, restacking, or closing a location—comes with unique challenges. From outdated IT assets and overflowing file cabinets to sensitive documents and cluttered workstations, these obstacles occupy space, create risk, and hinder progress. That's where Clean Start comes in.

With a secure, all-in-one solution, our Clean Start experts partner with you to assess your space, recommend a tailored plan, and execute it with precision. We handle everything from secure document shredding to IT asset disposition and office equipment removal—freeing up valuable space and ensuring compliance every step of the way. Together, we'll help you reset, declutter, and optimise your workplace for whatever comes next.

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Frequently asked questions

Iron Mountain offers a variety of tailored solutions designed to make the closure of your office space as seamless and hassle-free as possible. We can help you:

How does Iron Mountain support a successful workplace transformation?

We support your workplace transformation by conducting comprehensive assessments of existing physical office space. Our professionals identify areas for optimisation and help you manage office space more effectively. We provide the expertise needed to navigate real estate changes while maintaining a secure chain of custody to handle paper records, technology, and any assets that require disposition. This structured approach helps you relocate or close office space with minimal operational disruption to your organisation.

  • We utilise the assessment to create an action plan, and engage our professional Project Services team to handle the complex logistics of restacking office space, allowing your internal teams to remain focused on primary business activities and high priority corporate initiatives.
  • Our specialists implement space optimisation strategies that improve how you utilise office space, effectively converting underused storage rooms into productive areas for collaboration or additional workstations for your growing team.

Adopting a workplace transformation strategy allows your organisation to maximise office space while improving day to day efficiencies. We’re here to help you clean up your workplace by identifying records and assets that require offsite storage or disposition to free up floor area. This proactive management of your physical office space reduces overhead costs and ineffective use of your space. We utilise our vast network of regional distribution centres to provide flexible storage for all the assets you need to store.

Can Iron Mountain assist with an estate clean out service for corporate offices?

Yes, we can perform a comprehensive assessment of your physical office space to identify estate assets for retention, relocation, or destruction. This service helps you declutter office environments and prepare for the next phase of your office evolution.. We manage the entire process to reduce the risk of data breach during site closures.

  • We provide Secure IT Asset Disposition to handle retired hardware safely, helping your business maintain compliance with environmental regulations and data privacy laws during a large scale office space cleanout.
  • Our professionals establish a secure chain of custody to handle paper records, providing documented proof of destruction and helping you organise office space by removing legacy files that are no longer needed.

Successful workplace transformation projects require meticulous project planning and execution to maintain business continuity. We help you optimise and reduce space by removing furniture and records that no longer serve your business needs. This comprehensive approach helps you reduce office real estate cost while enhancing sustainability through responsible recycling and waste management. We offer professional contract services to handle every aspect of your corporate cleanup, allowing you to focus on your core strategy.

What are the benefits of using Iron Mountain for restacking office space?

Iron Mountain  helps you maximise and improve the functionality of your physical office space. We provide professional labour and management to reorganise your floor plans and move critical assets. This process is essential for companies looking to optimise workspace for a smaller footprint or reinventing the office environment. We handle the heavy lifting while you focus on managing your people and culture.

  • We offer Offsite Records Storage to remove bulky files from your floor, which helps you maximise office space and creates a cleaner environment for your staff to work in daily.
  • Our team identifies legacy documents that belong in our cleanup suite to decrease the amount of paper stored onsite, effectively freeing up square footage for collaborative work zones or new desks.

Improving your office space management requires a partner who understands the value of your information and physical assets. We help you transform your workspace by providing the resources needed for a successful workplace transformation at every stage of the project. This includes identifying what to keep, what to digitise, and what to destroy. Our global reach and deep industry knowledge help you achieve a more efficient, agile, and cost-effective office environment for your employees.

How can space management strategies reduce office real estate cost?

Implementing effective space management strategies allows businesses to identify inefficiencies within their physical office space. By analysing how teams use desks and meeting rooms, organisations can determine how to utilise office space more effectively. This data driven approach supports a successful workplace transformation by highlighting areas where the company can optimise and reduce space. Reducing the total square footage leads to significant long term savings on lease expenses.

  • Office transformations allow companies to consolidate floors and reduce real estate costs by implementing new policies like Retention Policy Management that better reflect the actual daily occupancy of the building.
  • Space optimisation strategies help businesses identify which paper records and assets are eligible for destruction, allowing them to reclaim storage areas and convert them into productive workstations or collaborative zones for their professional staff.

Organisations often overlook the potential for office optimisation until they face significant real estate changes. By proactively addressing the accumulation of physical assets and records, companies can improve office space and create a more dynamic atmosphere for their staff. This shift towards a leaner operational model supports long term business resilience and environmental sustainability. Selecting the right partner for project planning and execution helps you navigate these changes without disrupting the daily activities of your workforce.

 
What steps are involved in an estate clean out services plan?

A professional estate clean out services plan starts with a thorough audit of all items currently occupying the physical office space. This audit categorises assets into groups for retention, offsite storage, or secure destruction based on their current value and compliance requirements. A structured plan helps you declutter office areas and prepare for a move or a reduction in floor space while maintaining high operational standards.

  • Establishing a secure chain of custody to handle paper records during a cleanup prevents the risk of data breach and helps organisations remain compliant with strict industry regulations regarding information privacy.
  • Utilising secure shredding for legacy documents during a workplace transformation makes certain that sensitive corporate data is handled responsibly and that all recycled materials are processed according to sustainability goals.

Successful office space management depends on having a clear vision for the future of your workplace. By removing the physical barriers of excess paper and outdated equipment, you create a more flexible environment that can adapt to changing business needs. This process not only improves the aesthetics of the office, but also enhances the overall safety and productivity of the team. Strategic planning helps you relocate office space or close office space with complete confidence in your compliance posture.

 
How does a hybrid office environment impact workplace transformation?

The rise of the hybrid office environment has fundamentally changed how organisations approach their workplace transformation strategy. Modern companies must now focus on how to utilise office space for a workforce that is not always present in the building. This shift requires a transformation that prioritises digital access to information and flexible physical layouts. Optimising workspace for this model can significantly reduce office real estate costs.

  • Adopting Intelligent Document Processing allows companies to digitise their paper records, which supports a hybrid workplace by providing remote employees with secure and immediate access to the critical information they need.
  • Space optimisation strategies for a hybrid office often include the removal of individual permanent desks in favor of flexible zones that can be easily reconfigured to support different types of collaborative work.

Managing a hybrid office requires a balance between physical resources and digital capabilities. Organisations that successfully navigate this transformation at workplace culture often see improvements in employee satisfaction and operational efficiency. By reducing the reliance on onsite storage, companies can maximise office space and focus their investments on technology and people rather than underused real estate. This strategic alignment helps businesses remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market while providing a modern environment for top talent.

 
What is an effective way to optimise workspace for a growing team?

Optimising workspace for a growing team involves a regular assessment of your current physical office space. Instead of immediately seeking more real estate, companies can look for ways to improve office space by removing clutter and reorganising existing floor plans. This approach helps you maximise office space and avoid the high costs and logistical headaches associated with moving to a completely new location.

  • Using a professional Smart Records Cleanup Suite helps identify and remove obsolete files from the office, which creates additional room for new workstations and allows for higher headcount density.
  • Professional project planning and execution services help you manage the reorganisation of your office layout, making certain that the transition is seamless and that your growing team experiences minimal downtime during the change.

A successful workplace transformation strategy prioritises agility and resource efficiency. Prioritising office optimisation creates a sustainable path for business growth. This approach effectively leverages your existing real estate investments.

Cleaning up the workplace initiatives help maintain a professional image. These projects help your office remain a productive hub for innovation. Continuous improvement in office space management helps your organisation stay ahead of the competition. It provides a flexible environment for your professionals.

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