Business Profile: Ramidus Consulting Limited

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2 Introduction Ramidus Consulting Limited was established in 2003 as a specialist, independent, built environment research and advisory business. Property market research We undertake property market research, examining and explaining the forces driving change, and their influences on the built environment. Our work covers spatial, economic and technical issues, as well as the changing needs of occupiers. Workplace briefing We advise large, private and public sector organisations on how to make the most efficient and most effective use of their accommodation. We prepare strategies that align accommodation with wider business and operational objectives. The Ramidus blend of research and workplace advisory is important. Our advisory work informs our research with practical experience, while our research informs our advisory work directly with leading-edge thinking from around the world. We regard this blend of practical experience and leading edge knowledge as the defining feature of the value we bring to our clients. We undertake our work for both private sector clients and public sector policy makers, helping them to understand the implications of change for their organisations. Our interests and knowledge range from the workplace to the cityregion, all driven by the common theme of demand-led research. Company profile Ramidus is a small, modern business, comprising a network of highly experienced individuals. We provide research and advice directly to clients as well as in partnership with other advisors. In the latter role we partner larger, more broadly-based advisors, providing specialist skills in a seamless service to their clients. We assemble teams for specific tasks, ensuring that clients receive first class support. Rob Harris is the 1

3 principal of the business, and all colleagues in the network are specialists and work with Ramidus regularly. All have at least twenty years of experience. Output from Ramidus projects is clear, concise, and action oriented; it is client focused, and presented in a business-like fashion, with practical conclusions and recommendations. It is also robust, and able to withstand public or Board-level scrutiny. We are very experienced in setting up, undertaking and managing research and consulting projects. We participate in industry initiatives and have extensive networks of contacts and relationships. We undertake multi-client studies and communicate the output to wider constituencies of interest. Property market research Ramidus undertakes a wide range of research activities, from analysing the detailed requirements of specific occupier types, to shaping spatial policy. Our core research skills are summarised below. Building specification Development appraisal Development marketing support Employment land studies Investment strategy Local and regional economic studies Local and regional property market dynamics Occupier sector studies Property sector studies Spatial policy appraisal Supply chain analysis We work with property investors, developers, advisors and policy makers, providing insights into market dynamics, economic and investment trends, and policy and planning issues. We undertake research on geographical markets to explain how they are changing; we help to explain the forces driving change, their impact on the ground and their influences in the future built environment. We undertake detailed assessments of market supply and demand dynamics. We also research property market sectors, (office, retail and industrial property), and the business sectors that occupy them. We analyse their changing needs and priorities, and explain how the supply market can respond. Workplace briefing Ramidus works with private and public sector clients to prepare workplace strategies that support their wider operational objectives. We help them achieve improvements in business performance through more efficient and more effective workplaces. We do this by preparing businesses cases, defining needs 2

4 and developing strategies. Our aim is to help clients align their accommodation strategy with their wider business objectives. We are focused on the operational drivers of the workplace, and we offer practical advice, based on a wealth of knowledge and experience. We are experienced in a number of areas of workplace planning, ranging from strategic approaches to managing large estates, to preparing occupancy briefs for maximising the use of individual buildings. Our core workplace skills are summarised below. Cost reduction strategies Flexible working strategies Management/staff engagement Occupancy (cost and use) benchmarking Property/asset management best practice Relocation/consolidation briefing Strategic space planning Workplace planning Property market research experience The table below shows a selection of recent Ramidus research clients, and this is followed by brief descriptions of recent projects. A selection of recent research clients Alycidon London Borough of Camden British Council for Offices London Borough of Islington Buckinghamshire County Council London Borough of Lewisham Business Vantage London Borough of Richmond Carter Jonas National Audit Office City of London Corporation Needspace CoreNet UK Obsidian Government Property Unit Park Royal Partnership Greater London Authority PRUPIM IPD Roger Tym & Partners Johnson Controls International Scottish Widows Jones Lang LaSalle SEGRO Kingston University St Bride s Knight Frank Stanhope Properties Lambert Smith Hampton Wycombe District Council Alycidon A major project to research and assess the prospects for the secondary industrial market through the Outer London region. The work involved a detailed assessment of market conditions, economic trends, planning and transport issues, potential new products and investment opportunities. British Council for Offices Appointed to undertake the largest ever study of occupancy densities in office buildings, to inform a BCO Guide to Office Specification. Collected and analysed data on 2.5 million sq m of office space. Buckinghamshire Economic Learning Partnership Appointed with Urban Renaissance Institute to undertake a comprehensive inward investment review. 3

5 Work involved reviewing the county s resources and attractions, as well as advising on how stakeholder organisations should seek to attract new investment. Carter Jonas A review of the agricultural industry in order to write the first edition of a publication, The Agricultural Investment Indicator, aimed at informing the firms clients about industry and market trends, and the prospects for investing in the sector. We update the publication annually. City of London Corporation The project quantified and described the breadth and depth of the City s office stock, and described the stock s occupational profile and how this has changed over recent years. We undertook the same exercise for the City Fringe. We examined records on 3,000 buildings, adding up to 106 million sq ft, and encompassing 6,900 occupational records. Government Property Unit Working with IPD, prepared a report recommending a workplace standard to be implemented across all central government departments - Efficiency Standards for Office Space. The work involved extensive research and analysis in order to provide a robust and defensible recommendation. Greater London Authority Appointed to undertaken the London Office Policy Review for the GLA on three consecutive occasions, in 2007, 2009 and This is an expansive piece of work that feeds into and influences the London Plan. The work assesses the London office market and its prospects over the long-term, and examines the implications for spatial planning policy. IPD Appointed in 2010 and 2011, as part of the GPU s Property Benchmarking Service, to review how occupancy data are collected, analysed and applied by Departments to achieve High Performing Property objectives. Recommendations were made to improve both process and application. London Borough of Camden With Roger Tym & Partners, undertook the Camden Employment Land Review. Ramidus role was to analyse the industrial and office property markets in the borough, and to make policy recommendations over the future protection and provision of land and buildings. 4

6 London Borough of Lewisham With Roger Tym & Partners, undertook the Lewisham Employment Land Review. Ramidus role was to analyse the industrial and office property markets in the borough, and to make policy recommendations over the future protection and provision of land for the respective markets. London Borough of Richmond Alongside Roger Tym & Partners, a land and premises study to prepare evidence-based, economic rationale for the retention of employment premises in light of recommendations of NPPF. Multi-client study A study looking at the warehouse market in West London, investigating the changing priorities of operators and the implications for building design. Sponsors included: Jones Lang LaSalle, Park Royal Partnership, SEGRO and Wilson James. Multi-client study In partnership with Business Vantage, a project examining relationships in the office property supply chain Equal Partners Three. Sponsors included Barclays, Bovis Lend Lease, Johnson Controls, LS Trillium and the Crown Estate. Work led to cross-industry discussions to improve supply chain efficiency. National Audit Office As part of a team led by Concerto Consulting, advised the NAO on the potential for space efficiencies in the Governments national estate. The project identified best practice in space use; analysed the Governments current occupation, and proposed alternative styles of occupancy. The work was published as Getting the Best from Public Sector Office Accommodation. Needspace Appointed by Wates subsidiary Needspace to assess the market for managed office space in the South London region. Work involved a detailed assessment of local market conditions as well as an examination of the commercial business case for investing in the sector. Obsidian Appointed to review a major mixed use development in East London, to assess its commercial viability and its attributes in the context of local plan policies. The work produced a robust evidence base to support planning discussions. 5

7 SEGRO Industrial property market research in the West London region. The work involved examining macro economic trends, property market dynamics, land use planning and infrastructure investment, in order to make recommendations for investment decisions. SEGRO A research project to investigate the implications of the Energy Act The work involved detailed interviews with occupiers of four million sq m of real estate, and raised awareness of a poorly-understood piece of legislation. St Bride s Appointed by fund manager St Bride s to provide research to underpin its UK investment strategy. Work involved a detailed assessment of all main property sectors and the wider economic, social, political and environmental factors likely to influence their prospects. Work was applied at city level to guide geographical focus of investment. Workplace briefing experience The table below shows a selection of recent Ramidus research clients, and this is followed by brief descriptions of recent projects. A selection of recent workplace clients Adur & Worthing Borough Council IPD Bedfordshire Police Authority Jones Lang LaSalle BT Lambert Smith Hampton Buckinghamshire County Council London Borough Islington Business Vantage London Borough Kensington & Chelsea City of London Corporation London Borough Lambeth City of Westminster National Audit Office Domestic & General Insurance NHS Staffordshire Elmbridge Borough Council Orange Business Services Energis Thames Valley Police Authority Government Property Unit West Yorkshire Police Authority Hampshire Police Authority Woking Borough Council Adur & Worthing Council Prepared an accommodation strategy for Worthing Borough Council and neighbouring Adur District Council focusing on maximising the efficiency of space use and improving the effectiveness of the occupied estate. The project involved proposals to make 30% savings in space alongside a series of costed options. Bedfordshire Police With Colliers CRE, prepared an accommodation strategy for the Bedfordshire Police Authority. The work involved interviews with senior command to define operational requirements within the changing police agenda. The advice made recommendations on the occupation and disposition buildings, including consolidation, disposals and reconfiguration to align the estate with organisational structure changes. 6

8 City of London Prepared an assessment of the use of six HQ buildings. The work involved workplace studies, a financial appraisal and preparation of costed options for a consolidation strategy. The recommendations entailed a reconfiguration of space use and significant efficiency savings of up to 25%, as well as a strategy for higher utilisation, a new approach to meeting room provision and a strategy for sharing space with other organisations. Government Property Unit A variety of projects ranging from workplace advisory services for Departments, to research on FM procurement to advice. Also, working alongside IPD, prepared a major report recommending a workplace standard to be implemented across all central government departments - Efficiency Standards for Office Space. Hampshire Police Authority Alongside LSH, undertook a review of the Force s estate strategy. Work involved a review of HPA information and data sources, including the operational context and the Force s changing priorities. Prepared scenarios for the provision of a fit-forpurpose estate. The scenarios ranged from relatively modest change, to quite radical proposals. Applied financial appraisals to each in order to identify their likely costs and benefits. Jones Lang LaSalle Provided expert witness role to a rent review on a 300,000 sq ft West End building. Role involved preparing detailed, evidence-based argument to support the approach of the landlord. The work involved appraisal of all aspects of the building s usability. London Borough of Islington Provided a high level overview of the council s 25,000 sq m administrative estate, accommodating 1,850 staff. The work developed a business-driven approach to defining its future needs, and proposed innovative occupancy solutions to make major space savings. London Borough of Lambeth Undertook a review of the administrative estate, housing 3,900 staff in nine buildings. Work took account of a changing council structure and service delivery model to provide a statement of requirement for an estate based on reduced headcount, flexible working and changing priorities. Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea As part of the Tri-borough Initiative (with LB Hammersmith and City of Westminster), provided a range of advice including strategic option planning, cross charging policies and occupancy standards. Thames Valley Police Working alongside LSH, undertook a review of the TVP estate to provide advice on its efficiency and effectiveness, and to advise on the potential for introducing flexible working styles. The work involved interviews with senior management, building surveys and utilisation surveys. A series of nineteen recommendations was adopted in full by the Chief Constable. 7

9 Contact details Ramidus Consulting Limited 89 The Street, Barney, Norfolk NR21 0AD Principal: Rob Harris: T: W: 8