One-stop service for tenants: the benefits of engaging a management company for a business

16/08/2021

The pandemic has altered the life of business centers in a major way, strengthening the existing trends and creating new ones: i.e., the number of requests for outsourcing office operation and maintenance to professional management companies is growing.

The number of office management contracts transferred by tenants to MCs has grown: in Q1 2021, it increased by 30% in O1 Standard alone. Prior to the pandemic, many tenants serviced their offices independently or engaged an external MC, while during the pandemic, the number of requests to the building’s MC increased.

Management companies are expanding the range of services provided, which are no longer limited to the maintenance of common-use building systems, but include the operation and maintenance of tenants’ offices, sanitary and epidemiological measures, control of repair work, landscaping, and so on.

Transferring an office under the service of a single building management company has a number of advantages for the tenant: for example, there is no need to keep employees who conduct supplementary work on staff. The range of an MC’s onsite personnel qualifications, as well as the resources and materials available to perform operational tasks, are far more extensive than would be feasible for a company to service its office. Clearly, the employees of a building’s MC have a deep understanding of the specifics of its life support systems, which means that in the event of an emergency situation, they can eliminate it faster and with fewer losses.

Working with the building management allows you to solve a wide range of issues under a one-stop principle, without wasting time on authorization. This is especially important for tenants whose employees are still working remotely for the most part. An MC can perform a wide range of work independently, or by engaging a permanent contractor pool – from painting the walls to the redevelopment of an entire office to comply with a tenant’s new tasks. Considering the shortage of personnel in contractor companies and the rising costs of construction and finishing materials, an MC can offer more favorable conditions by saving on scale. Finally, a professional management company can carry out work in an office, as well as offer modern solutions aimed at increasing employee comfort. For example, it can audit an office’s compliance with international environmental performance standards (BREEAM, LEED) or even evaluate it in terms of its impact on employee well-being, i.e., using the Fitwel system.

Electric vehicle charging station opens at iCUBE

10/09/2020

O1 Standard and ABB Russia have launched an electric vehicle charging station at the iCUBE business center in Moscow. The official opening of the new facility coincided with World Electric Vehicle Day.

ABB’s Terra charging stations serve electric vehicles from a range of manufacturers using the universal CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors for DC fast-charging and Type 2 connectors for AC charging. The time taken for ABB stations to charge electric vehicles with power for a 100 km journey varies from 4 minutes (Terra High Power Charger) to 25 minutes (Terra 54), depending on the vehicle modification. Terra charging stations are protected from harsh weather conditions and offer smooth operation in temperatures from –35 to +55 °С, which ensures reliable and safe operation anywhere in Russia. Control, monitoring, and station software updates and service diagnostics can be carried out remotely, thanks to built-in communication capabilities and ABB digital solutions based on the ABB Ability platformTM.

Alexander Prudnikov, Head of Electrical Equipment Business at ABB Russia: “ABB is laying the foundations today for smart, reliable and environmentally friendly transport of the future. We supply a full range of charging solutions for electric vehicles, from small wall-mounted AC stations for private use to solutions for networks of fast and ultra-fast charging systems for electric vehicles and buses. We are pleased to be contributing to the construction of modern charging infrastructure in Moscow and other Russian cities.”

Natalia Kornilova, Chief Operating Officer of O1 Standard, which manages the iCUBE business center: “We are grateful to ABB for its initiative to install an electric charging station at the iCUBE business centre. Creating infrastructure for users of environmentally efficient transport has priority in our efforts to improve environmental efficiency of O1 Properties business centres. We also see growing interest among tenants in the use of electric vehicles, so it is important for us that our facilities match the requirements of the time.”

Development of electric transport infrastructure and raising people’s awareness of electric vehicles and environmentally friendly transport is a strategic task for the city of Moscow.

O1 Properties works consistently to improve the environmental performance of its business centres. Work includes regular audits of existing engineering solutions and infrastructure for compliance with environmental standards, and provisions for users of alternative transport (bicycles, scooters). As of 2020, 90% of the company’s portfolio (including three redevelopment sites) has been certified to BREEAM international environmental standards. The company plans to install electric chargers at its other business centres, in addition to iCUBE.

World Electric Transport Day is an initiative by ABB and Green TV aimed at spreading awareness of electromobility. The occasion will be an annual event bringing together all providers, users and supporters of sustainable transport: drivers, manufacturers, government and eco-activists.

O1 Standard is rebranding

1/09/2020

O1 Standard is rebranding. The property management company has rethought its visual identity and created a new logo. The rebranding will be implemented in coming months at all company offices and sites.

The new logo and corporate identity reflect the company’s philosophy and its understanding of standards in property management. A simple and laconic geometrical shape, a square, has been chosen for the logo. However, unlike the expected solution, where standard symmetry requires central positioning of the name, in the O1 Standard logo the company name is located at the top of the square. This emphasizes the high level of management standards, to which the company is committed. The same idea is communicated by the new company slogan: “Standards above expectations”.

The logo will be used in light and dark variants, inspired by the appearance of windows at night and during the day. A window appears dark to an outside viewer during daylight hours, but when the evening comes and lights are switched on inside the room, the window becomes a bright square on the building facade. Similarly, the O1 Standard logo changes color depending on the external environment and lighting, which gives it flexibility and increases its potential for creative use.

The logo was created by UtterDesign agency.

Natalia Kornilova, Chief Operations Officer of O1 Standard, said: “O1 Standard intends to expand its business beyond the office segment by providing management services to residential real estate. When we launched the company in 2019, our name and identity symbolized our connection with O1 Properties.O1 Propertiesremains our strategic partner, to which we provide services in the management and operation of an impressive portfolio of premium office real estate. However, we believe that our expertise offers excellent potential for the successful development of the company in new segments. Hence, our decision to develop a new corporate identity.”

O1 Standard remains faithful to its current positioning and brand strategy. The company aims to create an atmosphere of hospitality and comfort for tenants, residents, and visitors to the properties, which it operates. This approach will be especially relevant when the company begins providing services in the residential segment.

“Our team worked together at O1 Properties before the establishment of O1 Standard, so we have an excellent understanding of the management process from the viewpoint of the property owner. We appreciate the importance of “investment value of buildings”, “vacancy rate” and other abstract metrics, but our main focus is the level of satisfaction of people who spend most of their active day in the building. We create a culture of real estate management centered on people and their comfort. This idea was built into our company from the start, and we plan to keep it in the future,” Natalia Kornilova said.

O1 Standard expands number of projects under management to 14

2/12/2019

December 2, 2019. O1 Standard has expanded its portfolio of facilities under management. Since December 1, the company provides management and operation services for the Lighthouse and Silver City business centres, as well as the Bolshevik business and cultural centre. The new additions bring the total floor area of assets managed by O1 Standard to 769,337 square metres at 14 sites in Moscow.

Lighthouse
Silver City
Bolshevik

O1 Standard management company, an affiliate of O1 Properties, began to provide property & facility management services in 2019. The company manages complete buildings and individual offices of building tenants, applying its own standards based on the expertise of O1 Properties, which owns the largest portfolio of class-A office real estate in Moscow. O1 Standard ensures high-quality operation of office space, defines the style of building interiors, and implements environmentally efficient practices and technologies.