Tools & Templates
Tools & Templates
Checklists, trackers, and emails you can use today.
The “just give me the thing” section. Every tool gets a short page: what it’s for, how to use it, and a usable artifact — a checklist to copy, a tracker structure, an email to send. They’re grouped by workstream below, and linked from every page that references them.
Want all of them in one file?
Grab the Master Template Workbook — every template in a single spreadsheet, one tab each, ready to copy and fill in. Start there if you’d rather type than read; the individual pages explain how to use each one.
Build these first
The highest-leverage starter set — they deliver value on day one:
- First 24 Hours Checklist
- 30-Day Critical Path
- Workstream Owner Matrix
- Property Manager Intake Questions
- Vendor Directory
- Open-Item Tracker
- Punch List
- FF&E Inventory
- IT/AV Readiness Checklist
- Kitchen Startup Order List
- Move Day Run of Show
- Opening Readiness Checklist
- Employee Pre-Move Email
- Weekly Status Update
- Hypercare Tracker
Project control
- Open-Item Tracker The single list where every loose end lives — with an owner, a due date, a blocker, and a next action — so nothing falls through.
- Workstream Owner Matrix Assign one owner to each of the 14 workstreams so nothing is unowned. The fastest way to stop being the default owner of everything.
- 30-Day Critical Path The whole month on one page — what to do each phase, in the right order, with the output each phase should produce.
- Weekly Status Update A short, repeatable weekly note to leadership. Tells them one thing clearly — is opening day protected, and where do you need help?
- Command Center Setup The one place your whole move lives. A setup checklist for the single source of truth — what it must contain and who keeps it current.
- Decision Log A simple record of decisions made — what, who decided, when, and why — so settled questions stay settled and you're not relitigating in week four.
- Risk Register A short list of what could derail opening day — the risk, how likely, the impact, and your mitigation — reviewed weekly so nothing blindsides you.
- Daily Standup Agenda The five-question, 15-minute agenda you run every business day until opening, so problems surface while they're still small.
Intake & contacts
- First 24 Hours Checklist A do-this-now checklist for your first day. Collect documents, build contacts, confirm dates, define Minimum Viable Opening (MVO), and start the tracker.
- Vendor Directory One contact list for every person who touches the move — internal team, building, and vendors — with roles, backups, and numbers.
Building
- Property Manager Intake Questions The question set to run with your property manager on day one — access, certificates of insurance (COIs), freight elevator, hours, approvals — so nothing blocks the move later.
- Access Request Email A ready-to-send email that gets your movers and vendors approved for building access — names, dates, COIs, after-hours — before they show up.
- COI Tracker One place to track every vendor's certificate of insurance — required language, who's named, submitted, approved — so no one gets turned away on move day.
- Freight Elevator Reservation Checklist The booking checklist for the building's freight elevator and loading dock — windows, dimensions, weight, protection — so deliveries and the move don't wait.
- Building Rules Summary A one-page summary of the building's rules — access, hours, insurance, freight, protection, approvals — captured from your property manager (PM) so the whole team works from the same facts.
Construction
- Punch List One list for every unfinished or fix-it item, with a photo and an owner, so nothing gets lost between "almost done" and "done."
- Scope Snapshot A one-page snapshot of the build-out — what's in scope, who's doing it, and what's opening-critical vs. finish work — so you know what "done" means.
- Site Walk Checklist What to look at on every site walk — power, paths, doors, rooms, life safety — so each visit updates the punch list instead of being a stroll.
- Photo Log A simple photo record of conditions and progress — dated, located, and tied to punch items — so "what did it look like then?" always has an answer.
- Scope Change Form A short form to capture any change to the build-out — what changed, why, cost, schedule impact, who approved — so scope creep doesn't quietly blow your budget or date.
FF&E
- FF&E Inventory A running inventory of furniture, fixtures, and equipment — what exists, what's ordered, what's missing, and whether it'll be there in time.
- Furniture Order Tracker Every furniture order in one view — what's ordered, approved, paid, and when it lands — so nothing's "assumed handled" while a lead time quietly eats your timeline.
- Delivery & Install Schedule A dated schedule for every delivery and install — sequenced against freight windows and power readiness — so furniture arrives when the space can actually receive it.
- Damage & Warranty Log Document damaged or missing items the moment they're found, with photos and claim status — because undocumented damage at install becomes your problem later.
- Reuse / Donate / Recycle Tracker A disposition plan for furniture you're not keeping — reuse, donate, liquidate, or recycle — so the old space (and the new one's overflow) doesn't become a forgotten cost.
IT / AV
- IT/AV Readiness Checklist Test everything an employee will touch — Wi-Fi, conference rooms, printing, access — before opening day. "Installed" is not "working."
- Conference Room Test Script A step-by-step test for each meeting room — join, share, camera, audio, booking — because "installed" is not the same as "working."
- Access Card Tracker Track who has building and suite access — credentials issued, active, and returned — so nobody's stuck in the lobby on day one.
- Security System Checklist The security setup to confirm before opening — alarms, cameras, after-hours access, the lost-badge process — so the suite is actually secure on night one.
- Opening-Day Tech Support Plan Who's covering tech on opening morning, how people report problems, and the triage order — so a Wi-Fi hiccup doesn't become the story of day one.
Kitchen
- Kitchen Startup Order List Everything to buy so the kitchen works on day one — dishware, coffee, water, consumables, cleaning, and a plan to restock.
- Pantry Inventory Tracker A running list of pantry and kitchen supplies with par levels — so you can see what's low at a glance and the office never quietly runs dry.
- Reorder Cadence The simple restock plan — who checks, how often, the reorder threshold, who approves — so supplies stay stocked without anyone playing hero.
- Opening-Day Hospitality Checklist The small touches that make opening day feel hosted — coffee on, snacks out, signage up, kitchen stocked — so people feel welcomed, not just relocated.
Move
- Move Day Run of Show One plan for move day — roles, timeline, and a contact tree — so everyone on site knows where to go, who's in charge, and what to do if something changes.
- Move Vendor Scope The full list to confirm with your moving company in writing — dates, dock, certificate of insurance (COI), protection, labeling, debris — so move day runs on one plan, not a pile of assumptions.
- Packing & Labeling Guide A simple labeling system so boxes and furniture land in the right room — and nothing gets lost between the old space and the new one.
- Day-Of Contact Tree The short list of who's in charge on move day — workplace lead, building contact, mover foreman, IT lead, comms, escalation — with phone numbers, on one page.
- Move Completion Checklist The end-of-move walkthrough — everything delivered, placed, and undamaged — so you sign off the mover knowing nothing's missing or broken.
Comms
- Opening Readiness Checklist The day-before and opening-morning walk-through. Confirm the office clears the Minimum Viable Opening bar before anyone arrives.
- Employee Pre-Move Email A ready-to-adapt email that tells employees how to arrive successfully — and names what's still in progress so unfinished work doesn't read as chaos.
- Office FAQ The questions employees will ask on day one — where do I sit, how do I get in, what's the Wi-Fi — answered once, so you're not fielding the same message fifty times.
- Seating Plan Worksheet A simple worksheet to assign seats before move day — names to desks, teams grouped, special needs handled — so people walk in and find their spot.
Finance
- Budget Tracker Track spend against budget by workstream — committed, paid, and remaining — so you always know what's left before the next urgent order lands.
- Purchase Approval Log Every purchase tracked through approval and payment — quote, approved amount, PO, deposit, invoice, fees — so nothing stalls for lack of a sign-off.
- Vendor Contract Tracker A register of vendor contracts and SOWs — scope, term, key dates, deposit, status — so you know what each vendor owes you and when.
- Invoice Checklist A quick check before paying any invoice — matches the quote/PO, work delivered, fees expected, certificate of insurance (COI) current — so you're not paying for what didn't arrive.
Compliance
- Safety & Compliance Checklist The unglamorous opening basics — certificates of insurance (COIs), life safety, evacuation routes, first aid, accessibility, inspections — confirmed before people arrive.
- Emergency Contact Sheet One sheet of who to call when something goes wrong — building, security, medical, utilities, key vendors — posted where people can find it.
- Final Readiness Walk The last walk before opening — safety, access, core function, cleanliness — with photos, so you open knowing the space is actually ready.
Hypercare & closeout
- Hypercare Tracker One issue list for opening week, sorted by urgency, so people can see that someone is watching and fixing the list.
- Issue Intake Form A simple intake so opening-week issues arrive in one place with what's needed to act — location, problem, reporter, urgency — instead of scattered across channels.
- Week-One Closeout Update The end-of-first-week update — what opened, what's resolved, what remains and who owns it — that hands the office off from launch mode to normal operations.
- Closeout Binder Checklist Everything future-you needs in one place — floor plan, vendor directory, warranties, manuals, access records, budget archive, lessons learned.
- Recurring Operations Calendar The schedule that keeps the office running after opening — janitorial, restock, HVAC, pest, plants, walk-throughs — so operations run on a cadence, not on memory.
- Vendor Performance Notes A quick record of how each vendor actually performed — on time, on budget, would-rehire — so renewals and the next project start from evidence, not memory.
- Lessons Learned Log What worked, what didn't, and what you'd tell the next person — captured while it's fresh, so the next opening (or the next hire) starts smarter.
Great workplace
- Great-Office Scorecard A ten-minute self-assessment of your office against the six-pillar standard — to find the weakest pillar and your next improvement.
- Space & Ratios Worksheet Size the mix — desks, meeting rooms, focus and social space — against your real headcount and in-office pattern, before you lock the layout.
- Workplace Experience Survey A short, recurring pulse on how the office actually feels to the people in it — across the six pillars. Two minutes to answer, honest signal back.
- Post-Occupancy Review A structured look back at 30 / 60 / 90 days after opening — what's working, what isn't, and what to fix while impressions are fresh.
- Quarterly Workplace Review The recurring home for "keep it great" — revisit the signals, pick one pillar, ship one improvement. The cadence that stops an office from drifting.
- Day-One Greatness Checklist Beyond the opening-readiness floor — did we actually open great? A six-pillar check for opening morning, not just "is it safe to use?"