How to move an office? Every office move is different, so you (along with your team) will need to decide what tasks to include in your specific relocation project plan. The priority is to ensure that every part is shipped on time and budgeted correctly. Organizing an office move requires some non-obvious steps. For example, notifying employees and clients, drawing up a schedule, as well as mandatory zoning (flowers, personal belongings, securities).
Plan your office moving schedule
The moment you learn about the upcoming relocation, you need to immediately create a schedule. This will include the process of interviewing and recruiting a commercial agent with the experience, resources and manpower. No matter what, the schedule should include the steps your organization will take to select the best delivery option (optimized). Drawing up a step-by-step schedule will help you fit into the time frame and not delay deadlines. For example, if you allocate a certain period of time to each stage of work and orient all workers to this schedule, you can avoid many delays in work. An approximate plan for scheduling how to move an office:
- 7 days to find a logistics company or moving company agent.
- 3 days to create a plan and clarify all details with the company.
- 5 days to collect things.
- 2 days for the work of the sysadmin.
- 2 days to sort through all things.
- 1 day for general cleaning.
Total 20 days for the general move.
The schedule may be approximate and may not include dates and times. After drawing up a clear delivery plan from the carrier company, you can make adjustments to the schedule and begin notifying employees and customers.
Select a carrier company
Decide whether you will use a full office moving package from a logistics company before you plan the project. If you decide to delegate the duties of moving things from the office, then our moving company UTS will take care of most of the work (including creating a project plan). How to move an office using a moving company? What to look for when choosing:
- Only officially registered companies.
You should not consider illegal companies, or single craftsmen, who are often published on job search sites. These can be wonderful craftsmen, but not for corporate transfers to another premises. Most often, such movers do not take any responsibility, do not provide a guarantee for the work and delay deadlines. Self-employed movers do not have a lot of equipment, crew, or materials to pack large orders. - Pay attention to the company’s activity on the Internet.
Find the company’s website, check the prices (is the price list current), read reviews about the company. Try to find live reviews or case examples on the company page. It is important to understand whether the company has experience working with large corporate orders. Do not hesitate to ask questions to specialists by phone, so you can learn more about the radius of work. - Pay attention to the price/quality ratio.
High-quality delivery services cannot be cheap. There may be hidden costs, which means you may not know the final price until work begins. Unscrupulous companies may give you one final figure, and at the end give you a completely different one. Pay attention to companies that enter into a delivery agreement, insure your items and do not change the cost as the project progresses. - Find out about the range of services.
Before placing an order, you need to check whether the company can cover your requirements. This includes packaging material, delivery speed (availability of a large number of cars), loader staff and other details. If you are planning to get a turnkey service, then worry about all the details in advance. It will be very disappointing to find out that the company does not purchase packaging materials and you must provide them yourself. This will not only make delivery more expensive, but will also delay delivery times.
Making the right choice will save you and your team a lot of work and time! Once you choose our company for your move, we will provide you with a detailed plan and give you the opportunity to manage the process if necessary.
Notify employees and customers
Be sure to inform employees of your upcoming move as early as possible. If you are moving long distances, discuss relocation options. Keep employees informed throughout the process with regular emails, SMS notifications and announcements during company meetings. All employees can participate in the relocation process, make their suggestions and wishes.
The company’s clients should remain your clients even after relocation, and try not to forget to notify them about the change of address. If you’re moving a short distance, you can make business cards with a diagram of the route to the new office, or simply a printed updated address. If you are moving a long distance, then warn them about the closure of the point and provide the new address. This will help clients plan with your employees so that all business and needs can be completed before the official departure.
Take inventory
Relocating a company office is a good time to replace outdated equipment and furniture. Take inventory and decide which items will be moved or replaced. Also decide how you will dispose of outdated office furniture and equipment. Start taking inventory as soon as you know you’re moving. This will reduce the burden of last minute tasks.
If you’re moving soon, it’s a smart idea to take inventory of your belongings, especially items that have a lot of value. If your items go missing or are damaged, the process of proving value will be easier if you can prove their existence and condition. If doubts arise about the honesty of employees or the logistics company, you can always conduct a second audit and find the loss.
Plan the work of system administrators
Collaborate with your IT department when planning your new office infrastructure. System administrators have a lot of work to do, because they need to disconnect and pack all the equipment in the old room, and then assemble and connect it in the new one. Setting up equipment can take a long time, so the system administrator must work quickly and smoothly. And, most likely, he will have to work after hours so that on the first day in a new place, employees can immediately start working.
Take care of communications in the new premises
Clear out the space you need in your new office. If necessary, plan step-by-step work after arriving at the new premises. This includes: sorting things, assembling furniture, cleaning, setting up computers, running important communications. It is very important to take care of all important communications before arrival. You need to connect your phone and internet in advance, and take care of the electrical wiring to connect the equipment.
Packaging and labeling of things
Packing and labeling of items may fall on the shoulders of the carrier’s employees. Most often, there are things in the office that require special treatment and it is better to pack them personally. For example, documents, plants, special equipment and more. When packing these items, it is important to leave a note or label indicating delivery instructions. These may be fragile things. If you want to quickly figure out delivery at a new location, then labeling all boxes is an important step.
Furniture
Furniture is securely packaged and delivered in an individually selected vehicle. It can be an awning or an all-metal body. If the furniture is small, it is tied and packed together.
Documentation
Important documents and securities are delivered separately from all items. Also, the owner of the company can take responsibility for delivery and transport the goods accompanied or in a personal car. If personal documents are delivered by a logistics company, it is important to warn the movers and separate them from the general mass.
Household equipment
Household It is important to label the equipment and leave it in a visible place so that you can quickly start cleaning the new premises. This is important if you do not plan to order cleaning. Household chemicals are hermetically packaged and delivered separately from personal items and equipment.
Plants
You may be wondering how to move an office that has a lot of plants. It’s not as scary as it seems at first glance. The main task is to pack the plants at the last moment and unpack them just as quickly in a new place. Inspect the new premises to see if any damage has been caused. If all the flowerpots and flowers are intact, the transportation was successful. The logistics company will pack the flowers for you, since proper packaging is the key to the integrity of the plants.
Personal belongings of employees
Personal items must be packed and inspected personally by each employee. Most often, a cardboard box is used for packaging, which is signed with the employee’s name.
In conclusion
Moving to a new office is as difficult a process as moving to a new home. You have large, bulky furniture, complex electronics, and several rooms full of knick-knacks to collect. And usually there isn’t much time to do all of this (you can’t just close the company for a week to figure everything out). Moving to another office is a big job, no matter the size of your company. Follow the tips above to learn how to move your office in a smoother manner.