The prospect of moving offices may seem daunting but it becomes easier when you break the process down into simple tasks and checks. It’s true that planning an office move is a lot of work regardless of the size of the company. Here are a few simple guidelines you can consider when moving offices.
Plan Well In Advance
Start the planning process early to make sure the move runs smoothly and downtime is kept to a minimum. Remember that your business still has to function during the moving process. Decide who will be doing what, how they will be doing it and when will it be getting done. Plan your new office space layout so that you can see if you have any new needs or what you'll need to get rid of. Record the dimensions of your larger items such as your conference room tables, large electrical equipment and anything else that takes up a lot of space and check that they will fit in your new office space. You'll want to know this before you move in, instead of wasting time, energy and money transporting items that aren't going to fit in your new space.
Hire Professional Movers
Do research to find the best moving company. If you have the budget for it, plan to hire a full service moving company – they'll do all the packing for you, as well as the loading and unloading. If possible, have a representative come to your office and see the scope of work to be done because it might not be enough to describe what needs to be done over the phone or in an email. Find out if the company offers special services such as dismantling, reassembling, hoisting or wrapping. Chances are you probably have big bulky furniture that might not fit through the doors, lift or the stairwell and in that case it will need to be dismantled and then reassembled at the new office. It is important to have an experienced move manager who can facilitate and follow up to ensure that things are progressing.
Rules Of The New Building
Once you have your trucks lined up, it's time to coordinate arrivals and departures. If you do not own the buildings (the one you are currently in or the one you are moving to) it would be wise to consult your building managers to find ideal loading times and spaces. It may be that you are only allowed to move during non-business hours or that you must put in a special request to use the service elevator. If either buildings have underground loading docks, then make sure your trucks will clear all entrances and exits.
I.T
To avoid complications, get someone from the I.T department to draft up a plan for disconnecting and reconnecting all of your office technical equipment, attempting to do this yourself could turn out to be a disaster if it is not your profession. Now is also the best time to replace outdated equipment, if you are getting rid of any items set up a plan for recycling or donating them.
Address Change
Start updating your documents with your new address as soon as possible. Inform your clients and suppliers, especially if they regularly deliver supplies to you. It is better to have all your updated documents on hand before your move rather than risking going days without them at your new office. Also tell your staff in advance where the new office will be so that they too can make the necessary arrangements with regards to travelling and to update their personal documents as well.
Labelling Your Boxes
Carefully label every box so you're not looking for things when you really need them. You could label each box with location and a number, and keep a corresponding spreadsheet that lists each box number and the items that are inside of it. So, just as you planned to pack in phases, you can plan to unpack and organize in stages.
Celebrate
An office relocation can be very stressful on everyone. Once you have settled in, to help boost team spirit it would be nice to organise a small party just to thank staff and to show your appreciation for their help and cooperation and of course to celebrate your new shiny office.
No one ever said moving was fun and easy, but with sufficient advanced planning you can minimize logistical hassles without client disruption.