Whether you are moving a small office or an entire building, preplanning is the secret to a smooth move. The goal is to minimize disruption to the company’s business operations. Preplan your move carefully to reduce the impact a move will have on your clients, employees, and bottom line. Follow this simple office moving checklist to move your office as efficiently as possible:
1. Assign an Internal Person as Move Coordinator
Choose an organized and detail-oriented individual who can be the liaison between the mover and your company. Ensure a comprehensive move plan is created and included in a statement of work in the moving contract; this keeps things moving on schedule and on budget.
2. Choose a Professional Moving Company
It is essential to get your business back up and running as soon as you can. That is why choosing a professional moving company like Premiere with expertise in office moving is preferable. They have the right equipment, resources, and most importantly, the trained personnel who can manage commercial office moves efficiently.
3. Draw Up Detailed Floor Plans
Moving into new office space will require decisions as to where each employee will be situated. Your internal move coordinator can collaborate with your moving company to draw up detailed floor plans. If you are using existing office furniture, it will be necessary for the mover to disassemble and reassemble cubicles. Having a professional office mover is vital as they have factory-trained installation specialists who can manage office moving systems. Obtain blueprints of your new space to ensure you have adequate electrical outlets for employee computers and equipment.
4. Establish Scheduling
Moving outside regular business hours is preferable; this may not always be possible depending on your specific business. Your internal move coordinator should collaborate with the moving company to develop a packing, loading the truck, delivering to the new location, and setting up a workstations schedule. For most offices, moving takes place over a weekend.
5. Arrange Third Party Services
Another essential task is contacting telecommunication companies, utilities, computer installations, and other service providers to coordinate the disconnection and reconnection of key services. Your IT personnel may need to be onsite as the move is taking place.
6. Communicate with Employees
Throughout the planning process, keep your employees in the loop at each stage. Tell them about the upcoming move as early as possible, especially if it is quite a distance from the original location. A move from downtown to the suburbs may negatively impact employees from a commute or childcare perspective, so they will need time to make other arrangements. Once floor plans are finalized, it is important to have departmental managers show employees how their areas will be set up.
7. Organize Office-Wide Purging
Encourage your employees to use the upcoming move as an opportunity to purge files and dispose of outdated materials. Arrange for extra shredding boxes to make it more convenient for employees. Have your facility manager set up disposal areas for items that cannot be shredded. Consider having employees come in on the weekend to have a “purge” day.” Make it a fun day by having pizza delivered.
8. Organize Packing
Your moving company will use plastic bins for items that require packing (including paper files). Most companies relocating offices ask employees to pack their personal belongings, but some companies ask them to pack all files. The mover will deliver Bins to the departments and color-coded labels to ensure they are delivered to the correct location at the new office.
9. Notifications
Send out advance notices to customers, suppliers, and key individuals about the upcoming move with updated contact information. Add this same information to the company website and other communication vehicles. Include information about the new address in invoices and correspondence. Advise the post office.
10. Assignments
Some personnel may need to be onsite or available while the move is in process. Please make sure they know their responsibilities and accurate contact information has been provided to the moving company on site.
For more packing and moving tips, contact Premiere Van Lines toll-free at 1-877-671-6683.