Brought to you by Imperial Movers:
No matter how stable a business may seem, it’ll likely go through a transition at some point, which requires you to change locations. It can be for the better, like the need for additional office space as you expand your operations, or worse, such as downgrading your location to make the rent. Whatever your reason is, one thing is for sure: office relocation isn’t a walk in the park.
But fear not. It doesn’t have to be as stressful as you think. All your company needs is a systemized plan to get things in motion. That said, here’s how you can effectively come up with a good one.
Start Early
There’s a reason why the saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’ is widely popular. It’s because it holds true most of the time. In this case, the sooner you come up with a strategy, the better your chances of a successful transition will be.
If movers recommend a month of planning to map out a household move, you’ll need at least six months to plan an office relocation.
Within these six months, you can:
- Design your new office’s layout
- Start backing up your files
- Accommodate sudden changes
- Assign people to facilitate the move
- Create a timeline with reasonable objectives
- Gradually purge the office of clutter
- Work with a company that specializes in office moving
While six months might seem like a long time, you’ll be surprised at just how fast the time goes!
Hire a Skilled Moving Company
When it comes to moving a business, downtime (and the resulting lost revenue) is your company’s biggest enemy. If you want to get back to productivity as soon as possible, it’s best to let professionals handle the logistics involved.
When relocating an office, you need more than just trustworthy movers. You need to work with a moving company that moves quickly, skillfully, and flawlessly to minimize downtime. A professional office mover will typically:
- Provide a moving coordinator who works as a liaison between the movers and your team throughout the moving process
- Work with you to design the floorplan of your new office space
- Provide a crating system for packing up documents and employee desks
- Dismantle and wrap bulky office furniture, cubicles, etc.
- Work with the IT team to ensure critical systems are back up and running quickly
- Load and transport all items to the new office
- Arrange the new space according to the pre-determined plan
- Provide after-hours and weekend support to minimize downtime
Have Employees Pack Their Desks
Although movers will do everything moving-related, it’s better to entrust desk-packing to your people.
Desks are more than just tables with computers. Each one serves as a unique, personal space for every employee. They might have sentimental and decorative items, like picture frames and plants, that require special care when packing.
Usually, the moving company provides reusable plastic crates that employees can use to pack their desks’ contents. Once sealed, the mover delivers these numbered and labeled crates to each employee’s new desk space for them to unpack post-move.
Prioritize the IT Department
As you already know, the IT Department is one of the most crucial components of the modern office. Backing up the data, securing the files, and moving the servers won’t be easy. The task isn’t something you can pass off to the movers either.
The IT folks should be the first ones to know the date of your relocation. Why? So, they can start drafting data transfers, purging malfunctioning equipment, and doing step-by-step maintenance on the electronics.
You can sell or donate items you don’t need anymore or give them to deserving employees. Lastly, make sure to call a junk removal company to haul off electronic trash.
Measure Dimensions and Purge
Since you’re moving to a space with a different floorplan, you should account for the dimensions in your new office. Measure the corridors, corners, and hallways to see if your furniture and appliances will fit. Don’t be afraid to get rid of extra items that will only clutter the new workspace.
What’s the point of bringing that large filing cabinet if it’s just going to be in everyone’s way? Learn to let go. If there is a lot of furniture that won’t be making the move, ask your mover if they can assist with furniture liquidation.
Now is also the time to purge office supplies that you no longer need. Make sure to go through every cabinet and drawer.
Label Every Box
Labeling boxes is critical to reducing downtime. Nothing’s more time-consuming than having to sort things out in your new office.
Use a color-coded labeling system to ensure that you can quickly recognize where a box should go. For example, you might stick blue labels on all the boxes destined for the kitchen. Consolidating similar items also goes a long way in keeping the process streamlined.
Conduct Regular Meetings
Imagine your manager telling you that you are moving one day then not hearing about it again for the next six months. It’s easy to let the idea of the move slip out of your mind, right? That’s why you want your employees to be continuously reminded and prepared.
Hold occasional meetings to see how everyone feels about the move and ensure that employees complete any assigned tasks on schedule.
Inform Your Contacts
Do you know what else hurts your business besides downtime? Ghosting your acquaintances and customers. It is your responsibility to let them know about your upcoming move.
Send out emails to your clients at least a week before the relocation. Inform them of the length of your anticipated downtime so they know when to expect to hear from you again.
Also, don’t forget to contact your suppliers. You’ll want to coordinate deliveries as soon as you get things going again in your new office.
Wrapping up
Office relocation might seem stressful right now, but it will eventually pass. Look beyond the hassles of today, embrace the situation, and look forward to a brighter future with your company.
