By Rosie Rogers of ReallyMoving.com
An office relocation has a different set of priorities to a standard domestic move so we recommend leaving at least three months to prepare your staff for the move.
Companies need to minimise disruption to staff and equipment during an office move.
If a move is not handled well profit margins can suffer surprisingly quickly and stress levels rise and damage productivity.
You need to plan carefully to avoid such difficulties.
Your initial steps need to be:
1. Get a number of office removal companies to visit your offices (old and new) before they give you a quote. Consider which date is your ideal. Many office relocation companies will move your business at the weekend to reduce disruption. You can request office removals quotes through a website such as ReallyMoving.com.
2. Check your removals company are confident with handling and moving computer equipment. Ask plenty of questions and get references to ensure you are confident in their ability.
3. Do a site visit to check out the new space that you are moving to. Take measurements to ensure large pieces of equipment will fit through doors.
4. Create an initial floor plan for the equipment and desks layout.
5. Standard large items such as desks, chairs, filing cabinets, printers, etc all need surrounding space to allow for drawers to open, access to shelves, chairs to move.
6. Once the floor plan has been drafted, show it to key members of staff for their approval. This is a good opportunity to position staff where they are comfortable and near people they have frequent work-related interactions with.
7. Most importantly, ensure you have a working internet connection available for your arrival so there is no disruption.
Just before the move:
1. When the floor plan has been agreed send a copy to all employees so they can visualise their new environment prior to the move. Also ensure that copies of this floor plan are abundant at the new premises on the day of the move.
2. Give your removals company multiple copies of the new floor plans.
3. Mark up each item with colour labels so that the movers know where to put them in the new office. Make the colour labels available to everyone.
4. Remember to mark clearly any furniture that does NOT need moving.
5. Ensure your employees are aware of their responsibilities. Do they need to pack their own drawers? Oversee the move of their own desks? Pack up their own files?
On the day of the move:
1. Tell your employees what you expect of them. You may not want them around for half a day, or you may want them waiting at the new offices.
2. Remember, the health and safety of both your employees and the removals company is paramount. Do not expect your staff to lift heavy objects, remember trip hazards and ensure electrical wiring is well organised.
3. Allow the removals experts to do what they are best at; they know how to tape up filing cabinets (which are usually moved full), box up equipment, wrap computers and pack their lorries.
4. Take extra care with secure documents. Arrange for any obsolete but sensitive data to be shredded and not left in bin bags or a skip. Your removals firm may have a specialist contractor for this.
5. It is worth employing a computer expert to reconnect your network in the new office as quickly and efficiently as possible.
6. Ensure your staff have easy access to the new toilets, kettle and a sink.
7. Be clear with your staff exactly what the new parking arrangements are and ensure permits are allocated.
8. Send out your change-of-address cards.
Finally:
Open the champagne to toast a new chapter for your business!
