Moving an office is no trivial undertaking and it therefore calls for ample planning, administration, and implementation that would entail disruption to the business’ operations as much as possible. Be it for growth, re-location or contraction one’s transition between offices or workspace must be smooth. Here are some of the best tips provided by SRS Packers and Movers to assist you in doing this successfully.
Start Planning Early
In most of the ways, office moving is successfully determined by the amount of planning that has been done. It is recommended to start the planning process not later than six months before. This gives you ample time to manage the various aspects of the move, such as:
- Assessing the New Space: Gain knowledge about the space location and size of your new office to assist in determining how your current office place will fit.
- Creating a Timeline: List out the primary steps in the move plan, including the communication to the employees’ date, packing date, and the move-in date or the date when all the operations will be completed.
- Budgeting: The other factors include; the costs that may be incurred in hiring professional movers, the effects of having to purchase packing materials, and any effects likely to be incurred due to time off from work.
Assemble a Relocation Team
You need to form a team that shall be in charge of the overall process of relocation. The members of this team should be selected to represent different departments of the business so that all angles of the business operations can be considered. Key responsibilities of the relocation team include:
- Coordinating with Movers: Coordinate with other professional movers such as SRS Packers and Movers to enable transportation arrangements.
- Communicating with Employees: Ensure all the staff members are aware of the relocation plans, schedule and what is expected of them.
- Managing Inventory: Account for the fixed assets, furniture, office equipment as well as documents in the office.
Communicate with Stakeholders
The idea should reach out to every stakeholder; thus, letting them know a new move is afoot. This includes:
- Employees: Make sure that there is constant communication especially when the company is in the process of moving to a new location and what they are likely to encounter.
- Clients and Partners: When a decision is made to relocate, the clients, suppliers and other business partners should be informed in advance. Inform all the related business correspondence and Internet sources about the change of your address.
- Service Providers: Contact all such utilities and internet service providers and other service providers so that there is no strain and interruption in their services.
Audit Your IT Environment and Transform Your Company
Your IT infrastructure can be referred to as the foundation of your office business since it supports various processes. Moving to a new environment is a perfect time to assess as well as improve your technology. Consider the following:
- IT Inventory: Assess and evaluate your current IT assets and determine which of them are still useful and relevant to be used or if they should be refurbished, replaced or disposed of.
- Data Backup: Make copies of all the important data before the change of this location.
- Setup and Testing: Find out how to place your IT systems in the new office space and be sure to allocate some time to test your IT systems to ensure the operations are not disrupted.
Declutter and Organize
During the move, it is necessary to sort through the items and get rid of the unnecessary things that were accumulated in the office. Remind employees to have a look at their items and say, ‘You do not need any of these.’
This lowers the overall amount of items to be transported as well as plays an important role in the formation of efficient working space in the new office. Old furniture, electronics and supplies should be given out to someone who will need and use it or disposing of them through recycling process.
Hire Professional Movers
Risk and time involved in an office relocation can be significantly affected by the kind of moving company you hire for your particular moving For instance, if you hire packers and movers like the SRS Packers and Movers, you will have a smooth and efficient moving process. Professional movers offer:
- Expertise: Professional movers take your machinery with a lot of consideration and learn the right procedure to use to load, transport, and unload the equipment.
- Efficiency: A professional team will take less time than your staff to do the transfer and thus will cause fewer interruptions.
- Insurance: Professional movers give insurance to your office property to ensure that in the event of their loss during the move they will be replaced.
Label Everything
This made proper labelling to be of maximum importance especially when it was time to unpack the items. Always see that you have correctly labelled all the boxes so that when they are moved to the new office, you just have to place them in the correct area that is labelled on the boxes.
You should also label the colour or number on each item so that the movers know well where to put them in each room. Also, you should prepare a list of goods/items which are being transferred from one place to the other for proper documentation.
Prepare the New Office
It is advisable to organize the new office in advance so that it is prepared to accommodate the staff and equipment on the agreed date of the move. This includes:
- Cleaning and Maintenance: Make sure the new space is clean and all repair and repair and maintenance work if any is done.
- Office Layout: Allocate the location and design of chairs, tables and working places. When you’re planning the layout of your home, it is easier to use floor plans to get an understanding of the various positions of the section and ensure that you make the necessary changes as you plan.
- Utilities and Services: Ensure that all utility services, internet connection, and phone lines are accessible including Wi-Fi and internet connection.
Plan for Downtime
Even if one tries to follow all the possible procedures, there could be a certain amount of downtime in an office move. Plan for this by:
- Scheduling the Move: It is advised to schedule it at a time when disruption of normal business operations would not be felt in the organization for example during the weekend or when business is usually slow.
- Communicating with Clients: For example, if certain services are to be delayed or interrupted, then the clients should be informed and other means of communication be provided to the clients.
- Prioritizing Tasks: List some must-do activities, both before, during and after moving with the intent of helping the business continue running.
Conduct a Post-Move Review
After the move, it is important to conduct a post-move audit to measure the effectiveness of the entire relocation process. Discuss the results of the relocation process with the employees of the company and the members of the relocation team to reveal best practices or potential problems. It is also important that you apply this information when the next relocation is being planned and when previous issues are still pending to be solved.
Conclusion
Whenever moving to a new office, it is not a process that is hard to manage especially if it is well planned and organized. Adhering to the following guidelines stipulated by SRS Packers and Movers, a business owner can avoid this and make a successful migration that prepares the business for better performance in the new place.
Finally, remember that early planning, effective communication and professional assistance are the main ingredients to a successful business relocation to a new office. When it comes to the moving of an office space, it is advisable to enlist the services of SRS Packers and Movers to take charge of the affair thus freeing up your time to concentrate on the core business.
