execute an office move

Follow These 20 Rules To Plan And Execute An Office Move

Planning an office removal is not an easy thing. An office move is way different from an ordinary move. There are a lot more moving parts than an ordinary move and this makes removalists such as Interstate Removalists Sydney ideal to specialize in office moves and offer customized services for the same. Here are some reasons why moving an office is more challenging

  • You have to consider the employees- The employees are part of the establishment and you should include them in planning the move, for example, employees can be trained on operating procedure during office moves.
  • Tell customers that you are relocating- Your customers also need to know that you are moving shop so that they continue boosting sales for your company. This needs prior planning and advertising.
  • The office has more stuff- The workplace has a lot of items and moving them requires more attention. It is also harder to pack the office and usually takes months for everything to get packed.
  • Efficiency is a must- On the moving day, the office could be closed for business. The move should be done in good time to get the company back to operations and avoid incurring losses after the moving day.

As such, an office move should be well planned and carried out in the right way. Here are some tips to help you out if you want to move your business or office;

1. Set a moving date and stick to it

It is important to set a date for relocation very early before the move. Setting a date will be in your best interest because

  • You will plan and avoid moving on business days and by doing so avoid interruption of normal business activities.
  • You stand to benefit from customer discounts from your moving company by allocating a favourable day to move.
  • It is good to plan a date early so that you can discuss the move with the removalist company and make changes if necessary. At Interstate Removalists Sydney, you will get a detailed description of how long the move will take to allow you to plan appropriately.
  • You alert employees of the moving date so that they can be mentally prepared for the move. All activities henceforth will then contribute towards the move in preparation for the moving day.

 

2. Start looking for a removalist 3 months before moving

In the case of an office move, the earlier the better. Start looking for a removalist company at least three months before the actual date. If you have more than 25 employees, you might consider looking for a removalist company 4 to 6 months before the set date. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best removalist company for your office move.

3. Choosing a removalist company for an office move

Unlike a normal move such as a studio apartment move, office moves usually need some assistance from a removalist company. This is how you can take the initiative and pick the best removalist company for you.

  • Get different quotes from removalist companies

Call the removalist companies through the contact information they have provided and ask for a quote. Most companies will give you a rough estimate over the phone or via email. Use this to weed out the ones whose rates or services do not appeal to you.  When you have nailed it down to three companies, have them come over and give an actual quotation based on the number of items, distance to be covered and so forth. Here, you will be spoilt for choice and you can proceed to vet your favourite candidate further.

  • Recommendations from friends, family or co-workers

Getting a recommendation from someone you know such as family and friends can help you choose a removalist company without all the hassle. Be sure to ask someone who has already used the service and not what they heard on the grapevine. Alternatively, you can conduct a search of local removalist companies which may have more competitive rates.

  • Ask for services which fit your needs

Removalist companies such as Interstate Removalists Sydney have specialised services for office moving. Look for a company that has experience moving a business and not house moving only. When the removalist company sends an estimator to produce an in-house quote, give them details of the new property so they can know what to expect in terms of access ways, elevators, stairs etc. You may also want some extra services such as packing or cleaning services. Make sure the company you are contracting to conduct the moving has all the services you need under one roof.

  • Give yourself time

Moving a business takes a lot of time. Some of this time should be used to get quotes from removalists and choose the best. You do not want to make a hurried decision when choosing an office removalist company. The quotation process may even take more than a week. Designate ample time to look for a removalist company if you want to end up with a good removalist company.

  • Get the best price possible

Negotiate the price with the removalists to get the best price. Also, ask them about any discounts that they might have. You can avoid spending too much money on moving by keeping off peak periods where the rates are usually higher. These include school holidays and Saturdays. A weekday for example could be charged cheaper than the normal or peak price.

4. Budgeting for the move

If you are going to use a removalist company, you can save some money by following the points above. Looking for the most favourable rates, getting an in-house estimate and negotiating the price are all part of budgeting. Here are some other tips to help you budget for the move;

  • Conduct an inventory for the office. The moving company usually requires an inventory to know which items are going to be moved. An inventory list will also help you avoid accounting for and moving stuff that you won’t need.
  • Don’t forget the insurance. Discuss insurance with your moving company to know who is liable for what. Accidents are inevitable and some items could get damaged during the move. Insurance can cover your losses and avoid burning a hole in your pocket. Some of the insurance options you can discuss include full valuation insurance, selected item insurance and standard liability.
  • Account for additional services. Remember those specialized office moving services offered by removalist companies? You should put these into your budget for efficient planning. Extra services can include:
  • Specialized moving for computers and equipment. These days, offices are equipped with high-tech equipment which require special attention when moving. You can ask the removalist company to provide special packing materials and vehicles to move the equipment. Add these costs to your moving budget.

 

5. Check out the new place

< Take some time away from your busy schedule to do a pre visit to the new office. Is the office bigger than the previous one? If it is, you should figure out what to do with the extra space. If on the other hand the new place is smaller, then you should know how much you need to downsize. Doing a pre visit is good to know what you are getting into and also helps to avoid nasty surprises on the moving day.

6. Plan the layout for the new office

The pre visit should be enough for you to plan your new office layout. By then, you already know if the new office is bigger or smaller than the previous one. Planning the office layout involves telling the removalist guys what they are going to deal with in terms of layout, space, flights of stairs and the position of the elevator. When you plan your office layout in advance, the removalist guys know where to place furniture and other equipment. This ensures that your business resumes operations quickly by saving time that would be used to reorganize.

7. Declutter your office

In the office or business setup, you might find yourself dealing with a lot of items some of which are useless or obsolete. Things such as broken or worn out chairs, old furniture and obsolete computers which need to be disposed should be disposed early on. There is no need to haul them and have the removalist guys charge you for moving items that you are going to dispose afterwards. This is why removalist companies such as Interstate Removalist Sydney recommend that you declutter your office before moving and pick the items that are in good condition or need minimal repair.

8. Ask employees to take their personal belongings home

Another thing you should do in preparation for the move is to tell your employees to take their belongings home. Items that are not part of the office such as bikes, potted plants, spare clothing and so forth should be retrieved by the owners before the moving day. Most employees will be happy to pack their stuff away instead of the removalist company doing so. Furthermore, the items were there for their own convenience. This also reduces the load of moving stuff with the removalist company hence saving you money. It also applies to the previous point on decluttering the office.

9. Sort out paperwork and store them in archives.

A lot of companies find themselves with the task of sorting out paperwork. Organizing corporate documents needs a solid structure for labelling them and storing them in order. This can however be a headache as the moving day gets closer. Corporate papers need to be accessible and should not be misplaced during the move. When sorting out the paperwork, decide which documents will be needed first and store them in a different place. Other documents can be categorised and unpacked later after moving. It is also advisable to label items and sort them later if you do not have enough time to sort and archive paperwork.

10. Backup your digital data

Moving a computer workstation is no joke. You have to consider moving the equipment which risks loss of data. There is no need to compromise your data and your company servers because you are moving, even if it only happens once in a while. Before the move, backup your data and ensure that you have an up-to-date backup after the move. Interstate Removalists Sydney recommend that you have your backup in an online storage medium or a separate drive which will not be involved in the move.

11. Appoint an employee to manage the moving process

If possible, appoint an employee to oversee the moving process. Have their tasks clearly defined so that they know what to do. Some of the tasks you can assign them are to supervise packing, communicating with the removalist company, ensuring paperwork is sorted and well stored, overlook backing up of data and so forth. It is important to set realistic expectations for him/her. They might find it difficult to juggle office tasks and still coordinate moving activities.

Moving day

Finally, the day has come and you have to move. There are some things that will make moving day easier. They include:

12. Train your employees on the moving process

This activity can be done two weeks before the moving day. It does not have to be something extraordinary. Just inform them of their tasks so that they are aware of what needs to be done before the move, during the move and even after moving. Think of it as informing employees on the whole process so that it goes smoothly from start to end.

13. Check with both buildings to know their requirements

By now, if you are moving your office, you should know that every building is unique. There may be some regulations that you have to follow. You might find yourself dealing with a building which has rules about how much time you can park a vehicle at the loading dock. Without prior knowledge, you can inconvenience the removalist company and might even make the moving process longer. Other buildings require that the elevators are reserved beforehand. This brings us to the next point;

14. Know your elevator technician

As trivial as this sounds, it is actually very important. Have the phone number of your elevator technician before moving day. You might find the elevator stuck during the move which could greatly inconvenience you. Try and get to know about elevator rules that apply for the new building and if possible get their elevator technician’s number.

15. Have your removalist company do frequent visits to your office before the move.

Interstate Removalists Sydney recommend that the movers visit your office once in a week in the case of an office move. This is so that they can supervise the packing process. Remember that packing for an office takes longer than usual. It is therefore advisable to start packing early and have the moving guys supervise the packing as the moving day inches closer. Also, ensure that the removalists supervisor come two days before the move and run a supervision of the office pathways. The crew should get a feel of the space they are working with in order to prevent any mishaps on the moving day.

16. Don’t shy away from asking for advice

If you did the choosing process right, you will end up with a reliable removalist company to help you with the move. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice about the move. Remember, office moves are more difficult to organize and carry out. The removalist company probably has a lot of experience and good advice from them can work in your favour. You also have the right to keep in constant communication with them if you have any queries or difficulties.

Extra tips to improve your moving experience

If you follow the tips in this article well, you should have a relatively easy time moving your office. Here are other tips to improve your chances of success when moving your office or business.

17. All hands on deck

Office moves are complicated and need a lot of effort from everyone. After offering ‘training’ for the move for your employees, encourage them to be a part of the move. Tell them of the advantages of combining effort for them as employees and also for the good of the company. Motivated employees will put in more effort to pack the office and also organize it after the move.

18. Change the addresses on printed materials

Obviously, moving your office means a change of location. Printed materials such as business cards, envelopes, brochures and so forth might need a change of address. This will make sure that your business resumes normal operations and retains its customers after the move.

19. Assign two managers to oversee the entire move

< Have two managers overlook the whole moving process. One should be at the old office and the other at the destination and should be there for the whole move. Be sure to assign only two managers so that they do not get in the way of the movers. Remember, too many cooks spoil the broth.

20. Find out if the air conditioning will be on

Some buildings switch off the HVAC or AC during weekends unless you tell them in advance. Enquire about this early to have a good environment when moving.