Planning an office move can be a very stressful operation, especially if you have been operating in the same premises for a number of years, or even decades. Prioritising what to do first, when to move, and how to pack it all comes with challenges you probably haven’t even considered.
Moving is one of the most stressful situations a company and its employees can endure and it can easily overwhelm even the most experienced team. To put it simply, it’s a very complex project to undertake, so you need to get it right the first time.
To help out, we have put together the ultimate office moving checklist.
Planning
Complete a floor plan for your new location with the following:
- View the project as a process and break it into smaller phases.
- Assign each desk a number or code to help make areas more easily identifiable.
- People with individual offices should have a number assigned to the office.
- Match your numbered floor plan with the staff members who will be assigned that space.
- Name / label communal spaces very clearly.
- Confirm that you have onsite parking available for removalists.
Communicating
- Removalists copies of your completed floor plan so that they have an understanding of the layout before the move.
- Involve your team in developing your checklists.
- Send your staff clear instructions about the process of packing, along with a cut-off time to have their packing complete. Also send them a map of the new location so they understand how to get there, where to park, and what public transport options are available.
Packing
- Give each staff member their assigned desk number or code.
- Get your staff members to label everything of theirs as the same as the assigned desk number/code.
- Lock and tape filing cabinets.
- Loose items like keyboards, cables, and phones should be bagged or boxed and labelled with their assigned number.
- Personal items should be taken home rather than packed.
- Items for communal spaces should be labelled the same as your floor plan.
Preparation
- View the project as a process and break it into smaller phases.
- Consider employees needs in your plans and factor in ideas to generate their enthusiasm.
- Hire expertise for specific moving assistance like Your Local Movers Sunshine Coast
- Review service agreements and contracts and negotiate more favourable terms or changes in services
- Work with your IT department to make sure all data and power needs are ready before you move.
- Pay special attention to the plans for relocating your business-critical systems and equipment to your new office to avoid downtime
- Take advantage of a move to upgrade technology
- Post signs for the removalists with directions to each area.
- Use masking tape to plan out where the desks and furniture should go, ensuring the correct label matches the space.
- If the office is already fitted out then label the desks with their location number.
- Ensure larger items like rolling filing systems are fitted first so they don’t get in the way with the rest of the move.
During the move
- Arrange to have company reps at both new and old locations.
- Develop an issue resolution plan for move-in day.
- Schedule your service providers and technical resources on-site for move-in day.
- Have the removalists work on one area at a time, especially in a bigger building.
- Wait until everything has been moved in before trying to connect phones and computers.
- Before staff return, do a quick check to see that the boxes and items on peoples’ desks correspond with their allocated number.
- A nice touch is to create personalized desk labels for each staff member with their name, photo, and job title and company logo and leave them on new desks.
Before staff arrive
- Check the building is safe for people to enter, that any rubbish has been removed and walkways are clear.
- If the building is big, put up signage with directions for each team to find their way around.
- Spot-check the new office facilities – make sure power, toilets, air conditioners and fridges are working.
- Make sure the new space is comfortable, e.g. if newly painted, make sure there is sufficient airflow to remove strong paint odours.
Hiring a professional like removalists sunshine coast will help you to get the most out of your office move.