When planning to move the office, the most critical aspect is to ensure business continuity with minimal disruption. The task is highly challenging because business disruption is unavoidable as it is challenging to ensure that everything will work as planned. Despite entrusting the job to a reliable moving company, business owners can at best reduce the stress they endure but can never eliminate. From the owners to the employees, everyone remains closely attached to the project to support the moving company for ensuring a smooth move. At the same time, they must be ready to start up the office at the new destination in the shortest time.
The key to minimizing stress during an office relocation, whether moving the entire office or it’s a department move, good planning and coordination hold the key for ensuring the desired smooth experience. You need to do a lot of groundwork by maintaining clear communication between the team members involved in the project to ensure a stress-free move.
First, create a timeline for the primary tasks to move the office
Consider the different stages of the move and create a timeline for the completion of each step. Involve the team members when creating the timeline so that it is realistic and helps achieve a fast startup’s goals at the new location. Anticipate the possible disruptions and build a contingency plan to get around them. Start planning the move at least 6-8 months for a big office and about 3-4 months for a small office and create the lists for the preparatory work by forming small groups of employees assigned with some specific tasks.
Build a team to handle the move
Everyone in the office would have a role to play in organizing the office move, and you must create a team to handle the project from the start to the end. If there are many departments, as it happens with a medium or large-size company, then pick the team members from various departments. The team would work alongside the moving company and ensure that they complete the assigned tasks within the timelines by involving other employees under them. They will have an office move checklist and keep ticking the boxes to ensure completion of the tasks that include de-cluttering the office by discarding items that won’t be required at the new location. Talk to all employees to ensure everybody is on board, and there is no discord.
Daily review
The office moving team must hold daily meetings to monitor the work progress and even incorporate new ideas or make changes that can further streamline the process. Regular meetings will ensure transparent communication between all employees who would be aware of preparation status at any point in time. Keeping everyone informed about the developments will create more awareness, and everyone will know what will happen next so that there is no surprise later that can create discontent.
Assign the tasks
After finalizing the moving plan, create a task list for every stage of the moving process and delegate it to someone accountable for completing the given tasks on time. Knowing the tasks and the respective completion times will make it easy to arrange for the resources and coordinate with the concerned persons or authority to ensure timely completion. Not only does it provide better coordination between the team members, especially for the tasks related to the common areas like the storage spaces, reception, lobby, etc., but it will also ensure proper coordination with the moving company. Keeping in touch with the moving company during the preparatory work will help remove doubts and do things that match the timetable for the office move.
Select a moving company
The completion of the preparatory work will signal the readiness to move the office. Invite quotes for at least three moving companies by sharing the list and your moving plan. Compare the quotes and ask questions. They will inspect your office to understand the scope of work and send their offers.
The moving company you choose will take over from there implement the project as agreed.
