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Here’s a checklist of dos and don’ts to make sure that moving to another office is done in the most efficient way possible.
The relocation of your present office space is often a reason to rejoice as it indicates a company’s expansion. However, even if this is a good thing, it does not necessarily relieve you of the responsibilities and stress that entail moving—not to mention that disruption it will cause to your business. Choosing the best location is difficult enough, while the move itself is not exactly a piece of cake. You may also have to postpone operations so working with great efficiency is needed. Here is an office relocation checklist to help you out with your move.
1. Have a Plan
This may be cliché, but successful projects start with a solid plan, and in order to come up with a solid plan, the decision-makers should reach a consensus on the general objectives of the project. This includes deciding on the location and the space needed, creating a budget, a timeline, and key features that the office will need.
During the move itself, planning how office equipment will be packed and moved needs a solid plan as well, as failing to do so may cause precious assets damage, which may cause the company to lose money.
2. Delegate Accordingly
Make sure you are able to tap employees who are willing to help out in contacting the movers, the equipment, and all the logistics that you will need for the move. If you have enough manpower, an ad hoc team that can work on the planning would help the moving process go on smoothly. You can also assign a project leader with competent organization skills and extra time to dedicate to the project. Putting the right person in charge is key.
3. Know Where to Allocate Your Resources
Naturally, a detailed project plan includes the budget, so that you can make sure you are allotting your resources in the right places. Since moving office can be quite costly, you do not want to spend more than you should. A budget plan is an essential tool to assess your expenditures and plan the finances you will use throughout the entire process.
4. Establish a Timeline and Stick with It
Review your options a few months prior to the planning stage, and once those are set, a realistic, detailed timeline should be created (this is more important if your lease in your present office is about to expire). It is vital that you provide ample time to properly assess the variables, but not too much that it will hamper your operations since the longer time it takes the more it will cost your company, which obviously you do not want to happen. Lastly, it is best to concretize the plans as soon as possible so you can start early; it will give you more mobility with your time.
5. Secure Your New Office Location
Once the plans have been set up, agreements about the contracts among other particulars should be smoothened out as well. Furniture should suit the new place and have its proper arrangements planned out beforehand and brought up with the movers. Network equipment should also be planned out in cooperation with the IT department since it is likely that electrical changes or layout plans will be different. In a buoyant office real estate market such as the Makati CBD and Bonifacio Global City, office spaces are difficult to come by due to tight supply, so once the ideal place has been chosen, make sure that a letter of intent is sent to the owner as soon as possible.
6. Hire the Right People for the Job
The motto guys from the human resources department live by: hire reputable moving professionals that are experienced with office relocation. Moving companies usually send a representative to estimate the cost and manpower according to the size and location of your new office space. There are also people who oversee the project but it is always better to deploy some employees to ensure the operations are running as it should. It is also good to ask advice about what you can do to prepare your office relocation.
7. Labels
Labels and an office relocation checklist are of utmost importance not only for organization and inventory purposes, but for your properties’ protection. Color code boxes with labels according to where it the items inside it would be placed. Labels should be on the part of the box where it would be most visible and mark fragile items and papers accordingly.
8. Communication Is Important
Another thing that has always been reiterated in establishing a conducive working environment is that a good flow of communication is top priority. Communicate your plans to your staff so that they would have ample time to prepare as well. Discuss those plans in regular meetings and keep them posted about how things are going. And who knows? Maybe they might pitch in some practical ideas that can help you out.
9. Purge Your Clutter
The good thing about moving in into new spaces is that you will find reasons to throw away unnecessary items, and old files that you no longer need. It will give you more storage space, and a chance to reorganize items that need to be filed properly. Plus, it will provide the much-needed space your spanking new office equipment need.
10. Announce Where Your New Office Will Be
Perhaps the most tedious task there is, but it needs to be done. Send a notice that you will be moving to your primary contacts, your clients, suppliers, etc. Make sure that you will include all the necessary details like dates, a vicinity map, or new contact information so they can keep you in touch. An announcement that you have successfully moved to a new office would also be helpful. Lastly, do not forget to update all your business cards, your letterheads, and most especially your website about your new office address.
