CAREFUL PLANNING IS THE KEY TO MAKING YOUR RELOCATION
AN EASY AND SUCCESSFUL MOVING EXPERIENCE.
|
| BY
KAREN A. SUNDAY / COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE BROKER |
|
Orange
County, California is undergoing a boom in corporate relocations.
Personnel who are often inexperienced in moving an entire
company generally handle the burden of planning a move.
Here are ten tips for planning a time-efficient as well
as cost-effective move: |
|
1. Plan a budget and itemize
costs: A budget planned well in advance can identify hidden
costs and highlight the financial
scope of your relocation
The
budget should include the following:
-
Telecommunications
purchase and installation
Computer
systems purchase and installation
-
Furniture
purchase and/or lease
-
Alarm
and Security System
-
Copier
and Fax and office machines purchase or lease
-
Artwork
leases or purchase
-
Stationery
-
Allowance
for movers and packing
-
Employee
overtime costs
|
|
2.
Possible
contributions to construction costs
Designate
a staff person to coordinate the move: Appoint a person
who acts as a liaison between your company and
the contractors, space planners, architects commercial real
estate broker and various vendors. You may want to consider
hiring a relocation specialist or outside consultant to
help organize and facilitate your entire move. No matter,
you
should have an in-house moving coordinator to field the
move for you. The costs will vary depending on the entire
scope of the move involved, location and size of premises.
You may want to consider contacting a telecommunications,
business and computer consultant as well. These services
can reduce the amount of move-related downtime. Your
goal is to ensure minimal work disruption and cost reduction,
while ensuring maximum employee and customer
moving satisfaction.
|
3.
Communicate with your entire staff: Your office personnel
will make a smoother transition to the new space if they
are kept well informed of the details of the move. One way
to keep the stream of information flowing is a series of
informational memoranda. Set up an Employee Advisory Group
to assist. Arrange a packing demonstration two weeks
prior to the move to show how to correctly pack desks and
personal items. This can help minimize a potentially
annoying aspect of the move. |
|
4. The move-in
date: The move-in date should be negotiated and established
well in advance in order to organize the
move properly. If possible, schedule a walk-through of the
suite for the employees a few days prior to relocation.
The
physical move will be most efficient if scheduled on a Friday
afternoon or a Saturday morning. This allows the weekend
to unpack and the telephones may be activated the afternoon
prior to move-in. Not all moving companies work on the
weekend. however, and may charge additional fees for a weekend
move. |
5.
Request a bid from three different vendors: Telecommunications,
computers, office machines and moving services
should all be bid out to different vendors at least two months
in advance of the move. It is important that the products
you will acquire will accommodate your future expansion needs.
Be careful of the lowball bidder. Consider not only
the price, but quality. service and durability. Make sure
your Purchasing Director meets with each bidder to understand
the details of the bid. |
6.
Notify clients, suppliers, prospects. and vendors of your
relocation: Do this at least one month in advance so that
the necessary preparations may be made for special handling
of delicate items. Note: Certain vendors such as copier,
telecommunications and computer companies require that they
install, move and reinstall their own equipment. If you
do not adhere to their requirements, you risk violating a
warranty agreement or service contract that could result in
substantial costs should the equipment be damaged during the
move. |
7.
Keep “troubleshooters” at hand: If, for example,
you are purchasing a new telephone system. insist that the
vendor provide a support person on site or readily available
by telephone 24-hours-a-day to answer questions or
to repair malfunctions. |
8.
Monitor tenant improvements: This can be accomplished by regularly
scheduled
meeting arranged by your firm’s move coordinator, real
estate broker, or the
appropriate architects and contractors. Detailed notes of
decisions made during
these meetings can help with the follow-up and implementation
of the action
required. Walk through your new space during the build-out
period co troubleshoot
any on-site problems noted. Try and avoid changes after the
start of construction as
it may delay your move and become costly |
9.
Expect the unexpected: With every move. no matter how carefully
planned,
circumstances beyond one’s control can create unexpected
problems. One way to
reduce the impact of these unexpected problems is to provide
back-up systems. If
you are switching from one computer system to another after
the move. try and keep
your old system operational until you have completed the move
and have the new one
up and running. |
10. Coordination of the move and timing are two essential elements
in an office
move: A thorough and detailed plan will allow for a controlled
and timely relocation. |
| |
| MOVING CHECKLIST |
6 Months - 1 Year before Moving Day
____ Get office space
____ Communicate to employees
____ Identify major tenant improvement needs
____ Set budget
____ Choose the move day
____ Obtain necessary permits
____ Start contracting for major tenant improvements
____ Order new phone number
____ Order new fax number
3 - 6 Months before Moving Day
____ Design office space
____ Assign office space
____ Order chairs
____ Order desks
____ Order systems furniture
____ Hire movers
____ Evaluate server room needs
____ Evaluate computer networking needs
____ Order change of address labels for notification
____ Order new address labels for existing stationery and marketing materials
____ Order signage for new location
____ Identify phone system requirements
____ Order phone lines
____ Order Internet access
____ Order phone forwarding
____ Arrange internal/external maintenance service
____ Arrange for trash disposal
____ Set up cleaning service
1 - 3 Months before Moving Day
____ Get business insurance quote for new space
____ Arrange for copier move or buy new equipment
____ Order security system
____ Order keys and access cards
____ Arrange for beverage service
____ Send change of address to all vendors
____ Send change of address to all customers
____ Send change of address to all subscriptions
____ Notify all lessors of equipment move
____ Order checks with new address
____ Order long distance service
____ Transfer 800 numbers or order new numbers
____ Sell old equipment and furniture
1 Day to 1 Month before Moving Day
____ Install phone lines
____ Install phone systems
____ Assign new phone numbers and extensions
____ Order new stationery
____ Order new business cards
____ Order new business forms
____ Repair new office
____ Clean new office
____ Identify closest overnight drop-off boxes
____ Inventory existing computers
____ Inventory existing furniture by room
____ Order dumpster for purging
____ Purge old and obsolete materials
____ Create new office extension directory
____ Create new office layout map
____ Create new fax cover sheet
____ Create driving instructions
____ Get new shipping labels
____ Notify Post Office of change of address
____ Update website with new information
____ Add note inside mailbox about change of address/move
____ Obtain moving crates/cartons
____ Back up computers
____ Take down systems furniture
____ Pack up desks and personal spaces
____ Pack up common areas
____ Store property that will not be moved
____ Tag furniture to be moved
____ Tag all wall items and move to central location
____ Install systems furniture
____ Distribute new keys and cards
____ Collect old keys and cards
____ Empty, defrost and clean refrigerator
____ Code new office space on a map for movers
Moving Day
____ Post coded signs in new office for movers
____ Protect main moving paths
____ Move plants
Post-Move
____ Get office art
____ Periodically visit old office to pick up mail
____ Schedule phone training
____ Schedule security training |
| Click here to download this Checklist |
