how do you manage an office move

^{How to manage an office move}

• Check out the new space. Visit the new office space or get a floor plan layout with dimensions. ...
• Create a reverse chronological timeline. Starting with your move-in day, create a calendar that lets you know when you will need to have each task completed, such as switching phone ...
• Contact your vendors and suppliers. Water coolers, coffee machines, copiers, etc. ...
• Manage employee communications. Let your employees know that the company is moving, when the move will take place and where you’ll be moving.
• Create a supply list. Write a list of all the things you’ll need to pack, move and unpack your office equipment and supplies.
Hire a moving company. If you’re using professional movers, use the Internet to research companies, looking for unbiased reviews from other businesses.
Plan for safety and security. Moving day can be hectic and is a perfect opportunity for thieves. ...
Contact your customers. Let your customers know you’ll be moving, why it’s good for your company and why it’s good for your customers.
Perform a final walk-through. After everything and everyone is out of your old office, do a walk-through to see if you need to make any repairs before you perform the ...

Full Answer

What do you need to know about moving an office?

Obviously, you have to move all the stuff, but you also need to consider employees’ happiness, transitional workflows, reorganization, adjustment periods, and so much more. Don’t worry—we’ve made a list to get you ready to handle every aspect of your office move. Many of these pointers came straight from our Facebook group of Office Managers!

How do I organize my office when I move?

Create an organizing and decorating plan. Just as you planned to pack in phases, you can plan to unpack, organize. and decorate in phases. Consider transitioning your moving committee members into a permanent “office design committee” to help you. You’ll probably find your unpacking and organizing plan mirrors your packing plan in many ways.

How do you manage managers who are moving?

Moving is hard; juggling work while moving is super hard. Encourage managers to develop comprehensive plans for managing workflows throughout the moving process, especially if they have any critical deadlines that fall within the moving time frame. Remind them to keep the move in mind as they take on and plan new projects.

How do I move my office to a new address?

Make a list of all the people, businesses, institutions, organizations, etc. that need to be informed of your new address. Create a detailed floor plan of your new office space, order any needed new office furniture, equipment, and signage, and schedule wiring;

What to do when moving office furniture?

Why is moving into a new office important?

How to confirm pickup date for office movers?

How to make a moving announcement?

What to do when building a new office?

What are the extra features of Moving Checklist?

When to clean office space after move?

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How do you handle office moves?

How to Handle an Office Move: 8 Things You Can Do to Increase EfficiencyMake a plan. ... Communicate with your employees. ... Update customers and suppliers. ... Inventory & audit. ... Have a vision for your new space. ... Hire professional movers. ... Contact utility companies. ... Schedule an employee meeting at the new office.

How do you prepare for an office move?

Here are some tips to keep in mind for your office move:Develop a Timeline. Schedule the relocation based on important dates in the business calendar. ... Visit the New Space. ... Update Company Materials. ... Discard Unnecessary Items. ... Create an Inventory List. ... Prepare the New Space. ... Simplify Moving Day. ... Hire Security.More items...•

How do you communicate with an office move?

Here are six key elements that should be included in your office move communication plan:Have a clear vision. ... Keep up a regular dialogue. ... Listen to your employees. ... Encourage experimentation. ... Learn from others. ... Review once you're in.

Is there a checklist for moving?

Pack all non-essentials first. These include items you won't need in the weeks leading up to the move, including books, home decor items and electronics. Pack essentials last. These include kitchen items, dinnerware, clothing, toiletries and any other items you'll need in the days leading up to the move.

How do you tell an employee they are moving offices?

How To Tell Your Employees You Are Moving OfficeNotify The Employees As Early As Possible. Using clear, simple language, let your employees know about the upcoming move as soon as the details are solidified. ... Be Honest And Emphatic. ... Get Them Involved. ... Keep Them Updated and Enthusiastic. ... Celebrate The Move.

How do you announce a new office?

Provide details: Give each employee an attractively designed hard copy announcement with location address, move date and time, timeline, critical features of the new office, name of moving company contact person, and what they need to do to get ready. Engage employees: Let them see how the move will benefit them.

How do you write an office relocation email?

We are moving office! [Company name] will be relocating to [xyz address] on [date]. This was determined after a lengthy search for a new office location that could meet our current and future needs and we look forward to making this our new home.

What to do when moving office furniture?

Inventory and tag all furniture, equipment, and office supplies that will be relocated to your new place of business. Decide what you’re going to do with the rest of the stuff – which of your old office items you’d like to sell or donate, which ones you need to recycle or throw away, etc.;

Why is moving into a new office important?

Moving into a new office often marks the beginning of a new stage in a business’s evolution. A smooth and trouble-free relocation is , therefore, crucial for the successful start of this new period in the company’s life and its future progress.

How to confirm pickup date for office movers?

Call your hired office movers and confirm pickup date and time.

How to make a moving announcement?

Make a moving office announcement – Create a public relations campaign with press releases to inform the public of your new location (if applicable) and send letters to all your business partners and key customers to notify them of your new address. Change your company’s website to reflect the new office location and phone numbers;

What to do when building a new office?

Create a detailed floor plan of your new office space, order any needed new office furniture, equipment, and signage, and schedule wiring;

What are the extra features of Moving Checklist?

Extra features include saving, printing, and sharing of your moving checklist.

When to clean office space after move?

Hire professional cleaning services to clean your old office space on the day after your move.

Why move an office? Here are some potential benefits

When it comes to the benefits of office relocation, it all depends on the reason for moving. Maybe you want more space or are looking for a lower rent/costs. There are many ways in which planning an office move is beneficial for your business or commercial establishment, here are some of them:

Improved productivity and efficiency within the company

The new office space may give employees the opportunity to explore and interact with each other in a more open setting. This is because some work environments tend to be too regimented, which can cause people to lose focus or miss out on important opportunities for interaction.

Increase profitability through better utilization of resources

New office space might help you get more out of your existing equipment/assets. For example, if the current office is too cramped, then it will be difficult to conduct meetings or conference calls whenever necessary. This can have a serious impact on business growth and development in terms of communication with clients and employees alike.

Increase in employee morale

When employees are required to work for extended hours, it is important that they do so within a comfortable environment. If their immediate surroundings are somewhat dim or cramped (for example, if there isn’t much room or natural light), then chances are they won’t perform at their best.

Better exposure to potential customers increases brand awareness

Having an office space that is easily accessible by customers or relevant target markets will make it easier for your business to get noticed. This can help you increase brand awareness and build a reputation for yourself among the masses without much effort on your part.

Minimize overhead costs by optimizing the use of resources and staff

When it comes to keeping costs low, nothing can beat choosing the right office space.

Furniture Planning

Planning where furniture is going to be moved is a crucial part of any office move.

IT Infrastructure

Almost all offices have IT infrastructure that needs to be placed in specially-designated areas.

WiFi

WiFi connections are a common part of any office’s internet setup, but you need to make sure you have cable running to hook up to a router.

HVAC

Your HVAC (heaving, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems are an absolutely crucial part of maintaining a comfortable office. Who wants to work somewhere that is too stuffy?

Move Preparation

Actual preparation for the move is where moving managers need to pay close attention.

What is office moving?

Office moves involve an overwhelming number of literal and figurative moving parts. Obviously, you have to move all the stuff, but you also need to consider employees’ happiness, transitional workflows, reorganization, adjustment periods, and so much more.

How to reduce the amount of items you have to move?

If you use your pre-move time wisely, you could actually reduce the items you even have to move. Take some time to carefully review inventory and tag items with throw-away stickers. You can do one purge a week so you don’t get overwhelmed. The long, slow effort will help you avoid haphazardly discarding things at the last minute…just because you don’t feel like packing. (It also helps you avoid packing and moving a bunch of junk you really don’t need.)

What to do if your movers don't clean up?

If your movers don’t clean up your old space, then you need to find someone to do that—unless your building will handle it. (Ask your building manager about this if you’re not sure. You don’t want to pay for unnecessary cleaning, and you also don’t want to get stuck with fees for not cleaning.)

How long to plan a walkthrough for a team?

Plan a walkthrough about two weeks out to make sure everything is clean and intact—ready for your team.

How often should a move group meet?

Evaluating the scale of your move should tell you how frequently this group will need to meet. Usually, weekly meetings should cover all the bases.

What to do when you get rid of big items?

If you’re getting rid of big-ticket items, such as desks and chairs, plan an office warehouse sale so you can recoup some money to put toward new items.

How to tell employees about a big move?

Plan a detailed email, newsletter segment, town hall presentation, or brief video to tell employees about the big move.

What to do when moving team?

With your moving team, start unpacking and setting up what you can! You likely will leave your employees’ boxes for them to unpack, but this is a good time to start setting up common area furniture, meeting rooms, and workstations. Use this time to make the space your own, as well as set up functional equipment like printers, copy machines, phones, and computers.

Who should lead the moving process?

Someone internally needs to lead the moving process to avoid chaos and confusion. Nominate an office manager, executive assistant or a similarly responsible person who excels with logistics and company-wide communication. They will need that skill set to organize a smooth transition to the new space.

How to notify clients that you have moved?

Your clients and partners should know that you’ve moved! Update your website and all 3 rd party online presences, and notify your clients via email that you’ve relocated. Update any paper materials like business cards and legal templates to showcase your new address. (You may want to order these materials before you have actually moved.)

How long to dispose of cardboard boxes in new office?

Anticipate a lot of questions throughout the process and be patient; a week or longer to comfortably situation employees in the new space is normal.

When to collect keys from employees for a move?

Additionally, collect any passes or keys from your employees for the old space the evening before the move.

Who can lead the charge on finding a movers?

Your newly-appointed moving coordinator can lead the charge on finding a movers, but getting recommendations from your broker or peers who have moved before is highly recommended.

What to do when moving office furniture?

Inventory and tag all furniture, equipment, and office supplies that will be relocated to your new place of business. Decide what you’re going to do with the rest of the stuff – which of your old office items you’d like to sell or donate, which ones you need to recycle or throw away, etc.;

Why is moving into a new office important?

Moving into a new office often marks the beginning of a new stage in a business’s evolution. A smooth and trouble-free relocation is , therefore, crucial for the successful start of this new period in the company’s life and its future progress.

How to confirm pickup date for office movers?

Call your hired office movers and confirm pickup date and time.

How to make a moving announcement?

Make a moving office announcement – Create a public relations campaign with press releases to inform the public of your new location (if applicable) and send letters to all your business partners and key customers to notify them of your new address. Change your company’s website to reflect the new office location and phone numbers;

What to do when building a new office?

Create a detailed floor plan of your new office space, order any needed new office furniture, equipment, and signage, and schedule wiring;

What are the extra features of Moving Checklist?

Extra features include saving, printing, and sharing of your moving checklist.

When to clean office space after move?

Hire professional cleaning services to clean your old office space on the day after your move.