How To Execute A Near-Perfect Office Move 

Moving an office isn’t easy. In fact, by nature, it’s usually an overwhelming process. At first, you’re probably trying to conquer the big tasks. Where will your desks and other office furniture go? How will you facilitate a move that gets everybody from point A to point B without disrupting the workflow? As the calendar starts to whittle down — and moving day draws nearer — you’ll notice some of the most difficult items are the smaller, everyday elements. Suddenly, you’re stuck with a chaotic office, with trinkets and small appliances strewn about your space. However, your lease is up, and you have to leave.

What do you do?

Fortunately, office moves don’t have to be as tricky as they seem. By focusing on the following tasks when relocating an office, you’ll enjoy a transition that’s as problem-free as possible. Here’s our helpful checklist to guide you along the way:

1. Create a timeline for your scheduled move. The earlier you can plan your move, the better. Last-minute moves are begging to be logistical nightmares. Business relocations are typically planned about six months or more in advance. Large corporate moves may require as much as two years of planning to make sure everything goes smoothly.

2. Strategically delegate move-related duties to team members. Designate internal task teams. These will be the folks who are in-the-know as the planning process progresses. They’ll also help facilitate individual teams’ moving strategies, better ensuring everything gets taken care of without overwhelming the people at the helm.

Assign team members to certain tasks and hold periodic meetings so everyone is on the same page. Make sure your team is aware you’ll probably need to add to the task list as the move date approaches.

3. Hire a moving team with experience relocating offices or larger companies. This one’s essential. You don’t want to deal with an amateur moving company, nor do you want to assume a seasoned residential mover can handle your corporate needs. There are many intricacies involved with business relocations about which residential movers simply have no knowledge. coordinating:

• The moving team
• Furniture delivery people
• The IT installation team

4. Communicate with staff members about important aspects of the move. Do not underestimate the importance of solid employee communications. Keeping your team members in the loop can help prevent morale from plummeting and ensure efficiency continues throughout the process. When people don’t have any idea what’s going on, they’re not going to be on board, which means both your bottom line and the result of the move could suffer greatly. Keep your employees abreast of pertinent information, such as:

• Timelines for moving equipment
• When workstations will be relocated
• How new office hours will be affected by the move

Communication is key to confirming everything is packed and ready when it needs to be.

5. Create companywide announcements to keep staff in the loop. Company moves often have a veil of mystery around them, which can leave employees feeling unsettled. Send regular companywide updates so everybody is on the same page.

6. Create an unpacking plan. Who’s responsible for unpacking the office once it gets to its new location? Create a plan that designates specific staff to certain tasks once equipment and furniture have been transported to the new location. This will help all responsible parties know which duties they own as the move winds down.

7. Determine which hardcopy pieces need to be reprinted. Now that you have a different address, some of your paper products will be outdated. You’ll need to get updated copy that displays your new address. Some items to consider:

• Business cards
• Company letterhead
• Envelopes
• Thank you cards
• Marketing Literature

8. Decide if any items should go to storage or be donated. Once you start sifting through everything, you’ll realize you probably have a ton of non-essential items eating up necessary office space. If you find files or important documents you shouldn’t part with — but also don’t need to access immediately — consider putting them in storage.

If you’re left with an incredible overload of paperclips, office chairs and printers, go online to see which organizations in your area would be happy to take those items off your hands. Donation can be a real feel-good experience for your entire corporate culture after a big move, and the organizations that take your no-longer-needed materials will be incredibly grateful. It’s a win-win!

University Moving and Storage is the Midwest’s ultimate source for companies that need to go from here to there. We proudly service corporate moves of all sizes throughout Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Start your free quote online today! One of our corporate moving pros will be with you shortly.