It is always a monumental task to transfer an office where a lot of planning has to be done so that normal working is not affected. Whether moving to a bigger office or to a better area the process should be made easier by the following strategies. Below is the list of the top 10 guidelines to follow when organizing an office move to make the process as seamless as you can.
1. Plan Well in Advance
It isn't very late to plan a move, so begin as early as you can. This should be done three to six months to the intended moving date. Develop a list of all the activities that need to be performed for instance informing the relevant parties right from the new office organization format. Scheduling is crucial because it allows you to avoid some last moment rushes and to make sure all the necessary steps are thought of.
2. Fix Goals and Timelines as well as Budget
Create a timeline of this process which should be broken down into the following steps; sorting, packing, transportation and arrangement. At the same time, it is necessary to make a budget that consists of the expenses connected with the moving, new furnishing, and other periodical expenses which can occur during any downtime. A good plan helps in having an order of how things are done and hence the flow is well checked.
3. Inventory Your Office Assets
When moving your business, it is advisable to start by making a thorough stock of your assets. This helps one determine what has to be transported, what can be disposed off and what needs replacement. Transporting fewer items even saves more money and it also makes it easier to move to a new space.
4. Protect Sensitive Information
Most offices deal with sensitive information and materials that should be well taken care off during an exercise like a move. This means that physical files should be packed securely, data including files should be encrypted and all the electronics should be well carried. These measures ensure there isn't a break into the important data or destruction of essential equipment.
5. Timely Supervise and coordinate Utility Transfers and Notifications
Check that corporations like electricity, Internet, telephone are connected and available at the new place before moving begins. Make sure that the clients, vendors and other service providers are informed about your new address some time early enough.
6. Involve Your Team
Actually, your employees are the key to a successful move. Update them on the timelines and provide related activities to be accomplished like packing of personal items and also coordinating with departments on behalf of the change initiative. Employee participation is significant particularly as it eliminates confusion during the process, and leads to team work.
7. Plan for IT Systems
Any movement of IT equipment is always a challenge and must be well coordinated in order not to disrupt normal operations. Replace any loose parts, write down switch port positions to ensure they are plugged correctly the next time they set up, and make sure to inform the owners of how to properly back up all important data. If needed you can contact it technicians who guide you to turn off and plug out the ports and settings to be relocated.
8. Choose the Right Time to Move
Choose a time during the day when the moving is likely to disrupt your business least, for example during the weekends or in the evening. The impact of such disruption on operational productivity can be minimized even more by timing the move with your company's low traffic hours.
9. Pack Strategically
Office packing is organized by labeling of the boxes to indicate the nature of content and where it will be needed in the new office. That is why you should use color-coded labels and place them around the department of the stock you have, and label special care items as ‘Fragile'. Proper packing ensures that time taken during the unpacking and setting processes is reduced as well as the process well coordinated.
10. Test Systems After the Move
After you have moved to a new place check all the utility services, doorbell, Internet connection, phone lines and other IT gadgets. It is important to deal with any problem as a business owner and get your business up and running again as quickly as possible.
A Professional Moving Partner Can Help
It is therefore advantageous to hire the services of a professional moving partner and this include Secure Office Movers. However, knowing how to follow these tips is good enough to make the office relocation as efficient as possible at the first instance. Professional services such as Secure Office Movers can further improve efficiency of this hiring process. They focus on office moving, and thereby, undertake all the physical work involved and transport items on your behalf. An experienced moving partner is an ideal solution because they can help you move and another task on the list start your business without interference.
Conclusion
Moving an office does not have to be a headache. There are several ways of organizing change, but the main ones that are tied to successful relocation involve early planning, proper packing, and explanation of the change process. Encryption, communication with staff, and testing are to be done before, during and after the move to ensure there is little disruption of business as possible.