Corporate moves can be stressful if not all parties involved are informed along the way, including employees. During the process of coordinating an office move, you will need to discuss it with your employees and likely require their participation. Various departments may need to prepare for a move months in advance. Here is a list of ways you can get employees ready for a big office move.
Appoint a Relocation Committee
Having the responsibility of coordinating corporate moves on one person’s shoulders is a lot to handle. Creating a team of employees who are responsible for helping keep the move on track will make a huge difference in how smoothly the move goes. When you hire professional movers, you may also have a moving coordinator, so keeping things streamlined by having a designated team to communicate with the movers will cause less stress and confusion for everyone involved. Part of the tasks for your relocation committee may include:
- Developing a moving timeline
- Creating a new office layout
- Creating a protocol for moving confidential documents or data
Prepare Technology and Data
One thing that will be very crucial, and possibly one of the most complex, is dealing with relocating technology and data. Data is precious and this is something a professional moving crew won’t be addressing. Losing data or even having a security breach can have serious consequences for your organization; therefore, it is critical that your leadership team and technology side of the business are fully prepared for the migration. Have your employees who are in charge of the IT infrastructure at your current office make an assessment of:
- Power sources
- Equipment
- Servers
- Cabling
- Etc
Then they may need to take specific actions such as:
- Creating a new IT infrastructure plan for new office
- Backing up important data or files prior to the move
- Creating a list of any additional equipment that may be needed at the new location
Designate a Move-Out Committee
If you’re moving out of a rented office space, it is likely that you will need to inventory any damages after everything has been moved out to get your deposit back and avoid getting hit with any unnecessary charges. Perhaps choosing a department that won’t have much to do in preparation for the move or those who will be able to set up at the new office quickly. They can make a list of the condition of:
- Walls
- Floors
- Permanent furniture
- Windows or doors
- Etc
You may also be required to clean the space before move-out is considered complete. The terms of your move-out should be specified in your lease, but regardless of the procedure they request, you can designate a handful of employees to assist in cleanup if you don’t want to spend the money on professional cleaners.
Other move-out items to check off your list include:
- Removing company signage
- Canceling or transferring utilities, internet, electricity, etc
- Returning building keys
Clean Out Personal Spaces and Food
Regardless of how you choose to assign moving tasks to employees, everyone will also need to have some level of responsibility for cleaning up and organizing their own personal workspaces. If your employees each have their own desk, it is likely that they have collected personal items, documents, office supplies, etc., in their area that will need to be packed up. It may make the moving process smoother to ask all employees to organize their belongings ahead of time to streamline the move. Along with cleaning out personal spaces, be sure to remove all food items from personal spaces and kitchens, as moving companies typically don’t move perishable items.
Hire Experts in Corporate Moves
Corporate moves require early preparation to ensure an easy transition. At S&M Moving Systems, we understand the importance of project completion in a timely and efficient manner. We are dedicated to your absolute satisfaction by handling all areas of your office relocation, including move sequence, coordination, dismantling, and set-up. Our corporate relocation services include:
- Dedicated relocation coordination
- Pre-move seminar for office management and staff to cover relocation logistics
- Packing Instructions
- Move Sequence and Planning
- Employee responsibility
- Labeling diagrams and instructions
- Servicing Local and Interstate relocations with our own S&M Moving fleet and highly qualified and experienced crews
- Locations include Arizona and California.