Office moves seem exciting as everyone is moving to a new and more sophisticated office with exemplary infrastructure. But, it is not. It is because you have to pack, load and unpack the stuff when relocating to a new workspace.
It is a challenging process because you have to consider employee’s happiness, transitional workflows, reoragnisation, adjustment intervals, and more.
When moving to a new office, you must keep in mind the following pointers.
1: Planning
Choose one place to arrange office move notes and to-do items
Firstly, think about where and how to record and organise all files, documents, to-do lists, and other move-related stuff. When you record an office move timeline in Google Drive, a to-do list in Box, and an array of handwritten employee comments in your notebooks, then everything gets sorted.
2. Organise Crucial Documents
Ensure to use the method mentioned in step one to organise key documents, which include insurance records, contracts, agreements. Make a space for them to ensure perfectly organising the things.
3. Announce the Move
Drop a detailed email, plan a newsletter segment, presentation or short video explaining the next big move.
The announcement needs to be detailed irrespective of the format you choose. There must be a transparent communication explaining employees everything they need to know.
When making an announcement, ensure to give them master-to-do list. They must have an office move checklist for employees, which includes making and distributing checklist.
Let’s include key items in your announcement:
- New office name and address
- Moving date/dates
- Salient features of the new office
- Justification for the move
- What employees have to do now
- What information employees need to receive
Once the initial announcement is done, you must schedule to communicate with your employees throughout the move.
4. Talk to employees
Once the announcement is made, communicate with employees to obtain their feedback. Seek feedback considering aspects of the move so that you can effectively work into a new office environment that you can control and execute into your planning process, which includes:
- Some people might require standing desks, lamps, privacy screens and more)
- Equipment requirements (Replace broken keyboards, cracked screens, etc.)
- Seating arrangement varies (Some people want to sit with their choice of people
- Workstyle preferences
- Craft wish items or recommendations
- Any problems that obstruct people from carrying heavy boxes and assisting with moving work You can start this communication via multiple ways:
- Communicate through department/division managers
- Conduct a survey
- Host one-on-one meeting if the size of your company is small
- Make the use of your company’s email delivery tool
- Ensure to use your company’s internal Facebook group
Once you are done with your first communication, develop a plan for succeeding sends. You might want to send one communication per month until moving day. If your company has an internal communication team, make a list to ensure your messages are on track.
5. Create Your budget and buying process
Obtain a budget from the company’s management and create guidelines to complete all move-related purchases. Will you use a company card? Will you submit invoices? Who has to approve your purchase or vendor contracts?
This step enables you envision the transition process.
If you are planning a house move, then also you have to set your budget aside.
6. Establish and keep track of the crucial details
Recording crucial details affecting the house moves is important, which include:
- Employee headcount
- Size of current office
- Size of new office
7. Create a list of what you have and what you require
Now, it’s the right time to make inventory lists of all the things, whether big or small. Prepare two lists:
- Things which you are taking along
- Things which you are leaving aside
Packing and Preparing
- Ask for vendor recommendations Before you begin your research, discuss with experts who have already organised and executed multiple office moves. A list of things that any office move needs:
- Movers and packers
- Trucks
- Boxes
- Clean-up crew and cleaning service
- Secure movers/moving crew Your moving crew will make the next step for your office move.Once you get recommendations, ask a few questions from the moving company.
- Flexibility
- Fee structure
- Reviews and reliability
- Services included
Ensure to follow these key steps involved in an office move. If you are planning a house move, consider crafting new steps.