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Business Relocation Planning
Your Office Move
Planning Your Office Move - How to
survvive a busienss relocation project
The
following are a few of the key areas which you will need to consider when planning
a business relocation project.
Set up a meeting
with your mover to lay out a preliminary schedule for the upcoming project.
This should include
the following topics:
-
Written agreements
- Insurance and limits of liability
- Move committee meeting schedule
- Furniture location plans and move color codes
- Building access arrangements
- Carton and equipment deliveries
- Employee packing seminars
- Tentative move schedule
- Primary move issues
Invite your mover to participate in all moving activities.
This interaction gives the mover an opportunity to understand your operation and
gives your staff access to a resource that will clarify important issues related
to the move.
Let the mover meet the other vendors involved with your
office move, i.e. technicians, installers, etc. Working together directly helps
them solve problems for you.
Communicate with your staff the status of the new building,
construction, furniture, computers and telephones during the months leading up to
the move. Effective communication will contribute significantly to the success of
your office move.
Keep your move plan as simple and concise
as possible. It is important to recognize priorities, but once those have been addressed,
allow the mover to conduct the office move in the way they determine to be most
efficient.
Selecting and Coordinating Your Move Management
Team
- Select employees, who are organized, competent, have
the ability to make good decisions and communicate well.
- Those who accept the additional responsibility of becoming
a member of the move management team should understand that evening and weekend
work would be necessary.
- Use department managers when possible - limit your team
to key people - keep it manageable.
- Delegate specific tasks to each individual. Provide specific
time frames for each assignment. Check off each task as it is completed. Schedule
regular meetings to go over progress and address problems with each member individually
and as a group.
- Accountability is essential; check to make sure tasks
are completed as scheduled. Do not assume!
Remember, the KEY to a successful move is to provide your
team with detailed information on what is expected of them. Meet regularly and
troubleshoot with them. Since you are the team leader, provide guidance and allow
your team members to administrate the tasks.
After the move, take them all out for a great lunch or
dinner as a "Thank-You" for their much needed help. Don't forget to put a record
of their work on the office move in their personal file.
Choosing A Moving Company
-
Estimate: The
best way to plan an office move, if possible, is with an NTE estimate or "Not
to Exceed Price." The movers can beat the estimate but not exceed it. See if this
is available. Try to make moving arrangements well in advance of moving day. Call
at least two movers and request, at no obligation, a free written estimate. You
can expect professional movers to come to your home and discuss the move in detail
prior to giving you a written estimate. Before selecting a mover, you should check
their reputation, performance record, reliability, and claims settlement customer
service.
TIP: If movers are
wary of giving you an estimate, and give you any no-solid reasons against providing
one, be extremely cautious. Reputable movers will not hesitate to provide you with
a written estimate. Further, lacking a written estimate, your price could be increased
significantly.
- Find prospective movers in your area by using yellow
pages, personal referrals and real estate brokers. Be wary of companies advertising
in certain local newspapers and /or handbills talking "cheap" price. Check to
make sure they carry required insurance coverage. If they break or lose something,
you want it fixed or replaced to the limits of their liability.
- Carrier/Mover Liability: Make sure the mover explains
their basic liability and transit protection options. Be sure to ask questions.
-
Price/Rates: While
always a factor in buying anything, do not select a mover on price alone. Trained
personnel, clean, safe moving vans, and insurance protection cost money.
When comparing
estimates, remember the cheapest company won't necessarily do the best job. If
one firm's estimate is lower than the others, find out why. Know who your movers
will be: will an experienced foreman be present? Are the services and movers'
experience equivalent? Are all the estimates binding?
- Carrier/Mover Liability: Make sure the mover explains
their basic liability and transit protection options. Be sure to ask questions.
- Evaluate Service Presentations: Listen and evaluate the
mover's presentation of services and price. Usually an individual presentation
stands out in clarity, and your questions and concerns are professionally answered
to your satisfaction
- Visit the Mover: Visit the mover's office. Make sure
the mover has a business. See the trucks at the business site. Look around to
make sure these are the kind of people you wish to transact business with.
- Trade Membership: You should want a mover who abides
to a code of ethics, operates clean and safe trucks, and utilizes trained personnel.
They will provide for quality service at fair and competitive prices.
Ten Important Factors to Consider in Selecting
a Furniture Dealer
- Look for a dealer that has a wide variety of services
under one roof such as space planning and design, fixed asset management/bar-coding,
storage, delivery and installation.
- Tour the dealership facility. Look at the overall premises.
Is it orderly? Does it seem organized? How many delivery trucks do they have?
How many installers? Make a general note of the overall impression of their facility.
- Inquire about installation capabilities. Interview the
Installation Manager if possible. Discuss overall warehousing capabilities and
fees. Inquire about follow-up and punch list practices. Check if the warehouse
is racked.
- Interview a project manager, discuss capabilities, fees,
overall cost savings, coordinating with a number of vendors, etc.
- What lines are represented? Who are the major vendors?
How long have they carried their major lines? Are facility tours of major manufacturers
available?
- Inquire whether the dealer/manufacturer offer a trade-in
policy on used furniture. If so, check who will handle this and find out what
the specifics are in regard to the policy.
- Ask about move management coordination. Does the dealership
offer coordination assistance in this area, inventory of existing furniture, tagging
and placement?
- Discuss "negotiation-versus-bidding" aspect of purchasing
furniture. Is it possible to obtain a contract price structure to "buy-off" over
an extended period of time?
- Inquire about financial arrangements. See what the terms
are and if they offer leasing programs. Find out if they require deposits and
what the amount will be. What is the financial strength of the dealer?
- Ask to tour two major projects they have completed in
the last six months and two major projects completed five or more years ago. Interview
these customers as to their assessment of the job.
The following is a snapshot of some of the
key areas which you will need to consider when planning a relocation project.
| |
Working Days |
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| Pre-Move
Plan |
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Plan
and map out business changes |
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| |
Project
planning and Needs analysis |
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| Move
Plan |
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| |
Design
Move plan |
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Select and coordinate move management
team |
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Furniture
Survey |
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| Vendor
Selection |
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Selecting
Movers |
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Selection
of office\Real Estate |
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Office
supplies and Furniture vendor selection |
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| Communication
Plan |
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Employee
communication |
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Employee
Top Concerns to be considered |
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Data and Telecommunication
|
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| Move
|
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On-Site
Move supervision |
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Furniture
Move |
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Installing |
|
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Office
Interior Decoration |
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| Post-Move |
|
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Evaluation |
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Hands-Over |
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Move
Project Closure |
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Support |
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| Helpful
Tips |
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See List
of Critical Items |
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