Office moves can be time-consuming and are usually much more complicated than moving into a new house. Communication and proper preparation are important to have the move go smoothly and efficiently. We detail the most important steps for your office moving checklist below.
First Item on Your Office Moving Checklist: Set Up a Schedule
You’ll need to plan for a lot of timing in not only leaving your current space but also getting properly set up in your new one. If your employees are going to need internet and access to electronic gear and services, make sure those are accounted for on your list. It’s also a good idea to plan for how larger items like desks, fridges, and filing cabinets are going to be moved as well.
Set Up a Plan of Who’s Doing What
Moving can be chaotic, so consider setting up a moving committee so all the work and planning doesn’t rest on one person. People can also give their feedback to consider other options for planning out the new location. This is also the time to set up an office layout to properly arrange and plan for the new space. That way, you’ll always have a clear understanding of where people are assigned to work and items are supposed to go.
Make Sure to Set Up the Proper Communication Channels
Your employees need to know how the move will affect them so keep them in the loop throughout the move. This ensures everyone is clear about what will change and what will stay the same in the new place. It’s also a good time to inform your employees if there will be any updates to policies, how to get keys or key fobs, and where they can expect to be working within the new office.
In addition, set aside time to give your employees a tour of the new location. This will give them a rough idea of how the space will be laid out, and so they can visually see where their workstation will be.
Hire Movers
Hiring good movers is essential for any move. After all, you wouldn’t want to end up buying more equipment or furniture because things were broken moving them over. Investigate several different companies to ensure you’re not only getting the best deal but also hiring movers that will respect your items and furniture.
If you want to save as much time as possible, there are also professional packing services to pack up your office equipment effectively and efficiently. Employees can be asked to pack up their own offices and workspace to give them opportunities to throw out things they never used and ensure their personal items are packed properly.
Get All Your Services Connected
Regardless of where you’re moving to, it’s important to ensure all your services are properly switched over and connected. Also, if you have dedicated phone lines you need to figure out how those will be set up in the new business location.
Make sure your internet covers every space in the office as well, you wouldn’t want to go through all the effort to set up a space only to find the internet won’t be able to reach someone’s workstation.
Make sure to let any equipment vendors know you’re moving to a new space and coordinate with them if they need to specially move the equipment.
Office moves can be tough to do effectively and efficiently, but by following the above steps to inform your office moving checklist you can make it a smoother transition to your new space.