There are multiple reasons why a company may have to move their office. It can be the expiry of a lease, or the need to find a larger office space that meets the needs of the growing staff. Regardless of the reason for the office move, preparing properly for the relocation is extremely important. One should also consider hiring companies like Safe Ship Moving Services that can help coordinate commercial relocation.
Safe Ship Moving Services briefly talks about how to prepare for an office move
To prepare for a move, it firstly important to put together a cross-departmental team and get a senior project champion on board. This senior professional must be able to communicate well, make swift decisions, have experience in managing budgets and desire to create a better workplace. The cross-departmental team for the move should additionally comprise of professionals with varying skills, so that they can handle diverse aspects of the move, such as:
- IT: The use of technology has become a necessity in all offices. The input of an IT expert would be indispensable in making the new office tech-ready.
- HR: The company staff may have concerns about the move. Therefore, involving HR professionals in the moving team is important so that they can effectively communicate with the staff and ease their concerns.
- Facilities: The facilities team are the ones to know the office building the best, and therefore, these professionals have to be involved with the move from an early stage.
- Marketing: Marketing professionals will help ensure that the new office space effectively reflects the brand and its values.
- Operations: The daily functioning of the business has to continue uninterrupted during the move. Therefore, involving the operations team is a must.
- Finance: Having a senior member from the finance department in the moving team is important to effectively manage the budget. An office move is a huge investment. Therefore, it is prudent to create a proper budget beforehand.
Subsequent to choosing the new office space, one should create a checklist of what has to be done before, during, and after the move. People should try to start preparing for an office move at least 6 months before the move-in date. This would give people with enough time to make a seamless transition. One must proceed to make a list of all the things that need to be packed at the office. This shall include files, fixtures, furniture, equipment, materials, technology, and more. The list can be organized by dividing items by type, category, or area. The team members of Safe Ship Moving Services mention that based on the things that have to be packed, one also has to buy packing supplies like tape, boxes, bubble wrap, and more.
An important step in preparing for an office move is to inform the clients about the same and share the new office address through an email blast, press release, and even social media platforms. Once the move is complete, a follow-up reminder should be sent so that the clients can update their records with the new contact details.
