You will want as little downtime and disruption to your business when doing your office move. There are many things to coordinate for an office move and planning ahead will help ensure minimum downtime. Here are five tips on how to increase efficiency and decrease anxiety before moving day.
- PROJECT MANAGER – Designate a key person to oversee the entire move project in close collaboration with the moving company. You may want to assign sub-managers for specific areas: i.e. phones, new office furniture/equipment, computers. .
- PLAN & MEASURE – Once work areas and offices have been assigned, draw up a basic floor plan. If there is a blue print of the building that is a good place to start. Is your current furniture going to fit in the new office space? Adjustments are easier when still on paper. It can pay off to hire a professional office systems analyst, who can help plan your new space to maximize efficiency and reduce waste especially for larger projects.
- NUMBERING SYSTEM – Assign a number to each employee, room or area in the building and tag everything to match. A good way to do this is to start at the front of the building with the receptionist being #1 and work your way around assigning numbers. Have employees box up and tag their own items before moving day. Visibly coded furniture and equipment moves much faster, don’t forget to label everything including the garbage cans. At the new office space you should put a number on the outside of every office and room so the movers will know which room it is at a glance.
- PACKING – Filing cabinets: fire proof cabinets should be emptied, two-drawer cabinets can stay full, four/five drawer files empty the top two drawers. Small items are easily handled in baggies, or wrapped in newsprint and packed in boxes. Take anything personal home until after the move. Movers aren’t responsible for personal items. Desks: all drawers need to be packed. Bookcases: all items must be removed from shelves prior to moving day. Computers: back up your hard drive shut down and unhook any cables to printers or other external equipment including keyboard and pack in a box.
- OTHER CONSIDERATIONS – Rent a dumpster, or inquire into your moving company’s ability to haul garbage and/or unwanted furniture away. Clearly mark any items that you are NOT moving to avoid confusion. Reputable moving companies are often able to dispose of waste in an environmentally conscious way, and have contacts in the recycling world. Ask your mover if they will take care of trash and recycling.
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