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Moving tips office/project
Step-by-step plan
1. Preparing for the move
2. Right before the move
3. During the move
4. After the move
General:
Announce the move to:
o Board of Directors
o Management
o Employees
o Board of Employees
o Union
Assign a project manager responsible for the entire relocation project
If required, assign a project team
Representatives from HR, facilities and marketing should be included
Conduct a needs assessment of organization, department and employees
Determine what additional amenities need to be added to new building
Investigate whether new building has existing covenants
Arrange necessary permits
Check with Chamber of Commerce regarding possible subsidy
Employees:
You can not force your employees to relocate, determine which employees
are willing to relocate
Conduct reorganization meetings with every employee
Make arrangements for those employees who will not relocate, include a
collective lay-off program,
possible early retirement program
and possibility of outplacement
Discuss with your realtor or new municipality housing opportunities for
your employees
Establish a recruiting plan for your new employees
Check career planning against new environment
Establish rules for travel expense reimbursement
Offer new employees sufficient possibilities to adjust to new situation
Organize excursions for your employees to visit the new location
Allow schools, realtors, banks and local government provide information
during these excursions
Create a budget for relocation expense reimbursement for employees
Manage and control costs by contracting with “one” moving
company for employee relocations
Have the moving company invoice your corporation allowing VAT to be redeemed
Prepare overview of new personnel expense
Outline all employee regulations in a social plan
Add this plan to the requests for advice from the board of directors
Adjustments of new facility
Determine what equipment from your old building can be used in the new
one
Determine what needs to be acquired
Adjust your investment plan accordingly
Finalize financial plan for relocation
Determine what energy sources are required at the facility
Have these installed by certified companies
Order carpet in timely manner
Determine what construction needs to take place
Hire an architect or builder make a plan for the construction
Hire a construction company for this part of the project
Contact your local municipality to obtain necessary building permits
Inform neighboring companies of possible construction inconvenience
Hire an interior designer for the interior design
Determine if during the move process you will continue to “do business”
as usual or temporarily
from two locations
Develop a new production plan
Acquire new office furniture in a timely manner
Design layout of the new building
Determine which departments should be placed closely together
Design a layout for the new building
Draw a map of the layout
The move
Contact De Haan Removals in a timely manner
Determine move date
Provide De Haan Removals with clear information
Keep your employees abreast of move status, make a phone number available
for move related
questions or prepare (weekly)
bulletins
Confirm agreements in writing
Develop a move plan with De Haan
Determine which party is responsible for the disassembly/assembly of office
furniture
Determine who will pack/unpack
Discuss with suppliers of sensitive equipment, like computers, the safest
method of transport
Develop a time-line with all involved
Develop an agenda for progress meetings
Give certain employees the responsibility for the progress on certain
aspects
Communication services
Schedule with your phone company the relocation of phone and data lines;
purchase any required
phone, fax equipment
Design
Does your current design fit the environment?
If required, have a design firm develop a new house style
Record storage
Decide where to place your archive, internally or externally. De Haan
has several solutions
for your archiving requirements.
Organize your archives, shred any “old” documents that are
no longer required
Right
before the move
Is the new building ready?
Make sure that the new building is prepared and ready to move into
Make sure that all electrical appliances are in working order (coffeemaker,
copy machine, etc.)
Confirm that the security system is in place and in working order
Signposting to your new offices / building
Order new sign with name and logo
Is your building readily accessible to your suppliers and clients?
Place direction boards in the area
Internal telephone list
Prepare a new internal telephone list; try to keep as many previous telephone
extension
numbers as possible
New address
Order new stationery, etc (perhaps stickers with the new address to be
used on the old paper)
Order new advertising folders and brochures
Adapt advertising to new address
Make sure that new address is also placed on all packing materials
Notify suppliers of the moving date, new telephone numbers, fax and telex
numbers and
the correct post and mailing
address
Update this data also on your internet site
Provide the Chamber of Commerce with your new contact information and
also to
other information provider
/ source wherein your company’s information is included
Personnel instruction
Inform personnel regarding the move process including instructions for
packing, emptying desks
and cabinets and moving of
private items.
Cleaning
Arrange for cleaning of former offices.
Parking place for the moving trucks
Provide a clearly marked parking space for the moving truck allowing ample
room for loading
and unloading at your former
and new building
Inform your old and new neighbors of possible inconvenience during the
move process
Landscaping
Make arrangements with a landscape company to maintain the grounds of
your former building
During
the move process
Insure that the key positions such as security and concierge are manned
and immediately available
Prepare a list of important telephone numbers at both the former and new
location
Provide clear coding of all rooms
Utilize this coding on all moving boxes, etc. which provides mover the
correct destination for each
item
Make sure that you have sufficient staff of your own, for example: technical
services, security, elevator maintenance
person, etc. for various tasks which may come up during the move.
Allow only employees directly involved with the move to be present during
the move process
Provide food and drinks. Office relocations are normally executed during
the weekend – please keep
that in mind. Make arrangements
for sufficient amount of coffee, tea, creamer, sandwiches and
possibly a warm meal.
After
the move
Have the building professionally cleaned
New telephone lines in the offices
Place signs on the doors and direction signs in the building
Give responsibility for the proper placement of art, pictures, whiteboards,
etc., to your
technical services team
Prohibit general employees from hanging up items on wall and ceilings
Prepare an inventory of possible damage as a result of the relocation
Provide central locations for gathering empty moving boxes
Keep the project group active for another three weeks following the relocation
for various tasks
Arrange for a formal opening of the new facility
Organize an open house for family, neighboring companies, customers and
suppliers
Provide a press release
Perform a final checklist with the moving company to ensure that all work
has been executed correctly
Arrange for a professional claims settlement
Prepare a list of final actions to be performed after the move
Review and update the new facility guidelines