Moving from one office to another happens from time to time. But what shouldn’t happen is letting everything be a complete wreck because you and your team didn’t plan and learn the mistakes to avoid when relocating office spaces. Read on to stay one step ahead of potential problems.
Not Taking Inventory
Don’t assume you know what and where everything in your current office is. For starters, there’s no way to have on-hand knowledge of that. Take thorough and adequate inventories of every facet of that office. Keep track of what enters and what leaves that office space.
Teams will struggle to ensure they move everything correctly without an accurate record. Divide them up into separate lists and spreadsheets so that the information is easier for everyone to digest. Assign teams to specific areas. Have them report on the quantity and condition. If there’s damage, you want to know about it before the move.
Rushing the Process
This isn’t something that happens overnight or even in a week. Relocating an entire office takes time. You need to plan and start preparing your team well in advance. A few months is the safest bet because you’ll need to check in with every department.
Schedule the move during a time when not too much is happening in the company. Trying to relocate in the middle of a peak season or during some new acquisition is stressful. Things will fall through the cracks, and your overall business could suffer. Monitor the calendar closely.
Leaving Out Professional Movers
If you’re trying to decide between DIY and hiring professional movers, go with the latter. Relocating everything isn’t a job for you alone. Leave it to the pros. They’ll be faster and more efficient.
The cost may be more than you initially expected but think about the reliability that comes with the service. Plus, you can turn your attention to more important things regarding the company. They’ll know how to arrange the new furniture desk and set up everything for you.
Failing To Notify IT
This is not the time to leave the IT guys out. You need to include them in every facet of this move. Nothing sucks more than getting settled in only to find that none of the electronic equipment works.
Get them started on the process early. They can begin telling employees what they need to do with their equipment before the move even starts. Backing up files and ensuring no data ends up lost is vital.
Bringing Everything
Don’t make the mistake of bringing everything. You can either sell, donate, or trash some of the current items in your office.
Check over every item to see if it still functions and holds value to the company. Those are the ones you keep. You may want to consider placing some things in storage until you find an exact spot for them in the new office.
Don’t make the mistake of relocating office spaces without remembering these tips. You’ll save yourself from a headache.