The prospect of moving an office might seem unattractive. But it is only a process, and, like all processes, it can be broken down into a series of individual activities and controls. By following these steps, you can make sure your office moves on time and on budget and hassle-free.
Steps
Step 1. Assess your needs and current situation:
you need to be clear about the purpose of your office relocation (for example: lease termination or expiration, planned growth or downsizing) in order to establish your needs and plan an appropriate office relocation plan. There are some important decisions that need to be agreed upon as a starting point and which will form the basis of the subsequent planning process, including the details of the existing lease, the notice period, and your current obligations and responsibilities.
Step 2. Clarify the requirements:
a clear understanding from the start of your basic strategy and operational requirements will allow the entire office relocation process to go smoothly - and save time. Don't worry too much about the technical specifications (since this is part of the advice that external professionals do). However, you must have a general idea and the consensus of those making the decisions on the key factors of the office transfer including:
- where do you want to move;
- how much space do you need; when you need to be there;
- what key features you need your office to have;
- what are the planned business objectives (including the growth plan) that the transfer must meet;
- the type and duration of the lease you want.
Step 3. Build the right relocation project team:
relocating an office is a big undertaking and a collaborative effort is required to achieve a good result. Putting the right project team together is crucial and it should include people who are able to help facilitate all aspects of the transfer. It should include both internal and external members. Responsibility for the relocation process should be given to a project leader as soon as the decision to relocate is made. This person must have enough time to devote to the relocation project and should:
- have the confidence of management;
- the power to act on behalf of the company;
- be qualified to make decisions;
- be a good organizer of people and processes;
- have experience in budget creation and management;
- be a good communicator.
Step 4. Get started early:
there is a lot to do, so the sooner you start, the greater the chance to complete a move smoothly, as your company expects. It is impossible to plan too far in time. Once the project leader has been appointed, the work should begin. You should start considering your options 9-18 months before the lease expires, regardless of whether you are considering renewing, renegotiating or relocating your office. It is vital that you take the technical time to increase leverage and competition between different options, which can lead to substantial savings.
Step 5. Create a realistic budget:
Creating a realistic moving budget is a vital planning tool that will help you evaluate costs and manage them throughout the process.
Step 6. Hire the right moving professionals:
the entire office relocation process can be complex, stressful and time-consuming. After personnel costs, real estate costs are the largest expense item in most companies. The decisions you make will impact your company's profitability. Working with the right team of professionals is the most important thing for any company that is considering relocating their office. Professionals will guide you through the process, save you money over the long term and also ensure that you don't make any crucial mistakes.
Step 7. Do not sign any lease documents without prior legal advice:
your real estate lawyer will negotiate the details of the lease to minimize your exposure to potential liabilities, and subsequently advise you on the implications of the conditions in the final documents to ensure that you are aware of the responsibilities you assume.
Step 8. Communication:
internally, any change can be destabilizing for the staff and this can certainly occur in the event of an office relocation. Meanwhile, when the relocation process is underway, your business needs to continue its business and focus on existing workload and commitments. However, the office relocation is a great opportunity to make a positive management change, improve business results, increase morale and momentum. Externally, there are many components to move in the relocation of an office, and you must ensure that everyone involved in the project is regularly updated, especially if there are any changes. If you keep the lines of communication open between all stakeholders, internal and external, your transfer will have a greater chance of success.
Step 9. Take advantage of the opportunity:
clean up old archives and items that don't need to be kept before moving. Also consider scanning any documents you no longer need in paper format (remember to get rid of unwanted files safely). Secure storage and / or document filing is a flexible, secure and cost-effective solution to free up office space, where space is useful and more expensive. It can be accessed at any time by prior arrangement and provides excellent external support to limit damage in the event of a fire or other disaster. You should take the opportunity to consider the following points:
- Updating - Changing office is an opportunity to update equipment by changing it with others that are modern, efficient and not bulky;
- Review of existing suppliers - Changing offices can provide the incentive to renew / change supply contracts for more favorable conditions.
Advice
- A moving company that engages in office relocations could cause serious loss of time, cause damage and cost you a lot in terms of lost revenue. The most common complaint about moving companies is that they tend to greatly underestimate a business relocation.
- Ask the candidate companies for the last 5 references for removals similar to yours, with contact information. Note that I have not written 5 commercial references. It is easy to "fish" 5 good references. Instead, you want a clear track of business removals made on time and within budget limits.
- The other piece of the puzzle that references give you is the frequency with which the company carries out office removals. If you find that the firm only moves office every three to four months, this could indicate that you are dealing with a firm that works mostly with home removals.
Warnings
- Also make sure that the company only uses permanent workers whose background has been thoroughly checked. During a move, the opportunities for breaches of protected information rise tremendously.
- Make sure there is an insurance policy for compensation for damage to workers, for general civil liability (we recommend a maximum of at least 5 million), for car liability, and for covering the load for at least 100,000 euros per vehicle.
