How to Organize an Office Move With Minimal Disruption?


When the time comes for your office relocation, one of the most important things is to minimize downtime. We are all aware that time is money, so the longer your business is out of operation, the more money you will lose. Now, let’s see how you can organize an office move with minimal disruption.

Choose the best date for your office relocation

When planning an office relocation, one of the first things you should do is to determine the exact date of your move. Give yourself and your employees enough time to prepare. Some of them will have to discuss the change with their families if you are moving your business to another city.

When it comes to the date that suits your business, you should try to arrange weekend relocation. That is – if your company’s working hours do not include weekends on a regular basis. If they do, discuss the date with your coworkers and try to decide which is the least busy day of the week in your company. Naturally, that is the one you should choose.

Find the professionals to help you perform an office move with minimal disruption

This is not the time to be thinking of DIY solutions. Of course, there are some things that can and should be done by your employees, but the actual relocation should be left to the people who know how to help you relocate with ease to your new company premisesOpens in a new tab.. Picking the movers is actually the most important choice you will make so don’t make any rash decisions. Ask your colleagues and partners for recommendations. You need reliable partners for this task.

Create the timeline

With the date set and the moving company picked, you should create the moving schedule. Having a plan will help you stay on track. Regardless of the number of people your company employs, every one of them should get their assignments. Spreadsheets are great for this purpose since everybody can access their part and you can check the preparation progress at any time.

This plan is rather comprehensive since you will have to think about:

• the inventory – now is the best time to decide what items you will take to your new premises and which you should get rid of. Speaking of that, have you decided what to do with unnecessary or outdated equipment? Can you recycle them or donate to certain organizations?

• if you have ordered some new furniture to change the image or a concept of your workspace (hot desksOpens in a new tab. are in nowadays), double-check whether the supplier plans to deliver them to your new address in a timely manner.

• contact your Internet provider and check whether you can still use their services at your new address.

• moving supplies – make sure you buy enough of those and get them in time for your employees to pack everything before the movers arrive. The good thing about hiring premium moving companies is that they can assess how much supplies you need so you don’t waste your time calculating and sending back the unused boxes, tapes, and all the rest.

• check whether your employees know what you expect them to do – if you have more than a dozen people working for you, you can appoint some of those who are good organizers to manage the smaller teams.

• arrange food and drinks for everyone who will be coming to your office on a moving day – you need to take care of your employeesOpens in a new tab. at all times.

Inform your partners and customers about the change

You can invite your partners and the most important clients to a meeting and let them know that you plan to organize an office move. They will certainly appreciate this personal approach. The rest of your clients and customers also deserve to know about your relocation but there are other ways you can inform them. For instance, you can send them an e-mail saying where they can find you and from which date. And don’t forget your suppliers.

You must inform your customers about the new working hours or the days your company won’t be operating due to this relocation. The change should be made visible on your company’s home page as well as on the door of your current premises. Include this information in your newsletter too.

Don’t forget to notify your bank and post office

Nowadays, you can update your address in minutes, even without going to a bank or a post office. If minimal disruption is what you are looking for, do this as soon as you know the moving date. That way you will start receiving mail to your new address as soon as you relocate. Don’t forget to change or cancel the subscriptions you usually get.

Make sure that the equipment is ready to be used in your new premises

If your company has an IT department, let them know that their presence will be necessary on a moving day. They should be responsible for disconnecting the equipment before the movers arrive as well as for connecting everything back at your new premises. In case you don’t have IT specialists, consider hiring someone for this job or ask your moving company whether they provide these services. Many of them do, so that won’t be a problem.

If you manage to do all that we have mentioned in previous paragraphs, we are sure that you will organize an office move with minimal disruption. Once you are accommodated in your new workspace, all you have to do is set an office-warming part and celebrate a successful move. This is one of the best stress relief activitiesOpens in a new tab. you can organize for your employees.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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