Planning an office move requires careful organization and coordination to ensure a smooth transition. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we explored the possible reasons so many businesses decide to move an office. The decision to relocate may be due to desiring:
- Expansion and growth
- Cost Savings
- Better Location
- Employee Needs
And this has been amplified by the impacts following the pandemic.
Whatever your reason, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
1 – Establish a Timeline 
Determine the ideal date for the move and work backward to create a timeline. We recommend starting this process a minimum of 6 months before your office move. Consider factors such as lease agreements, construction schedules (if any), and the availability of moving companies.
2 – Designate a Move Team Leader (and committee) 
Delegate responsibilities by forming a move committee comprising representatives from different departments. Assign tasks such as coordinating the planning, unpacking, organizing and decorating. You will want to have a point person to deal with the overall logistics, communicating openly along the way with employees and choosing the vendors who will help you to make it a smooth transition.
3 – Set a Budget 
Estimate the costs associated with the move, including packing materials, transportation, furniture installation, and any necessary renovations or upgrades at the new location. The importance of getting back to work as seamlessly as possible, balanced with creating a welcoming and functional environment for your teams and all stakeholders, is critical. Decide what is non-negotiable and set priorities for spending to accomplish both.
4 – Assess Needs and Space Requirements 
Evaluate the space requirements at the new office location. Consider factors such as square footage, layout, meeting rooms, storage areas, and amenities. Create a floor plan to optimize the use of space. This will help you determine what you plan to bring from your old office and what spaces you will need to fill with new furniture designs.
5 – Hire Professionals 
Research and hire reputable professional service providers to assist with packing, transporting, and unpacking office equipment and furniture. Ideally, you want to choose an expert team that can assist in coordinating IT equipment and other technology infrastructure to be re-installed. A comprehensive team that can do it all makes for a seamless and efficient process, which is the goal. Buying new furniture or equipment may be a necessary part of your moving plan, so get your purchasing done early so it can ship and be assembled in your moving process.
6 – Communicate to Stakeholders 
Change is sometimes scary, so announcing your upcoming move to employees, clients, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders will provide time to plan for the transition. Update your contact information on all official documents, website and marketing social media, as well as essential parts of your business operations such as postal services, banks and utility companies.
Communication is vital, so provide regular updates throughout the planning process to ensure everyone is informed and prepared, and inevitably will promote positivity.
7 – Pack it Up 
Develop a packing plan and provide employees with guidelines for packing their personal belongings. Label boxes clearly with their contents and destination within the new office space to streamline the unpacking process (think room numbers or names!). Some office furniture, such as modular desks and cubicles, will need to be disassembled and reassembled at the new location. You want a team that understands your furniture systems and can accomplish the transition without damaging anything or causing confusion.
8 – Coordinate the day of the move 
Arrange for utilities (electricity, water, internet, etc.) to be set up at the new office location before the move-in date. Follow up with moving companies and office furniture deliveries to ensure all is going as planned. Accommodate and allow time and resources for employees to pack up their workstation areas or, if you are hoping to have all hands on deck accomplish a community feel to the move. The goal is to have as minimal employee or customer disruption as possible.
9 – Celebrate the Move 
Once the move is complete, celebrate the milestone with employees and stakeholders. Acknowledge their efforts and contributions to a successful transition. An open house day or celebratory mention to promote the goals of your move will go a long way to help start in your new office home with positivity, productivity and purpose.
Overall, an office move requires careful planning, coordination, and management. atWork are experts in seamlessly setting up office spaces to get a business back to work as swiftly as possible. We would love to help you with your office move and help make it a smooth and successful process!
If you are contemplating an office move, our team at atWork would love to help you create ideas and inspiration to help you see the potential for your current space or layout solutions for a future workspace. Connect with us today
Contributing writer Kim Hussey is the creative energy behind The Write View, Cambridge, Ontario.
You can find her enjoying nature or writing from her heart. Go to kimhussey.com to read ways The Write View supports your writing needs.
