Moving Office

Moving an Office

So your business is growing or you've just acquired a new office space for your business as part of your expansion plans. While any form of growth is great, for a business it means much more. Be it expansion or extension or a temporary shift, any change to your business, big or small, needs to be informed to all your clients, vendors and stakeholders. Thus moving an office can be more complicated than you’d expect. But that doesn’t mean it has to be tough or it should stop your business from functioning properly.

What if you decide, that the shift is just another day in business and you can tackle it without any pre-planning. So one fine day you decide to move with your staff. Such random shift plans may lead to –

• Clutter and random packing of things into whatever container/box you may find. Thus leading to loss or damage of items.
• No proper office work will be done.
• Not all clients could be contacted.
• Each member of staff may communicate different dates as to when office starts functioning.
• Couriers, posts and deliveries may be returned since forwarding address has not been communicated.

And there could be many, many more hassles that may lead to loss of money, business and most importantly reputation.

As a business, you should look for a moving solution that –

• Is planned as per your needs.
• Is cost effective. Since labour costs are high in Ireland, this is one of most important things.
• Provide the shortest possible time when your business starts functioning like before.
• Clients, vendors, stakeholders are informed about the downtime and back to business timelines properly.
• All deadlines are met.

Our experts at Van Rental Dublin believe that no movement is a single giant leap, but a couple of steps can make it efficient and successful. Below are the steps that our corporate movement experts recommend –

Preparing for the Move –

• Set the date - Pick a date that is convenient for most of your team members. Neither too soon that you don’t get enough time to plan nor long down the line that people forget about it.
• Communicate the movement – Once the date is set, communicate the date of movement, the new address and the probable date as to when the office is back up and running.
• Send regular reminders for the change – Add the movement plans in brief may be as a signature or a N.B to all your communications email, phone or mails. If required, send gentle reminders as the days get closer.
• Viewing the new space – If your team is small take everybody, else take the senior most person of each team to the new office, so that they can confirm that all their team needs are met and if anything needs to be altered it can be done before hand. This also helps to reduce any downtime.
• Give directions – Send out directions or maps to all office members.
• Inform post office – Send out written application to your post office so that you do not miss out on any mail.
• Estimate the boxes – Get an estimate of the boxes from each member that they may need to wrap up their items/desk.
• Get details of any department that has particular needs like server rooms having 100% power backup, admin should plan ahead for the movement of bigger office equipment like conference room equipment.
• Assign charges – Identify groups based on area or floor or department and let a person take charge of movement for the specific group.
• Keep an open mind for things that may not go quite to plan.

A week before the Move –

• Get your teams printout labels for all the members with their names, employee id and contact number for labeling containers and equipment.
• For common items like conference room equipment or printers, create labels and also a comprehensive list of everything.
• Label things like computer monitors, keyboards, mouse, cpu, handset.
• Pack things that are not in use or as soon they are finished being used for the week so that on the day of the move you only pack the items that were last being used.
• Encourage your staff to get rid of items that are no longer in use.
• Create backup of any important software or files. This way you are prepared in case of loss or damage to hardware.
• Everybody should create a small checklist of containers and equipment that they are in charge of moving.
• Get insurance if possible for things that may get damaged that have a value.

On the day of the Move –

• Ensure a call diverts or an automated message for all calls on your office number that specifies the downtime, new address properly.
• Ensure everybody has set out of office message for the particular day with details when the member will be able to respond.
• Each member should pack away things on their desk in containers provided.
• All containers should be labeled with details of the employee or the office area they belong to.
• Label all office furniture and move them first.
• Assign members on the location so that they can receive items as per the checklist shared
• All containers should be marked and loaded as per checklist and loaded off and struck out from checklist.
• Get the vans to move as soon as possible.
• Ensure nothing is left behind.

Setting up the Office

• Each member should start unpacking their own containers and set up their desks.
• All equipments should be checked that they are running properly.
• Set up telephones so that you can start taking calls from customers and vendors.
• File for insurance claim in case of damage to goods.
• Send out emails that you are back in business.

We understand that you are running a business like we are doing. Thus we know the hassles and headaches. So let our experts at Van Rental Dublin help you out with solutions so you can concentrate on your business, your staff and your clients. Call us on +353 1 8441944 or drop your queries and concerns via our contact us page and let us get back to you at the earliest.