If you are comfortable with your office, transferring to a new one will really be a major event in your life. Moving to a newer or better place may excite you and the whole staff, but it will generate negative sentiments if it is due to cost-cutting, downsizing or an effect of decreasing the volume of business. Moving out of their comfort zones is viewed as a punishment they don’t deserve.

For whatever reasons, preparations have to be made whenever decision for office moves has been final, not only physically but even psychologically. This is to soften the impact of the sudden change to the staff and possibly even to the clients. It has been observed in some companies that a certain percentage of clients are lost whenever an establishment moves to another location.

Transition Team

As part of the preparation, the first order of the day is to set up a transition team that will coordinate the transfer and supervise the actual moving to the new place. The transition team will ensure that there will be minimal disruptions in the work of the regular staff. At the same time, there will be a group that will ensure smooth transfer and nothing will be left behind, normally with the help of a good office move checklist.

The transition team ideally should come from the administration department with representatives from the different departments and units of the company. They will be the point person who will do the liaison work between the individual staff and the overall transfer initiative. They also serve as the communications link of the department to the overall transfer initiative.

Plan Transfer by Phases

If the company is big, moving offices by phases will also mean smooth transition and very minimal disruption especially when there is an office moving checklist followed. This can be done by moving the company by department until all has settled down in the new office. A phased transfer schedule should be agreed upon and communicated to all the staff so that they will be aware of when their turn will come. This will lessen irritants during transfers.

Personnel Relations in Office Move

One of the most important concern to be addressed is that of the staff. Their concerns should be addressed since disruption in their work may result to decrease in their outputs. For those who are in the frontline job, they may extend their stress and frustration with the transfer to the clients. To work on this, the team should set up a communications system focused on transfer concerns. A 24-hour hotline is best set-up for the staff to be able to share and communicate their issues. A newsletter posted in the bulletin boards of the company may also provide access to information related to the move.

Existing or new set of equipment and furniture

One of the main question in moving offices is – will the existing equipment, furniture and fixtures be brought along to the new place, or a new set that will blend well with the new office be purchased? The answer to this question may be dictated by the direction of the company and the available resources allocated to the transfer. Moving on with the current furniture and equipment will require more office moving services.

Dismantling of the existing furniture and equipment may be time-consuming and require different technical people. After dismantling, the setting up of the same equipment and furniture in the new location will take the same or maybe more time and efforts. This will also mean disruption in the work of the staff since they should allow some time for the dismantling and setting up before they can use the equipment. With brand new equipment and furniture, there will be less disruption as the new ones can be set up ahead of the office move. And as the staff transferred to the new office, they can just leave the old office and let the transition team dismantle and dispose of the old equipment and furniture.

Moving Company

There are a number of office moving companies that can assist in moving documents, equipment, furniture, fragile materials that require special handling and even those that require security measures. In choosing the office moving companies, there is a need to ask for referrals and check industry reviews to determine the most appropriate moving company

Transfer Checklist

Preparing an office move checklist will lighten the load of the company and to prevent chaotic situation during the actual transfer date. To summarize, here are the most important reminders in moving:

1. Form a team that will be responsible in facilitating the transfer.

2. Prepare a plan for the transfer covering activities before, during and after the transfer

3. Include in the plan a communications program that will share the information not only to the staff but the clients as well as other stakeholders.

4. Choose the right moving company.

5. Prepare packing instructions for the staff and their personal belongings and the moving company staff.

6. Prepare the equipment that will be transferred.

7. Ensure that the delivered equipment are in the right places in the new location.

8. Check twice to ensure that nothing was left in the old office

9. Check if all the transferred equipment are working and functional.

10. Celebrate!

Office moves need not be complicated nor a sad occasion. With the right people and service providers and guided by a good office moving checklist, everything should be manageable.