A Facilities Manager’s Guide to Preparing for Move Day

As a Facilities Manager, you may be looking around your office’s workspaces and wondering how all of this will be cleared. A poorly executed move damages the morale and productivity of your entire company for months, so it is of the utmost importance that your relocation goes without a hitch. There are many aspects to account for during a commercial move, but one of the most important is the physical contents.

Whether an individual is moving across the hall, or the entire company is moving to a different building, relocating can introduce logistical and safety concerns. In the early stages, it is important to get a good idea of what needs to be done, and when. Establish a timeline of major requirements as well as to have a clear communication to staff why some tasks need to be done, when, and why they need to be done early.

Here are a few of the pressing tasks to consider in preparation for Move Day:

1. Determine what will happen to the items in your storage and common areas. As storage and common areas are not inhabited every day, they are often forgotten in the mix of objectives to complete. If specific departments are using these areas to house their departmental resources, make sure you give them ample time to sort through these items to determine what goes to the new space and what can be left behind. Departmental storage should be handled before individuals’ offices are packed. This rule of thumb especially applies to the IT Department. Keep your information tech team apprised of any deadlines for the move, including when to disconnect the current space and set up the new one.
2. Take the safety of people who will be moving your boxes into consideration. Staff members should be advised on how to pack carefully. Do not stack heavy files and office supplies on top of breakables. Make sure sharp objects are wrapped in protective material before anyone gets hurt. Safe packing is intuitive, but often forgotten when in a rush to get things in boxes.
3. Employees need to take any personal belongings home before the move. We always stress this step of the process for our clients for one simple reason: mover’s insurance only covers damages to items owned by your company. So, if Hilda’s grandmother’s quilt is somehow lost or damaged in the move, there is no recourse for her. Items your staff members want in the new office can be brought back after everyone is settled.

Corporate Move Consulting Inc designs relocation systems to be invisible and frictionless; our proprietary procedures minimize short-term cost and maximize long-term profits. When moving a commercial business, there are so many aspects to consider, so it is very easy to miss an important step in the process. The insights above are far from a comprehensive list—CMCI will ensure your company is protected at its most vulnerable time.  Fill out our contact form to request more information or give us a call 713-864-2890.