When starting up a large-scale project like a corporate, healthcare, or institutional relocation, it is natural to want to keep down costs as much as possible. We find that internal project teams have a hard time maintaining this goal because they view their transition from a zoomed in perspective, not taking into effect the full picture of the move. This viewpoint causes aspects of your transition to be forgotten about while the Move Day fast approaches.
Making last minute additions to the task list for your project is the fastest way to go over project budget. Here are a few commonly missed that can help mitigate scope creep if addressed in a timely manner.
Is all of your staff really accounted for?
For example, remember Dave and his contracted team down on Level 3? They aren’t company employees, but they definitely need to be considered when planning your move. What about the new interns you have coming in next month? Will they be situated in a convenient place for their supervisors to reach them in the new space? Knowing the exact amount of people moving and the move logistics surrounding them at the beginning of the project will lessen the likelihood that more staff will have to moved and classified as extra scope later down the line.
Are all offices and spaces accounted for?
You’d be surprised at what we’ve found lurking in forgotten storage closets. Especially in large corporate spaces, it is common for internal project teams to underestimate the amount of contents in their storage rooms. Oftentimes, these areas must be diligently sorted through to determine what should move into the new space, and what can be disposed of. Do not leave these decisions unmade until the week of your move—the added stress and cost is not worth the procrastination.
Do you have off-site storage that needs to be addressed?
This is a similar tip to the one above, but on a much larger scale. At some point your company may have decided to store furniture, supplies, equipment, etc. off-site. Before you purchase new resources, do you know if you already have it in storage? Furthermore, if you are decommissioning your old furniture, did you factor the items in storage into your calculations? If you are not aware of what is being kept off-site, you may need to at least visit the facility to determine if you want to keep or use what is there, or have it inventoried to better understand the resources at your disposal. All of these options involve much more planning and coordinating, which will make your scope much larger than originally expected.
Considering the full picture of your company’s resources far in advance of your transition will help you save your scope from creeping past its original budget. If you need further assistance don’t hesitate to fill out our contact form or give us a call.
