A good plan specifies who is responsible for which task and the deadlines that must be met for each task. A successful project plan minimizes loss of productivity and downtime, and will help toward the goals of relocating the office on time and on budget. Protecting, and having backup for your documents are an important part of keeping your business running smoothly before, during, and after an office move.
Creating a Project Plan for Your Office Move
Every office project needs a leader, and planning an office move should include a person assigned to be in charge. The person who is chosen to lead this project, will serve as the move coordinator. This leader needs to have the authority to make decisions as a representative of the company, be someone with great organization skills, and a person who is able to make "snap" decisions. A small team should be selected to create the project plan for a move. This team is responsible for knowing or creating deadlines, move dates, lease termination and new lease signing, start and finish of new office build out, and the final date for the move completion. A budget should be created and the office move project team should review it through the process to make sure that the move stays on budget.
What to Include in Your Project Plan for a Office Move
There will be custom parts to planning an office move that only apply to your company, but there are a few guidelines you can follow that will help you plan an office move that is successful. You may want to use a full service mover to simplify the relocation from one office to another. Employees should be notified of the move as soon as possible. You should have all the details about relocation packages (if pertinent,) and keep everyone up to date with emails and announcements in company meetings. New office space should be optimized and flexible enough to expand with the company. You should work with the head of the IT department to set up infrastructure for the new office. All marketing information should be updated with new addresses, phone numbers and pertinent information. Make sure to communicate often with customers before, during, and after the move.
Using a Office Relocation as a Opportunity to Digitize Paper Records
If you have not done so before the decision to relocate your office, you should consider hiring a company to scan documents, and create a document managing system for your company. At the very least, having your documents backed up offsite should provide peace of mind and the security of knowing that if something happens to your documents during the move, duplicate copies are stored digitally that can be retrieved at any time. Having a document managing system created for your business helps all employees quickly access needed information.
When the relocation is finished, you will be glad that you spent time planning an office move. Organization and timely implementation of tasks is necessary to successfully moving your employees and office to a new location. It also contributes to serving your customers well before, during, and after the move.