Like with all things in life, change is often welcomed and exciting. Moving from an old office into a brand new one is a perfect chance for new starts, fresh opportunities and much-needed upgrades. The transition, however, is not without its challenges. It is probably hectic around the office during these times with a bunch of people running left and right, papers and boxes are everywhere and, it can easily get hectic. To smoothen this transition period there are a couple of universal things you need to watch out for. After all, the point is to enjoy this opportunity for advancement and make the most out of it.
1. Plan ahead
It may seem obvious but, as you are doing a million other little things at this moment it’s easy to forget the basics. All the more reason to take a piece of paper or an app, and start jolting down the steps. Assigning specific tasks to groups of people, making sure that you do one last checkup of the entire office before you leave, synchronizing schedules and so on. When you put all of it on paper, everyone will be on the same page, pun intended. This way, you can also track how far you have progressed in the moving process.
2. Clutter management
It is bad enough if all of you are tripping over one another or stepping on each other toes in the moving process, but you don’t need the added annoyance in the form of all the extra clutter that suddenly appeared. Boxes that are lying around everywhere need to be labelled and, once they are full, move them out of the way and for transport.
All those cables that are everywhere can be put in zip lock bags for added security and labelled, of course, so that you don’t go thru the trial-and-error process once you start unpacking them all. It is best to assign each person to an area (preferable their work area) and let them tidy up and pack it all up there. As soon as a box is done, or something is full, move it out of the way and start working on a new item.
3. Ask the pros for help
There is no shame in admitting that you are way over your head in this. Things can get hectic and out of hand pretty fast when it comes to moving. There are trained and experienced professionals when it comes to the end of lease cleaning that can help you out. Many contracts require that you leave your, now former, office in the same way you found it and contract obligations can be headache-inducing in themselves which is not something you need at this moment.
Cleaning agencies have the proficiency and the tools needed to make the place look spotless and, you can use them for your future cleaning in the new office as well. After all, you will see how they do first hand and then, you can continue the collaboration down the road.
4. Share the load
As we mentioned before, it’s best to assign each employee to their area as it fragments and eases the process. However, you can go a step further and hire a moving company such as Killeen movers as well. The principle of the matter is the same as with hiring a cleaning service. Why do it yourself when the costs can far outweigh the benefits? There are pros in this back-breaking area that can do all that for you, saving you time, energy and money. Since money is a key factor here, it is worth noting that if you factor in the time, resources, elbow grease and manpower that goes into doing it yourself, it is more than profitable to hire a professional. Not to mention and damages your untrained crew can do. Moving companies can go in, out and get you set in your new office in a blink of an eye and, you don’t have to move an inch.
5. Last-minute updates and checks
The devil is in the details and the small print. When leaving your old building for greener pastures, double-check any regulations and rules when it comes to moving. There is a lot of heavy and bulky stuff being moved around so, you may need special permissions for the elevator. Surroundings probably need to be secured before anything bulky goes thru and, of course, avoid any damages to the building. Extra costs can be avoided and, fines cannot happen if all is being done promptly.
While fragile things need special attention when moving, your IT department should take priority, over some vases. Since all the crucial data is being stored on your computers, it’s best to play it safe and back up everything. Secondary memory drives or cloud solutions are ideal as things can go wrong even with the best of intentions from your end. New computers can be bought but, old data can never be replicated without a backup and, that is priceless.
When you are settled into your new office, leave it to your IT department to set everything up again and get you running. They know the system’s ins and outs, have probably done so in your old office so, it’s best to leave this to them.
All of this may seem a bit daunting at first but, it gets easier as soon as you start. Before you got that new office, the prospect of moving seem unlikely but, things are now in motion and, you need to stay afloat. By getting a simple piece of paper and starting jotting down some first steps you are already going in the right direction with the moving process. This should be a joyous occasion as you are moving up in the business world and, with the right approach to the moving part, it can remain that way, and you can guard it against all the hustle and stress associated. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and, once all is set and done, be sure to pop a champagne to celebrate!
Guest article written by: Mike is an Australian business consulting specialist. He’s working with companies that outsource their IT maintenance. He often writes about technology, business and marketing and is a regular contributor on several websites.