How to Plan an Office or Business Move

For several years, I was a Project Manager for an International Company and planned numerous site relocations during that time.

From experience, I can assure you that the planning tool that this article will introduce you to is indispensable for anybody relocating any size of business.

Known as a Gantt chart, this is a super-efficient way of planning a business move and an online search will provide you with some free templates for you to use.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company. Nothing will make your business move easier than a good Commercial Removal Company. In this guide, we take you step-by-step through the process of picking the right removal firm for your relocation.

Read on to discover how to populate and use this essential tool.

How to Project Manage a Successful Office Move

How do you plan an office move project? Painstakingly thoroughly.

As with any move, it is essential to start the planning process as early as possible.

Your first task will be to appoint someone to oversee and manage the entire office relocation.

It should be determined how you intend to move, in a phased way, or all in one day.

This will affect your office relocation action plan as key dates will need to be factored in.

It is wise to have each milestone of the move clearly detailed at the beginning of the project.

Get this in writing, agreed upon, and signed off by the most senior manager so that everyone is clear on their objectives.

Your Gantt chart will be the office relocation action plan and the benchmark to control the timing of each stage of the office move (more about Gantt charts in the next section).

Spend as much time as possible on the planning phase, consulting as many key people as possible.

Having created your office relocation plan you may then need to select people to be responsible for managing certain departments or aspects of the move.

Again it is wise to have the DRP (designated responsible person, the person who is responsible for completing that task) sign off the task sheet that is assigned to them.

Having a floor plan of your current office and new office is useful.

Have a staff meeting and determine what works, and does not work in your current setup and plan to improve the workspace in your new location.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Simple Floor Plan. In this guide, we explain how to create a simple floor plan to help you decide what goes where in your new premises.

Good communication is vital when relocating.

Especially so when moving workspaces, when at least some of the workforce will be resistant to the changes.

Hold team meetings to ensure everyone knows why the move is happening and emphasise all the positives.

Keep everyone fully briefed as to how the move is going and as each milestone is reached.

One of the crucial tasks early on in the planning process will be to select a reputable commercial removal company.

This is vitally important to get right and a whole section of this guide is dedicated to choosing a good removal company just for this reason.

But first off, let’s introduce you to Gantt charts and show you how much easier it will make the entire moving process.

What is a Gantt Chart for Moving Office?

Simply put, it is a list of all the tasks that you need to complete, the date that you have to have that task completed, and who is responsible for completing that task.

It will ensure that nothing is overlooked during the move.

Crucially, it charts which tasks have been completed and which aspects of the office move have fallen behind, or are ahead, of schedule.

You can make the chart as complicated, with as much detailed information as you wish, but from experience, I would say that simple is best.

Agreeing on a colour code for completed, in progress, and behind-schedule tasks, is important so that it is easy to understand at a glance which tasks require more attention.

You may also like to read: Moving Planner and Calendar, which although for home moves, you may find useful as it lists all the important tasks that need to be completed in chronological order.

How to Create a Gantt Chart or Business Moving Checklist

You will need to insert the tasks that relate to your particular move, and also insert the dates and names of who is responsible for each task to the Gantt chart template you have downloaded from the internet.

Depending upon the size of your business move you can create a Gantt chart for each department or aspect of the move.

So you could have one for offices, production, stock, human resources, and planning the new office or building for example.

So the first column of your office move spreadsheet will list all the things that need to be done.

Note that the list should be in the order that the tasks must be completed, in some cases the next task cannot be started until the previous task has been finished.

Some tasks can be completed simultaneously and are not dependent upon each other being completed first.

Once you have a comprehensive list of things that need doing, assign a DRP in the next column.

Now put week numbers or dates at the top of the following columns leading up to the actual move date.

Then assign a period of days for the task to be completed and colour the cells that correspond to that length of time.

Depending on the complexity of the move you may want to factor in review meetings on the chart.

You may also like to read: How to Choose a Storage Unit. Hiring a storage unit can make the transition to your new premises so much easier, especially if the move takes place over several days or weeks or there is renovation work going on in the new place. Here, we tell you all you need to know about storage units.

How to Move a Business Efficiently

A commercial removal company is essential for larger office or business moves.

It is the most efficient way of moving your business, saving you time and resources.

It should be noted that even for smaller office moves it may be wise to hire a removal company for health and safety reasons.

Having your staff move heavy desks and cabinets that they are untrained for, may result not only in lost work days but a hefty financial penalty should they be injured.

Your staff can then concentrate on the day-to-day tasks of the office and cause as little disruption to your customers as possible.

Not only that but think of all the risk assessments you will have to write.

Not a good way to spend your valuable time when there is so much else to do.

So you will need to hire a removal firm who is experienced in the type and size of move you are undertaking.

An experienced commercial removal firm will be able to offer invaluable advice and support, so it is vital you choose the best removal firm you can find.

You should seek 3-4 quotes from local commercial removal companies so that you can compare prices in the first instance.

Once you get those quotes, be sure to thoroughly research each of the companies and compare exactly what services they offer.

Read as many reviews as you can find, and check out their website.

Visit their premises, a clean and tidy depot and trucks will usually indicate an efficient and professional removal service.

It goes without saying that the removal company must visit your site to see exactly what the move will entail so that they can give you the most accurate quote, as well as formulate a plan for moving your business.

Compare those quotes, the type of service offered, insurance levels, complaints procedure, and resolution process.

You may also want to consider if they are a member of one of the trade associations, which has certain benefits to you as a customer.

They will likely assign a moving advisor to you and it would be prudent to have that person attend at least one of the initial and final review meetings so that you all know exactly what to expect on moving day.

You may also like to read: Removal Industry Trade Associations and Bodies. In this guide, we explain exactly what it means to you as a customer if the removal firm you are thinking of hiring is a member of one of the trade associations.

Final Tips on How to Plan an Office Relocation

The office moving checklist is not set in stone, but it pays to have the initial planning phase as thorough as possible.

Try not to change the plan, but if you do, make sure you number them as V1, V2, V3, etc. so everyone is working off the right version.

Have a contingency plan in case any of the milestones are missed in your plan.

Your business relocation plan should anticipate all eventualities and have a solution for those incidents should they arise.

Bonus office relocation tip: Create a business relocation binder. This will hold all the important documentation relating to your move, all in one convenient place.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Home Moving Binder. Whilst this guide is aimed at home moves, it will introduce you to the concept and suggest things to include in your relocation binders.

Moving your office or business is also a good opportunity to revise work practices and this may affect how your new offices are laid out.

This is a whole other aspect of the office move and requires separate, but just as thorough, planning.

Include people from all levels and departments of the business in your planning, input from frontline staff is often invaluable.

But this guide has been all about how to move a business to a new location, we are a moving website after all.

I will leave you to figure out the other intricacies of your business move.

And finally, as was drilled into me constantly, don’t forget your 7p’s:

Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance.

You only get the opportunity to get a business move right once. There is no second moving day.

So be sure to hire a reputable removal company to make your office move as efficient, safe, and easy as possible.

Get it right and your moving day will go flawlessly. Leaving you time to organise an amazing office warming party.