How to Plan For a Commercial Move
Commercial relocations are much more complex than residential ones, requiring business owners to select an effective day and location that won’t disrupt operations as much while providing employees with ample notice of what to expect during their move.
An experienced commercial moving company can make life much simpler for their clients. Their knowledge of compact city spaces and accommodating different pieces of equipment and furniture means they know just how to get the job done efficiently and expertly.
Plan Ahead
Commercial moves require extensive planning, so it is best to start early. First, set out a budget and establish milestones for hiring movers, purchasing boxes and making necessary improvements to your new space. Second, conduct an inventory audit of what needs to be moved or sold/donated/discarded in order to maximize planning ahead and prevent unexpected surprises from cropping up later on.
As part of your first subproject, one should analyze and plan out the layout of your new space by creating a floor diagram for individual offices and seating arrangements that accommodate employees’ needs. You should also solicit employee feedback and seek their input in this stage – giving them an opportunity to feel valued and offer suggestions as to how things could be improved.
At this stage, one key task should be updating your company website and social media profiles with its new address to prevent confusion among customers, vendors and any other parties trying to contact your organization.
Final preparations should include informing your team and developing plans to transition them to their new location. This should include discussing why and how it will happen as well as roles they should fill during this transition process. Notifying outside parties such as customers, vendors and landlords of an impending change will keep everyone up-to-date and minimize impact to your business. Select a reliable commercial mover who has experience working with businesses similar to your own as this will guarantee they have all necessary equipment and expertise required for handling this process effectively.
Conduct an Inventory Audit
An inventory audit involves conducting a comprehensive review of your company’s inventory and records to ensure their accuracy and compliance with regulations. A physical count to verify stock levels may also be conducted as well as comparison of documented quantities with actual items stored, while it also might involve an examination of your inventory management systems and processes, such as how you record inventory.
Conduct an inventory audit either in-house or through outsourcing services. No matter which approach is taken, it is vital that a dedicated team of employees work on this count to reduce errors and fraud while barcode scanners should also help speed up this process while eliminating human error. Ideally, teams of your most meticulous workers should complete this inventory count process.
Cutoff analysis is an integral component of inventory audits, and involves temporarily suspending warehouse operations so as to conduct a physical count of inventory items in stock. Timing should be set so as not to interfere with shipping and receiving activities, since cutoff analyses often reveal discrepancies which need resolving by auditors on hand.
Overhead analysis examines non-material costs that impact inventory costs, such as rent, utilities and insurance premiums. It helps identify and control expenses that erode margins to achieve profitability; perhaps by comparing FIFO/LIFO valuation methods and seeing where you might be overpaying.
Work with Professional Movers
Commercial moves demand different skills than residential ones. Not only must you manage equipment and furniture, but office documents may include sensitive information that must be handled securely. Hiring professional movers ensures your sensitive materials remain protected. Furthermore, these specialists have access to equipment not usually seen during residential moves like dollies and ramps; depending on the size of your business you may require additional manpower assistance when moving heavy pieces such as heavy equipment.
Most commercial moves take place outside of regular business hours to minimize disruptions and provide employees with ample notice of the move. Planning should begin well in advance to ensure a timely transition.
Commercial movers offer more than just packing, loading and transporting services – they also offer other specialized services like furniture disassembly/reassembly/storage solutions that can ease the burden of managing the move yourself while still guaranteeing optimal results for your business.
An experienced commercial moving company can also assist you in selecting an appropriate storage facility and handling all necessary paperwork associated with your move, as well as finding qualified movers that fit within your budget. When selecting a company, be sure to compare quotes before selecting one; compare any hidden fees that could drive up costs further, such as add-on fees. Finding reliable movers can significantly decrease moving expenses while making the process less stressful for yourself and your team.
Keep Employees Informed
Informing employees of the progress of your commercial move is vital to alleviating anxiety and maintaining morale. Create a timeline in your plan, then regularly provide updates with employees on when they should pack personal belongings for transporting, professional movers will arrive and what day one in their new space may bring. This information will enable employees to better prepare themselves for what to expect during a move – helping to avoid surprises!
An appointed contact will also provide support and address any potential concerns throughout the process, whether this person be team leader, HR representative or relocation specialist.
Communicating the benefits of the move is also critical. Emphasize how it will increase productivity, provide better access to amenities and networking opportunities, and create a more pleasant working environment – this will enable employees to accept it as an exciting step forward for the company.
As your project moves along, post photos of the workspace on your website or intranet so that employees can keep tabs on it and see its completion before moving day arrives. In addition, send weekly emails or post architectural renderings on physical bulletin boards in order to keep employees up-to-date.
Make your employees part of the moving process by soliciting their input on various matters during your move, from small suggestions about office layout to grand plans for hosting an introductory party – getting their participation will make the transition less stressful and allow for quicker integration into their new locations.
