Moving offices seems easy, but never ends up being that simple.
A typical move might include: packing, transporting, and unpacking boxes. However, there are other factors that determine the success or failure of an office move, especially when it comes to the unforeseen, and in this case, the IT disasters.
The IT Disasters
Out of all the office relocation blunders, the IT disasters are the most common. Computers that are known to work perfectly well at the previous office, fail to start when being used at the new one. And network installations and repairs take days longer than planned. Then there are issues like forgetting passwords and waiting on the telecom provider to get the new office phone lines up and running.
Office moving blunders are especially frustrating for staff. Keeping employees up to date, IT issues and data loss/inaccessibility to employees is deadly to all parts of your business. IT issues are rare, but they are more of an inconvenience to staff. In most cases, these issues result in the loss of contracts and/or the loss of many days of productivity. It is a leading cause of blunders when relocating an office. IT blunders are also the primary cause of employee burnout. Your business can lose employees and contracts, but losing your data is far worse.
Items That Disappear
Moving boxes can sometimes lead to unfortunate occurrences, and items can and often do, go missing. Documents get misplaced, computer monitors get disregarded, and entire desk drawers can get inter-departmental switched. Desks get packed up because they don’t have a clear owner. Boxes can be put on the wrong moving vehicle, or employee monitors can get packed up by mistake. This all happens because items lack ownership clarity.
The answer, while lame, is simple. Label ownership on everything. For instance, a box should not just say “Marketing Team” but say “Marketing – Sarah – Monitor and Keyboard – 2nd Floor New Office.” This clear ownership identifier will reduce the chance of it going missing. \
The Nightmare of Business Insurance
The thought of insuring the business is not the most pleasant job. Business insurance often has a lot of fine print, and moving the office will have a lot of clauses placed upon it. Some companies need to be notified when moving the office, and not doing so may have cover limits placed on moved items. If you fail to notify the insurance company and an insured event occurs, you can almost guarantee to be denied your claim.
Moving without checking insurance is a sure way to save time on insurance.
Staff Problems Everyone Overlooks
Staff members don’t usually talk about how they feel during office relocations. Some might feel upset if they don’t get a desk next to the window. Some people might fight over who gets the bigger office. A lot of people in the office feel upset if the relocation is further away from where they live.
While people cannot be made happy in every situation, they can be kept informed. When moving day gets closer, communication about office relocations should be the new layout, what the relocation is, and when it is. Telling people about office relocations lets them vent.
The Collection of Parking Tickets
The parking situation in London is very bad, especially when it comes to removal vans. If the parking situation is not taken care of, and an illegal parking situation is created, the fines can get very high. Some removal companies will cost as much to pay a remove as the fines.
Make sure to get parking permits in advance. Some streets will not be able to be loaded. Expect a lot of time to be taken for something, as it usually takes longer than you would think.
Making It Work
Moving an office is often accompanied by at least one catastrophe. The goal should be to try to plan so that they do not all happen at the same time. Plan ahead, communicate, label everything, and do not assume anything is too obvious to be checked. The first week in the new office is bound to be hectic, but at least it will be hectic in the manageable sense.