How to Select the Right Internal Team to Manage Your Office Move

Manage your office move effectively

Moving to a new office might not sound difficult, but the process can be fraught with hidden problems and pitfalls. From insurance issues to the immense task of moving all of your office equipment, moving office certainly isn’t easy.

With the right internal team, however, the process of moving your business to a new office becomes significantly simpler. Problems that would emerge without a clear plan start to disappear, and your business settles into its new office far more quickly.

Putting together an internal team to manage your office move can be challenging at first, especially if you’ve never moved office before. In this guide, we’ll share six tips that can help you to learn how to select the right internal team to manage your office move.

Appoint a senior staff member as project leader

Every project, whether it’s the development of a new product or moving to a new office, needs a capable leader. Ideally, the best leader for an office move is a senior staff member with the authority and confidence to act on behalf of the company.

If your company’s director doesn’t have time to take part in the move, appoint a C-suite executive or senior manager to take the lead. They’ll have the support of the company’s senior management that’s required to lead such a large project.

As well as the support of the company’s senior management, a good project leader needs to be able to organise people easily (after all, moving office involves a lot of people) and to have experience working within a clearly defined budget.

Arrange fit-out and removals ahead of time

The earlier you can arrange fit-out and removals, the easier the process of moving to a new office will be. Every project manager’s worst fear is to move into an office that isn’t ready for the company and is lacking connectivity or other essential services.

Have your project manager work with an office fit-out company to ensure that your new office has Internet access, a telephone connection and any other infrastructure that’s required.

Likewise, speak to a removals company as early in the moving process as possible to make sure they’re available when you plan to move. The earlier in the process your company interacts with third parties, the smoother your move will be.

Create a checklist for potential new offices

Are you searching for offices yourself? Whether your business is working alongside a property agent or doing its office search internally, it’s important that you have a checklist of “essentials” and “deal-breakers” for your new office.

From HR to IT, make sure your moving team is made up of people from all of your company’s departments. They’ll each be able to contribute their individual needs to your company’s must-have and must-not-have checklist.

Moving without seeking the advice of your company’s departments often leaves you with an office that, while ideal for senior management, lacks the services and other essentials that your most important departments depend on.

Work with IT to ensure constant connectivity

Connectivity is vital for modern businesses, and moving into an office that doesn’t have phone or Internet connectivity can bring your business to a standstill. With an IT expert on your moving team, you’ll be able to manage connectivity concerns.

First day in the new @newbamboo office. Everyone is getting laptops setup #officemovepic.twitter.com/gu2PngjSm3

— Laurie Young (@wildfalcon) December 9, 2013

Choose an IT expert that’s familiar with your company’s existing IT equipment and services. A senior member of your company’s IT department will be able to speak to your current suppliers and make arrangements to have services transferred.

Telecoms and IT are best kept in-house during your move; while service companies are available, they may not fully understand your company’s needs. Appoint a senior member of your IT department to enjoy a stress-free, 100% connected moving day.

Work with an agent to search and negotiate

While your internal team might best understand what you need in an office, they’re unlikely to have the connections and property knowledge required to find the right office within a short timeframe.

If you’d like to speed up your search, it’s worth appointing someone to your internal moving team to liaise with property agents and provide feedback on the offices they recommend

This gives your company the best of both worlds: the access of a property agent and the in-depth knowledge of your company’s needs that only an in-house person can provide.

I just signed the contract for a 400m2 new office! pic.twitter.com/51vbbxaft0 — Jesus Bosch Ayguade (@jboschaiguade) August 29, 2014

Appoint HR to make the move smooth and simple

Moving to a new office can be stressful and difficult, not only for the people involved in planning and executing the move, but for your regular staff. Many of the your old office’s routines and features could disappear in the course of a day or two. Because of this, it’s important to appoint a senior member of your HR department to your internal moving team. They’ll be able to brief your employees on the new office and help them become more familiar and comfortable in a new work environment. From working out the optimal layout of your office for productivity and efficiency to helping people find their way in a new environment, HR is an important piece of the moving process that’s far too often forgotten.

Do you have an internal moving team?

If you’ve never moved into a new office before, it’s easy to assume that the process is a simple one. However, moving to a new office can be immensely stressful without a talented, experienced and capable team on your side. From senior management to IT and human resources, appointing the right collection of people – and the right balance of skills – makes moving to a new office far simpler for your business. Does your business have a team ready to manage its office move?

If you’re interested in finding out more, email info@storefirst.com or call 01282 330 330.