Moving into a New Office Space - 4 Tips for a Successful Move
November 8th, 2022 by admin
Are You Moving into a New Office Space? If Your Answer Is Yes, Then Here Are 4 Tips to Ensure a Smooth Transition
Whether you're a new company or a fortune 500 organization, moving into a new office can feel like an exciting time. Sometimes though, if it isn't done correctly, then it can also be a very stressful time too. This can also be true for moving into a residential area, but when it's comes down to a business moving into a commercial office space, then there are a lot of moving parts to be aware of. Ultimately, there needs to be a dedicated person managing the project since there is so much that goes into it. Vendor contacts, scheduling, permits, suite access, and property management coordination are just a few aspects of moving into a new office space. To ensure a timely move, everything must play out like a well-choregraphed dance.
Organizations often choose to move into a new office space or building because of a variety of reasons. Building maintenance issues, skyrocketing rents, or even company growth can be good reasons to move. As Covid-19 continues to change the landscape for remote work and company culture, businesses must adapt to meet the demands of a modern world where a hybrid work mentality seems to stick around. A lot of work goes into planning a move, so this blog will discuss the best tips to ensure your business can hit the ground running as soon as office space is turned up. Here at ATEL Communications, we have your best interest in mind. Here in San Diego & beyond, we've been assisting companies big and small with their office moves for over 30 years, so we have accumulated some best practices over the years. Here are 4 tips for a successful move.
1. Don't procrastinate and start planning now
As they say, “the early bird always gets the worm” - this is especially true for ALL office moves. The earlier that you can get started, the better. If your new office space needs major construction or even slight renovation, you'll need to make sure to start months in advance. When the owner or board members of your business has made the decision on a move-in date, and you think it's so far in advance that there is no need to rush, then that's your first mistake. Most businesses don't realize that they need multiple vendors contracted before a move can even get started. Once a date has been selected, then the next step, which is often overlooked, is to check to see what Internet and voice services are available in your new building. Most of the time, businesses primarily focus on suite availability and cost when making their selection, but what if there isn't Fiber services or business-class cable available? If you have current Telco services, then did you check with your carrier to make sure that they can service your new building? This is really important, so make sure that this step isn't overlooked at all. Once that is all set, then the next step that we recommend is that you start canvassing for vendors, so they can assist you with your move. You'll need to start looking for construction vendors to help setting up your office layout.
2. Choosing a point of contact within the company
Once a construction vendor has been selected, then you'll need to have a reliable point of contact within your company to lead the project management. No other vendors will do this for you, so someone in your organization will need to take the bull by the horns for this task. This is a job that is best handled by a Project planner. They need to be trustworthy and dedicated to any spur-of-the-moment crisis. This person will also need to be the one that has keys to the new suite, and they should be the liaison between your vendors and the property management company that manages the new building that your new suite resides in. This job can be very time-consuming as well, so make sure that you choose someone that isn't with a whole bunch of other tasks that are critical for day-to-day operations. They'll need to efficiently manage quotes from vendors, contracting vendors, and scheduling each milestone as the move-in date gets closer.
3. Be Diligent when selecting the right moving company
Right before you sign a lease, it's always a best practice to find the right moving company for the job. An often-overlooked aspect of selecting a moving company is to ensure that they have insurance. As a rule of thumb, make sure that they provide proof of insurance. In case something gets damaged, then your business may be critically down before you get your new office up and running. Don't be shy when asking for this proof, so it's best to ask for this proof very early on. Remember, just because a moving company will move your furniture, that doesn't mean that they are comfortable with moving your IT and phone system equipment too. Therefore, you'll also want to contact your IT Vendor or IT Director, so they can setup your IT equipment at your new location. Also, unless you are utilizing a hosted phone system that your IT manages, then it's also best to have your current phone vendor to move and install your PBX voice system too. Like your furniture mover, make sure that proof of insurance is shown before you contract them.
4. Finally, everything that you worked on so far is all reliant on your telco installation
Telco…Telco…Telco! If you haven't heard this term before, then don't be surprised - unless you work in the industry, then you might not have heard this term before. Telco is short for Business Class Telecommunications Services. Spectrum, Verizon, Cox, AT&T, and the list goes on. Telco is the data/voice services that your business pays for, so you can connect to the outside world. Without them, your company is seriously dead in the water. This is especially a critical component when you are moving your office. Most companies that we work with treat this as the final piece of the puzzle.
As you can see in the beginning of this blog, searching for a compatible Telco provider should be one of the first things you look for, and it should be a key component when choosing a new office space. Timing is important when installing new services before you move into your new office. If you install too late, then you're just going to be sitting there when your new office opens up. If you install too early, then you're going to be paying for services that you aren't using until you officially move in. The point of contact that you assign for this move must always keep in contact with your new or current provider to ensure that installation is timed just right. We recommend that you set the installation of your internet 2 or 3 weeks before your official move-in date and your voice for the same-day of your official move. These days, most companies use SIP or VoIP voice services, so without an internet connection, these types of voice services are useless. In case something goes wrong with the installation of your internet, then you'll have plenty of lead-time to correct the filed installation if you plan accordingly.
ATEL Communications has been offering Project Management Solutions for our customers for close to 40 years now, so we have experienced every obstacle imaginable. If all this sounds overwhelming, then you should let us manage your next move. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Posted in: Solution, Services, Support, Office Moves