6 Tips for A Better Office Move in Singapore
Moving to a new office in Singapore is an exciting part of every business which includes multiple steps that needs meticulous planning and preparations. It is usually due to expansion since they no longer have enough space, downsizing for efficiency or the owner's wishes to move to a better location. Regardless of the reason and the size of your office move, it involves a long list of things to consider and to take care of. If you are not so sure where to start and what to do, read these tips for a better and successful move.
Advance Planning
No matter how big or small your office is, moving will be stressful if you did not plan in advance. Most businesses and offices start planning as early as 3 to 6 months in advance, usually depending on the size of the office. This is to give adequate time for each department in your office to prepare.
Be sure to have a detailed plan for employees which includes the moving date, timeline for the moving process, creating a schedule for each task, etc. This should also include identifying and allocating a specific budget to avoid any uninformed expenses and decision. Remember to give a comprehensive floor plan of the new office to the movers together with clear and precise directions about the placement of each item being moved to avoid any issues.
Each employee plays a great role and teamwork is really important during the planning and execution of the move. Giving them clear responsibilities and tasks will make the move easier and make them aware of what are the things they are expected and needed to do before, during and after the move.
Create an Office Move Relocation Team
Creating an office move relocation team is a great way especially for medium and large offices. They should appoint someone or ask for volunteers from each department or division to be a part of the managing team for relocation. This way you have someone to remind and check on each employee about the task they need to complete starting from clearing their desk, important files and personal items. If employees get stuck on a task, this team may also help and give guidance to other employees. For smaller offices, identifying a few key people who may be able to help with preparing and planning the move will also help ensure it will go smoothly.
Creating and having a meeting with this team can also help you identify the current issues in the old office and find possible solutions for the new office to be better. This way, you can hear their thoughts and viewpoints to achieve a consensus about the move and the new office.
Make an Office Removal Checklist
This is one of the most helpful ways you can keep track of all the tasks and things for your office move; creating and working with a checklist. Make sure to list out all necessary tasks, things needed to be transferred, and which of the tasks are already in progress so you can monitor the development from time to time. This will help the employees and removalists from forgetting their tasks and also will help the team from avoiding loss of any items or equipment. Be sure to give some copies of the checklist to them to keep everything prepared and organized.
Inform the I.T. Team
Informing the I.T. team as soon as you know the date of your move is a smart thing to do. Why? This will give your team enough time to draft a plan on disconnecting and transfering all technical stuff such as the computer equipment, phone connections and servers, internet plans, etc. Also, they need to check and evaluate the new place for any upgrades that need to be made for either the equipment brought to the new office or the infrastructure.
If there are some equipment that you don’t need anymore in the new office and are still working, consider recycling or donating them. On the other hand, for equipment that is not in good working condition, checking your country’s environmental protection agencies on what to do is the best option. The I.T team plays a crucial job that you can’t outsource to your movers, so it’s better to start as early as possible.
Communicate with your employees
Communication is essential during an office move. Remember to inform the employees of the upcoming move as early as possible and give them a heads up on when they need to pack up their stuff on their desks. Encourage and give them time to do a little each day until the moving day to avoid last minute packing. Be sure to remind them to write their name on the outside of the box for the movers to identify the appropriate location according to the layout chart you made making your move organized and efficient. You can also put name cards in the correct locations at your new office to help your movers to be efficient and organized.
Change can cause anxiety for some employees so communicating with them can give them time to process change and can boost their confidence and excitement. Keep employees up-to-date with moving plans and time schedules. You need to notify them of all the changes at the new business premise such as new address, new building rules and any revised phone numbers. Lastly, inform and remind employees throughout the process of moving via regular emails, posted notices and announcements during company meetings.
Hire Professional Moving Company
Moving an office in Singapore is a challenging task especially if you are doing it without the help of any professionals movers in Singapore. Moving with your employees has both advantages and disadvantages. It will be less expensive and will help you and your employees to develop camaraderie and team efforts. But on the other hand, this may lead to many moving mistakes which may cost more time and money and worse, it costs you more than hiring a professional moving company.
Hiring a trusted and professional moving company in Singapore like Wise Move is crucial for the move to be executed and handled with care and efficiency. They have enough knowledge, experience and equipment that will ensure you to have a safe and smooth move. This will make your move faster and particularly avoid any injuries to your employees in carrying large and heavy office furniture and items.
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