Unfortunately many people find out far too
late that there is more to moving a company than just calling a mover and
setting a date. They are overwhelmed with the details and steps required.
According to a survey of 231 law firms relocating to new office space, the
biggest problems they had to deal with were:
Insufficient planning 52%
Selecting vendors 37%
Cooperation, teamwork and morale 29%
Disposal of obsolete files 21%
Forgetting important tasks 19%
Keeping within the budget and
schedule 11%
Matching files to offices 10%
A Relocation Management study revealed
almost two-thirds of the people responsible for the relocation of their
company were either fired or demoted after the move. Other took time
off for stress related ailments.
So how can these mistakes be avoided?
They can be avoided by setting up a process and first asking the following:
Who is in charge? From the start decide who
is responsible for the move. Even if you have a move committee, someone will
always have to make the final decision.
Start planning early- Henry Ford said,
Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.
Get the word out- The company rumor mill can
impair morale. People in general, fear change and uncertainty. Tell
people what is going on, and how it will impact them. You will be surprised
at what they will tolerate and how much they will help out if informed.
Focus on the details- If you do not know
what the details may be, then find out.
Allow enough time- Take in to account
Murphys Law and things always take longer than planned. Make sure you have
cushion in your schedule for delays.
Use checklists- A small company must
consider a hundred or more activities; a large company upwards of a
thousand. There are just too many things to remember. Use checklists
to help assign, organize and track your progress.
Finally, a good tenant broker or buyers
broker should be able to assist you in getting resources together for the
move including the checklists!