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At Cube Movers we believe that when a business is relocating the owners want to move as conveniently as possible, with minimal down time and in a cost efficient manner. The reality is that whether your business is small or large, moving can be expensive, complex, tedious and laborious. Typically, the planning of the removal is as equally important as the actual execution. In Kenya a big number of employees and employers have limited knowledge of how to go about office moving. The most common statement to hear is “moving is very stressful”. Out of our experience here are a few tips that we like to share. Preparation/planning A company that is relocating is not engaging in it’s core money making business! It is therefore wise to start early planning so as to spend less time in the actual moving. It is advisable to start your preparation at least 3 months before the moving date. Most people are completely unfamiliar with office or corporate removals. It is for these reason that early planning it extremely essential. It is advisable to plan your move to coincide with the low season period of your business cycle so that you have less disruption. Get familiar with the new location. Take measurements of the new rooms, the pathways and corridors to ensure that your furniture will fit in. Take a physical head count of your staff members and all the furniture that they will use and ensure it all fits in. You surely do not want some of your staff to be out on the verandah! Create and distribute a floor plan well in advance. Mention the location of different departments and their furniture, files, cabinets, flowers, etc. Let all employees be aware about what is happening and what is expected of each of them. Appoint a moving company early enough and show them around your old office and the new location. They will be able to give you appropriate advice as well as plan your move in a manner that will not heavily disrupt your business. Take the moving opportunity to sort out the unnecessary furniture that need to be disposed off or even old files that have no value yet they will be costing you money in terms of storage space. Communicate with Everyone Appoint a move coordinator within your organization who will organize and execute the work. This person should be in charge of communications and logistics of the move. The person should liase with all the concerned parties including the movers, the staff, landlords, etc. Let all affected persons be fully informed. The more people feel involved, the more they will make things easier. Prepare an Office Moving Guide and make sure it is distributed and understood by the employees. Involve the departmental heads in preparing this guide so as to accommodate the special needs of each section or department. Agree the color codes to be adopted by the different departments to make the work easier for the movers. Moving Different Items All items inside bookcases, shelves, desks, wall units, or cupboards should packed securely in boxes Storage cabinets: Pack all contents in boxes. Cabinet doors should be locked and tied. Desks: Empty your desks before the move. Protect all glass with paper and other stuffing. Safes: Money and other valuables should be emptied. Clear pathways should be made as they are heavy and sometimes need special equipment and space for manouvre. Personal possessions: The moving company can not be responsible for the personal items be they, pictures, plants, money, books, etc. All staff should personally handle their personal stuff. If any items are not moving be sure to mark them “Do not Move”. This will eliminate any unnecessary cost and reduce confusion. Moving Machines and Equipment Electrical/technological machines need special attention and so you need to be sure that you know what you are doing. If machines are under rental you definitely have to inform the rental company in advance. The same case applies to machines that are under hire purchase or under dealers/manufacturers warranty. Most professional moving companies know how to handle most office machines but it is important to have an employee who understands the particular machine at the time of the move. All machines and equipment must be unplugged from the power well in advance. The moving company will advise you in advance the type of machines where you may need to engage a third party. Computers should be disconnected and dismantled properly, packed in boxes and reassembled by a competent person. All fluids must be removed from photocopy machines. Some parts can easily fall off and so they should be fastened or carried in separate boxes. Take extra care on machines that are dismantled as items get lost easily during moving. Garbage Dispose as much garbage as possible before the moving day as this will reduce your packing, handling and transport cost. Make sure, though, that nothing valuable is thrown away. Make sure you use the correct disposal procedure while doing this. Most Important Advise your staff not to try and pack or move things for which they do not have the knowledge about. You surely, do not want unnecessary expenses. New Location Ensure to examine the building in advance and confirm that the elevators are working and if your furniture will fit inside. If there are no lifts inform the moving company in advance as this may affect the charges. Confirm that the new office is clean and ready to receive you in order to start your business at once. Ensure that your new telephone lines have been fixed as well as your internet and water connections. Ensure that the new office complies with all the health and safety requirements as per the existing laws prior to moving in. No one likes to be caught in such a situation. Insurance Do you have the appropriate insurance cover? While most professional moving companies will take care to ensure safe handling of your goods none can guarantee 100% safety at the handling level or when on the road. It is thus important to inform your insurance company about your move and get a moving cover. These covers are normally not expensive. In case, you have chosen Cube Movers, we could arrange for it on your behalf. Inform your Customers Customers are the reason why your business exists. Let them know about your moving even before the moving day especially because you may be unable to service them on that day. Inform them of your new address as well as the new telephone numbers. After you have successfully moved you may consider sending mail to all of them or even putting a notice in the media confirming your new location and telephone numbers. Remember If you have got any questions on office moving contact Cube Movers! |
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