Common Challenges in Office Relocations and How to Overcome Them

So, you are thinking about moving your office? That must be an important step in your business operations. Whether you are planning an office relocation in Melbourne, setting up a shop in Canberra, or relocating your office interstate or overseas, office moves are often not without their complications. It is not just about chucking desks and chairs in a truck – you need proper planning, coordination, and heaps of communication to execute a successful office relocation.

It is no wonder that while hiring an office moving service provider, lots of factors need to be considered, chief among them being whether the concerned office moving service provider has considerable success in carrying out office relocations.

At Dawson Moving & Storage, we have helped lots of organisations over the years – from little start-ups working out of someone’s garage to massive corporates with floors of equipment – in office relocations. Through all that experience, we have spotted the most common issues businesses face when moving, and more importantly, how to sort them out without undue tension. We would discuss them here briefly.

Lowering Business Downtime

One of the challenges of office relocation that many business owners become irritated about is the downtime, which refers to the “blackout period” when phones aren’t ringing, emails are bouncing back, and so on. Even just a few hours of downtime can affect your revenue and reputation, especially in this speedy age.

You can lower or minimise loss of working hours by planning early and scheduling your move during quiet times, such as weekends or public holidays. Also, control the whole shebang by moving non-essential stuff first while keeping your critical operations operating until the last possible minute before relocation.

Most importantly, team up with professional office movers who have done commercial relocations before. Experienced office movers like us at Dawson take extra efforts to see that your downtime during office relocation is minimised.

Coordinating Staff and Stakeholders

If you want your office relocation to be smooth, proper coordination and transparent communication with your team, clients and suppliers is a must.
One of the ways to foster better communication among the staff about the relocation process is setting up a relocation committee with representatives from different departments of your office and sending regular updates through emails, meetings, etc. Also, share progress and who is doing what in the relocation process.

Also, get your staff involved early in planning their new workspace. When people feel like they have a say, they are way more likely to get excited about the change rather than whinge about it.

And of course, give your clients and suppliers proper and precise information about the relocation so that they know exactly where to find you during the transit.

Handling IT and Technology

The importance of digital technology in new-age offices cannot be overstated. Moving servers, computers, and all that telecommunications gear should be handled with extreme care and caution during the relocation process because one wrong move in this aspect could lead to costly losses or an increase in downtime.

To resolve this challenge, you can bring in professional IT movers who can pull apart, transport, and rebuild your tech setup with professional ease. Also, it is preferable to do a proper test run of phone lines, internet connectivity and server access before your team lands up in the new office.

Managing Costs

Relocations can hamper your budget with additional costs like cabling, temporary storage, or surprise repairs. In order to manage office relocation costs effectively, get clear and comprehensive quotes from your office removalists that should cover the cost of packing, storage and all other miscellaneous costs.

There shouldn’t be room for any nasty surprises popping up later as additional costs for relocation. Also, do keep aside 10-15 per cent of your relocation budget as a contingency fund so as to tackle any eventuality in the relocation process.

Keep tabs on the expenses of the relocation on a spreadsheet and try to develop a tailored relocation plan so as to help you forecast the relocation costs more accurately while dodging unnecessary spending.

Handling Furniture and Equipment

Handling of furniture and electronic equipment is another challenge. Desks, chairs, filing cabinets and those massive boardroom tables and Plasma TVs aren’t easy to shift. Their relocation involves some element of risk of damage to the items and to the people involved too.

However, their handling can be made comparatively easier by maintaining a proper asset register listing every single piece of furniture and equipment before you begin the relocation process. It is preferable to use a professional packing service with crates, padding and protection, which will enhance the office equipment’s and the movers’ safety.

It is preferable to map out your new space beforehand and allocate the places where each furniture or equipment would be slotted in.

Relocation is also an opportunity to dispense or donate some dodgy old furniture, which has lost its utility but has been taking up space.

Compliance, Safety and Insurance

Office relocation generally has to take into account of workplace safety, building codes, and tenancy requirements. It is better to check with the building management of the new place about access times, lift usage, and security requirements before the relocation.

Ensure your new place has no issues pertaining to safety before the relocation. Or in other words, you need to check whether the new office has proper cabling, decent lighting, and sensible furniture placement, etc.

Double-check that your office moving service provider has proper insurance for commercial moves. Quality removalist companies like Dawson provide comprehensive cover, which can ease your tension.

For Interstate or Overseas Moves

In case you are moving interstate or overseas, there are added complexities to deal with, involving customs, quarantine, and timelines. For interstate or overseas office relocations, choose specialist office movers with considerable experience in interstate and international moves. And do get the rigmarole of paperwork sorted out well in advance to avoid mounting tension at the last minute.

Also, it is always preferable to keep your team informed in advance about realistic timelines so that they don’t panic. Consider temporary storage for items that might get stuck in transit.

Why Partner with Dawson Moving & Storage?

Office relocations might seem to be disturbing and even scary, but with comprehensive and meticulous planning and professional support, much of the tension of office relocation can be eliminated.

It should be kept in mind that moving your office is much more than moving files, boxes and equipment from one place to another. It is also about moving your business operations and your human resources’ workspace. So, for office relocation, it is always safe to hire a removalist with an impressive track record in office moves.

For carrying out office relocation, Melbourne has several options, but if you are looking for a provider of office relocation Melbourne residents have placed their trust in, you can contact us. Dawson Moving & Storage, with its offices in Melbourne and Canberra, brings decades of success in local, interstate, and international moves. We have extensive experience in office relocations.

A personal relocation consultant will spend time at your operation to see your business in action; this will allow us to customise a practical move-out strategy for your office. Inspecting your new office site is also part of our service, which is an essential part of designing a flawless move-in plan. We are office movers you can rely on. With us, you can make office moves with minimum loss of productivity, with complete safety and with very little apprehension of hiccups or impediments.