Archive for February, 2010

Office Moving | Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation | Part 4

February 25th, 2010

Office Move Planners

The Office Move Itself

Previously in this Office Moving series you learned about the 9 most common Office Move mistakes, addressed the question of whether you are properly prepared to pull off a successful office move and learned how to complete early preparations for an office move.

Now we will address the office move itself with this detailed checklist of tasks you will need to accomplish or delegate. By now you should have selected your Office Moving Company who will be your partner in this step of the process. If you have any questions whatsoever, don’t hesitate to contact your move coordinator for assistance. They’ve been through this process thousands of times and can be a huge help by saving you time, money and worry. Most importantly, starred * tasks on this list can be scheduled directly with your move coordinator.

Don’t move office items you won’t need

• Throw away junk and archive old files*

• Warehouse un-needed equipment and files*

Communicate your moving plans to the following:

• Memos to employees

• Letter to customers

• Letter to bank and accountant

• Letter to insurance agent

• Letters to vendors and suppliers

Prepare for packing your offices

• Determine amount of Kwik-Paks required and deliver – these are faster, easier and more economical to pack and unpack than boxes*

• Determine (if needed) amount of corrugated boxes required and deliver for remaining items*

• Determine packing materials required and deliver for use to cushion items*

• Order and distribute labels and markers. Diggins & ROSE supplies color-coded commercial packing labels with every move so that boxes are easily distributed to the correct area of your new offices*

• Provide clear instructions for packing. Your mover can help you with this*

• Determine whether you would like your mover or your employees to pack filing cabinets, supply cabinets, personal items, etc*

• Determine whether you would like your mover or your employees to will pack common areas (reception, pantry, library, etc.)*

• Make arrangements to have live plants moved. Moving Companies are not able to transport live plants.

• Make arrangements to move framed pictures and any special artwork. Your mover’s in-house crating department can handle this detail*

• Determine whether you would like your mover or your IT Tech to perform all disconnections & reconnections of your computer systems*

Move management prep

• Take complete inventory*

• Document network log-ins, access, print spooling, etc.

• Perform complete backup of network

• Perform complete backup of telephone system

• Document telephone extension, pooling groups, etc.

• Select department coordinators

• Create packing/labeling guidelines*

• Arrange to have PCs packed/moved*

• Determinate who will work on move weekend

• Arrange for packing/moving of copiers*

• Arrange for disassembly/reassembly of modular furniture*

• Arrange to pack/move networking equipment and servers*

• Arrange to prep/move telephone system

• Arrange for elevator access (both sites)

• Schedule parking and unloading at new site

• Obtain any special moving/parking permits

• Determine building restrictions for move hours

• Arrange for protection of floors, walls and elevators*

Clean up/demo old site

• Remove old cabling?

• Arrange for special trash pickup*

• Perform final cleaning*

Update legal agreements:

• Service agreements

• Business Licenses

• Insurance

• Sales & Use certificates

• Equipment leases

• Mandatory HR postings

• Certificate of Insurance*

This is part 4 of a 4-part blog series addressing office moving issues and providing you with the tools and information you need for a flawless office move. Also see:

Part 1: Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation: Most Common Office Moving Mistakes,

Part 2: Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation: Can you accomplish a successful office move?

Part 3: Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation: Office Move Planning Checklist.

Or email diggins & ROSE Moving Systems now for the complete series “Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation.

If you are planning an office move in the next 12 months, contact diggins & ROSE immediately for a free consultation and quote. Remember, the earlier you start your planning, the better your chances for a successful, stress-free office moving experience.

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Office Moving | Part 3: Office Move Planning Checklist

February 12th, 2010

Office Relocation Do’s and Don’ts  Part 3: Office Move Planning Checklist

Office Move Planning
This detailed list will help you anticipate the steps involved in a typical office move. Not every step will apply to your situation. Carefully consider each step in the process and determine which of these you need to address or delegate to someone else. You will no doubt quickly realize that planning an office move is a huge and complicated task! Don’t wait until the last minute to get organized.

Office Relocation: Finding a new location
• Geographic area being considered
• Type of building desired
• Square feet needed
• Budget limits
• Determine office sizes & who gets one
• Establish requirements for archiving/warehousing (off site)
• Hire a tenant rep broker
• Select space
• Negotiate lease terms
• Negotiate work letter (TI allowance)
• Sign lease
• Give notice to old landlord

Office Moving: Designing the new location
• Hire an architect/interior designer
• Determine office furnishing needs
• Determine office systems needs

o Telephone system
o Computers and networking
o Copiers/Printers/Fax machines.
o Postage meters, etc.

• Working floor plan drafts

o Provide HVAC requirements for all equipment
o Provide electrical requirements for all equipment
o Decide on cabling outlet configuration (Voice and Data)

Office Moving: Get vendor quotes and hire as early as possible for the following:
• Cabling
• Telephone system (replace it or move it)
• Order new phone/data service (POTS, T-1, ISDN, DSL) Network (upgrade it, back it up, prepare to move it)
• Security system
• Modular furniture (replace it or move it)
• Office Moving Company
• Document destructors
• Janitorial service
• Plant watering service

Office Moving: Manage construction project
• Hire General contractor
• Hire Project manager?
• Hire engineer
• Get drawings approved for permit
• Obtain building permits

Office Relocation: Updating your business location
• Order new stationery and business cards
• Order new signs
• Paint or decal company vehicles
• Change vehicle registrations
• Change website to reflect new address/phone numbers
• Revise advertising
• Revise yellow pages listing
• Notify post office

This is part 3 of a 4-part blog series addressing office moving issues and providing you with the tools and information you need for a flawless office move.
See Part 1, Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation: Most Common Office Moving Mistakes and Part 2:Can you accomplish a successful office move?
Watch for Part 4: The Office Move Checklist. Or contact diggins & ROSE Moving Systems now for the complete series “Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation. If you are planning an office move in the next 12 months, contact diggins & ROSE immediately for a free consultation and quote. The earlier you start your planning, the better your chances for a successful, stress-free office moving experience.

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Office Move Survey, Fixed Bid

February 9th, 2010

Why is it important to get a visual survey of your office move and a fixed bid?  Let’s first discuss what a Typical Survey entails.  When you call a moving company to get a quote you will typically get one of two responses.  The first is an hourly rate for three or four men and a van.  This is how a local household goods moving company quotes a move.  This is bad.  The second is a company that wants to set up a visual survey of what you are planning to move.  This is good. 

THE APPOINTMENT

First you want to sit down and have a conversation with the sales person or surveyor.  Discuss the timeline for the move, destination factors including what type of building, and the address or area of town you are planning to move into.  This process typically takes about 5 minutes.

Then the surveyor will want to perform a walkthrough of the office or warehouse to inventory the furniture, contents and electronics.  Depending on the size of your space this can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as an hour.  A typical business with about 5000 sqft takes about 20 minutes. 

Once the walkthrough is completed I have the ability to process and email your proposal onsite from us to review and discuss the material and labor needed and the timeline associated with the move.  The processing time takes about 15-20 minutes.  All together a typical appointment takes about an hour.

THE PROPOSAL

A worthwhile proposal will contain a scope of work, an inventory, and a move plan.  The scope of work should detail the services included, excluded and items left open; meaning items priced but not included in the total.  An example of item you want specifically stated as included or exclude would be disconnect or reconnect of cubicles, metal shelves, stair carry at origin or destination or packing and unpacking labor for files or medical records.  The next item is an inventory.  How can one compare bids if you cannot verify what the surveyor has inventoried?  The move plan should include pricing and timeline.  The pricing should break down material cost per unit and labor should be calculated hourly with set rates for the crew.  A start time and completion time should also be stated for each phase of labor.

One of the most important phrases to look for is “Fixed bid,” or “Guaranteed Price.”  We all have heard horror stories of moves that took twice as long as estimated and cost twice as much.  Most buyers look at price as the most important criteria for procurement of a move, and it is important, but comparing apples to apples proposals and making sure you have a fixed bid is critical to budgeting and sanity.

WRAP-UP

I hope this blog has been helpful.  My name is Kevin Crofoot and I am VP of Sales for KCS Office Moving.  This is the first in a series of six blogs and corresponding videos.  The next video and blog will be on “How Organization Can Decrease Your Downtime,” in an office move.  You can request a quote or find more information at www.kcsofficemoving.com.

 

Kevin Crofoot

KCS Office Moving

www.kcsofficemoving.com

 

Houston Office Movers, Office Moving Houston, Office Movers, Preferred Office Movers, Facility Movers, Commercial Moving, Free Office Moving Checklist, Free Office Moving Quote, KCS Office Moving

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Posted in Corporate Facility Relocation, Packing Services, Storage Services

Office Moving | Part 2: Can you accomplish a successful office move?

February 4th, 2010

Can you pull off a successful office move? The answer to depends on these factors:
• your experience with prior office moves
• your availability to manage a move and do your regular job
• your organization’s tolerance for potentially costly mistakes

It’s safe to say that a poorly-managed office move could be hazardous to your career. Understanding and planning for the many possible pitfalls well in advance will advance your odds greatly of a successful moving experience.

Office Moving: Documenting the Move Scope
Documenting the move scope is the beginning of an important and multi-dimensional process to reduce the risk to your business. At a minimum, you should include these elements:
• Has the move date been decided?
• Has the destination been chosen?
• Do you know your budget?
• Do you know who is responsible for which elements?
• Have you prepared a move plan?
• Do you have a move timeline established?
• Have you prepared a risk and contingency plan?
• Have you planned for the impact of downtime to your business?
• Have you identified all long-lead items including telecommunications circuits (voice and data)?
• Do you need a forward operating base at the destination prior to the move?

It’s important to document both what you know about the move and what you don’t know. This will be an ongoing process as you learn more about the elements of a successful office move. This is part 2 of a 3-part blog series addressing office moving issues and providing you with the tools and information you need for a flawless office move.

  • See Part 1, Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation: Most Common Office Moving Mistakes
  • Watch for Parts 3 and 4: Office Move Planning Checklist (Part 3) and The Office Move Checklist (Part 4).

Or email diggins & ROSE Moving Systems now for the complete series “Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation. If you are planning an office move in the next 12 months, contact diggins & ROSE immediately for a free consultation and quote. The earlier you start your planning, the better your chances for a successful, stress-free office moving experience.

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King Office Services Moves The Los Angeles Police Department

February 3rd, 2010

From September 2009 to January 2010 King Office Services relocated the Los Angeles Police Department from thier existing facilities, of 55 years, to a brand new modern building. The project entailed relocating over 2500 staff members from seven orign locations in downtow Los Angeles and surrounding communities.

King Office Services provided moving, packing, unpacking, computer disconnect & reconnect services, plastic crates, and assisted with move management related tasks. All of these services were planned for over a year before the execution of the project took place.

Working hand in hand with the relocation project management team of Blackman and Holberton, the LAPD move team, and A2Z-It for computer services the move was completed on time and under budgett. The client has been quoted as saying it was an efficient and professional relocation.

2500 moving personnel hours, 10,000 plastic RentaCrates, 3,500 computers, 2500 employee staff members, over 1500 truckloads where relocated during the 11 phases of the move. All of this was completed without one misplaced item and zero damages.  

Currently King Office Services is working on the decommissioning and vacating of the old origin locations. During this process we have assisted with liquidation, recylcing and disposal of all unused assets. The entire process will be concluded by the end of February 2010.

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Posted in Computer Services, Corporate Facility Relocation, Disposal Services, Packing Services, Uncategorized

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