Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ category

Clancy Electronics Services inspired by a Gravy Sandwich?

March 25th, 2010

By Jim Carey - Clancy Electronics Services

The gravy sandwich should be moved to the forefront of inspirational icons in the data center moving world!

Did you ever meet someone who said something so profound it just stuck with you forever?  I’m sure you did.  In my case it was my former college rugby teammate and roommate Michael Smith.  (better known as Smitty)  Back then, Mike was a happy go lucky guy and amused us, as well as himself, with clever sayings.  Of all those sayings, the one that stuck was “Smooth as a gravy sandwich”

What did he mean?  Well, if we were getting ourselves out of trouble with our landlord (she was not fond of us) and the interaction went really well for us, Smitty would say afterwards, “That went as smooth as a gravy sandwich”   If the police came to visit us to discuss the noise level in our house, and the discussion went along okay, Smitty would say afterwards, “That went as smooth as a gravy sandwich”

Whether it was an easy biology exam or shoveling 3 feet of heavy snow from our driveway, Smitty liked to declare when this went as well as he hoped it would – “That went as smooth as a gravy sandwich”

Why a gravy sandwich?  You see, according to Smitty, there is nothing smoother in this entire world than a gravy sandwich.  Who could argue his point?  Fresh bread, stale bread, toasted bread, burnt bread –  It doesn’t matter, when you add gravy and make it into a sandwich, it goes down smooth.  We find this logical declaration of the gravy sandwich to be irrefutable and inspirational.

So if you are a data center manager and you have the daunting task of planning a complete migration to a new location, how would it make you feel to realize the guy you hired is inspired by a gravy sandwich?  It ought to make you feel great.  You see, that person has on his mind, above all else, the goal of the data center migration going smoothly – In fact, Gravy Sandwich Smooth!  And for a data center migration to go “gravy sandwich smooth, there are no shortcuts.  There are no errors.  There are no excuses.  Even the slightest glitch or worry from the customer would kill the chances of achieving “gravy sandwich” status.

Where can you find people experienced in data center relocation, who also strive for ‘gravy sandwich smoothness’ on every job?  At Clancy Electronics Services.  That’s where.  Long live the gravy sandwich.

Clancy Electronics Services is a division of Clancy Moving Systems.  Clancy Electronics Services provides server relocations, data center migration, data center support services, installs raised floor cabling, office phone and data cabling and is supported by a transportation fleet that can move electronics anywhere in the world.  Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/server_move

Let The Race Begin

March 15th, 2010

As Crown prepares to kickoff the race from their World Head Quarters to Key West Florida, each of Crown Worldwide seven teams prepare to walk to the first stage of the race to their Southern California office in Ontario, CA. The first team to arrive will draw a prize from the Crown Treasure Chest. All this is part of Crown’s Wellness Program to improve the life of their employees through “Awareness”. May the best team win!!!!!

Joyce Burrows Reaches 30 Year Milestone with Crown Worldwide Moving & Storage

March 13th, 2010

February 25, 2010

 

Joyce Burrows, Crown’s Vice President of Finance, was recognized for her 30 years of employment by the company CEO, Robert Bowen, at a company party held in her honor. Bob applauded Joyce for her many years of loyal service, having started in the accounting department in 1980 as a junior accountant and working her way up the ladder to become the company’s CFO.   Joyce was presented with a $5000 check in appreciation for her 30 years with Crown.  Bob also recognized eight other employees having over 20 years of service and another twelve with over 10 years with the company.  Bob pointed out that collectively Crown’s administrative staff has worked for the company a combined total of 651 years, an impressive yard stick of loyalty and commitment.  We are very proud of our employees and thankful for their dedication and hard work.   Our customers are certainly the beneficiary of our employees many years of experience and wealth of knowledge.   It is both refreshing and comforting to have a team of employees we can rely on year after year.   I can say unequivocally, we are here to serve our customers and we are here to stay.

 

Climate Controlled Storage in Charlotte , NC

March 10th, 2010

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We have a new 40,000 sq ft fully climate and humidity controlled facility. In addition to storing household furnishings we house commercial and industrial product. We are conveniently located at the intersection of interstate 77 and 85 and are less than 15 minutes from the center of Charlotte.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

January 29th, 2010

Will your office move go smoothly, or be an absolute nightmare? It depends. The most common mistakes made by office move managers are not caused by taking the wrong actions, they are the result of being blind-sided by issues you never knew to expect. Moving your business is not like moving your home, although many have made this mistake

9 Most Common Office Moving Mistakes

  1. Incomplete checklist of issues to address
  2. Underestimating the time required by each task in the checklist
  3. Running out of money because of inadequate budgeting
  4. Running out of time by failing to delegate or ask for help
  5. Trying to do too much in-house to save money
  6. Hiring vendors too quickly or for low-price only
  7. Poor vendor performance caused by failure to identify the specific Scope of Work needed for each task
  8. Losing control by letting vendors manage the project for you
  9. Disastrous moving day coordination caused by lack of communication

In the remainder of this 4 part blog series we will address these office moving issues and provide you with the tools and information you need for a flawless office move.

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

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

Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation Part 4: The Office Move Checklist

Watch for these new blog posts or email diggins & ROSE Moving Systems for the complete series “Do’s and Don’ts of Office Relocation now. 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 of a successful, stress-free office moving experience.

Centralizing the Commercial Relocation Services Spend

November 20th, 2009

Over the past few years the trend for large organizations has been to try to centralize the Spend on Commercial Relocation services. For many years, the local Facilities manager at each branch location was responsible for acquiring the services they needed. However; this takes the control away from Procurement to manage the annual spend. Commercial relocation services are an area where there has historically not been a service provider that could handle multiple locations. Usually moving and storage companies could only provide office moving, furniture installation, asset management, etc. in their local market.
Solution-find a service provider that can provide services to multiple locations and route all purchasing through corporate procurement.   This allows a company to have a “single point of contact” for all commercial relocation needs. 

CRN-Commercial Relocation Network, was born to fill this need.  Our organization is a network of the BEST of the BEST commercial relocation service providers.  We partner with each other to provide local services nationwide, providing for a one stop shop.  With our network, we provide our clients the ability to track assets, at each location, set up corporate relocation policies and standards for all locations, move attic stock from one location to another, to reduce unnecessary purchases, and to provide our clients with one provider, who is accountable for all services. 

Dave LeRoux

Armstrong Relocation

dleroux@goarmstrong.com