Posts Tagged ‘Office Movers’

May 3rd, 2010

How to Qualify an Office Mover

This is Kevin Crofoot, VP of Sales for KCS Office moving again.  I am writing today because I got a great phone call the other morning.  The lady asked me “How do you qualify an Office Moving Company?”  Based on that question I decided that I would write this short blog and produce the corresponding video which you can see on my youtube channel at www.youtube.com/houstonofficemover.

FIVE EASY QUESTIONS

1.  Do they own their own equipment?  This tells you if they will be ready for the job.

2.  Do they provide storage?  If they do it means they have a stake in the game and they are not a fly by night company.

3.  You might also ask what Associations do they Have.  We are a member of CRN, the Commercial Relocation Network, United Van Lines, BBB, IFMA and CoreNet, Houston’s Premier Commercial Real Estate Network.

4.  Do they offer Valuation?  Valuation is in addition to carriers liability or Basic liability.

5.  Lastly is do they provide Fixed Bids?  A company that is willing to provide a fixed bid is confident in there ability to deliver consistent service and they know how to bid a job.

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 was a quick look on How to Qualify an Office Mover.  You can request a quote or find more information at www.kcsofficemoving.com;  www.youtube.com/houstonofficemover.

Thanks,

Kevin Crofoot

kcrofoot@kcsalley.com

KCS Office Moving

www.kcsofficemoving.com

 

Houston Office Movers, Office Move Organization, Office Moving Houston, Office Movers, Preferred Office Movers, Facility Movers, Commercial Moving, Free Office Moving Checklist, Free Office Moving Quote, KCS Office Moving, How to Quality an Office Mover

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Posted in Corporate Facility Relocation, Storage Services

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Office Move Organization

April 26th, 2010

Blog – Office Move Organization

Today I am writing about getting you organized for your Office Move Organization.  A worthwhile move plan for a company with 10 employees or 200 involves similar procedures.  Three 3 Basic steps include Breaking to Move into Manageable Phases, Providing Move Packets & Performing Pre Move Meetings.

MANAGEABLE PHASES

All moves have obstacles.  The key to organizing a move is identifying the largest constraint and working around it.  Common Constraints include:

• After Hours Moves
• Stair Carries & Small Elevators
• Limited Truck Access
• Large File Rooms
• Difficult Pieces of Furniture (Granite, 1 Piece Conference Tables)

We solve these common problems by breaking out the inventory into smaller manageable labor phases.  Performing Pre Move Labor with a smaller crew allows us work during business hours. For example, we might Disconnect and Dolly-up furniture prior to sending the larger crew to begin transportation after hours.  We can also Moving Cubicles or File Rooms prior to moving the offices.  Often we will disconnect cubicles during the day, move cubicles after hours starting at 5PM. Reconnect cubicles the following morning prior to receiving the main shipment of furniture at destination.

MOVE PACKETS

The 2nd step in organization is move packets.   Move packets consist of:
• Pre-Printed labels and Signage for each room at destination.
• Furniture Layout Guides indicating to the Movers where to place the furniture in each room at destination.
• Written Instructions, each employee can utilize as a reference guide.
• PC bags that hold Computer cable, mouse, phone, speakers
• Monitor Covers that protect flat screen monitors
Office moves often have crew sizes 4 to 10 times larger than household goods moves.  Therefore, communicating to the crew where items go is critical to a successful move.

PRE MOVE MEETINGS

The final basic step is a Staff Move Meeting.  This meeting typically coincides with your material delivery 4-5 business days prior to the first phase of labor, and takes between 15-30 minutes.  Discussed in the Pre Move Meeting is the Move Packets, labeling systems and proper use of the moving crates.  We also review items commonly found in offices and what to do with filing cabinets, pictures, pc’s, packed boxes, metal shelves and so forth. Often I am asked who should be involved in the Pre-Move Meetings; my answer is always as many people as possible.  The more that hear the basic steps the more successful the move goes.

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 second in a series of six blogs and corresponding videos.  The next video and blog will be on “Equipment and Operations,” in an office move.  You can request a quote or find more information at www.kcsofficemoving.com www.youtube.com/houstonofficemover.

Kevin Crofoot
KCS Office Moving
www.kcsofficemoving.com

Houston Office Movers, Office Move Organization, 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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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 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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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.

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