Planning and Organizing an Office Move in Kansas City
Most of us spend as many hours a day in our office as we do in our home or even in our own beds! Your workspace is a professional location but it’s also very personal to many people.
When you’re planning a move, it’s important to treat it like a personal happening, not just a business-related event. We’ve put together a few tips for getting your team prepared and onboard for a move, and for making that move happen as smoothly as possible.
Map out your space
Drawing a map of your new space can help you visualize where you want your items to end up, and can make it easier to figure out which pieces to pack together. A map makes it easier to prioritize items as well.
Make sure you’re generous in sharing your maps too. Your colleagues should receive one, so they can see the new space and prepare their items. Your office movers should have them, so they can be as efficient as possible with their move-out/move-in processes.
Be especially organized
A move for an office with multiple team members can mean a lot of computer towers, monitors, keyboards and more – items that look similar but that can be vastly different on the inside. Getting these mixed up during the move will mean a world of headache and lost productivity for your team.
Creating a labeling system that indicates the exact desk location for each moving box can seem like a headache when you’re getting started, but can save hours in the long run. Give each team member a set of labels that corresponds to their place on the map, and have them applied to each and every item, from phones and screens to plants and boxes of knick knacks.
Depending on the size of the moving efforts you’re coordinating, you may even want to plan to move certain items on certain days.
For example, moving all computer equipment one day gives the IT teams the chance to set up computers and phones without a host of people around and getting in the way. Then, other personal items, file folders, etc., can be moved separately, once the basic office systems are in place.
Pack with care
Moving office spaces will generally mean the relocation of some expensive and delicate computer equipment.
If you’re asking employees to pack their own spaces, provide the supplies to do the job right and give them the time (on the clock) to handle the packing properly. Otherwise, you may end up with smashed screens and damaged servers because team members were doing their best but rushing to get the job done.
Instead of adding this extra burden to their workload, consider asking your moving company to provide packing services. They’ll have plenty of experience handling equipment and packing it with care, so they can make sure it gets placed in your new space safely and soundly.
Give everyone advance notice
As we mentioned, an office space can be very personal – a home away from home – for many employees.
Give them time to plan for a move, to clear out unnecessary items and to pack their personal effects. They may jump for joy at the idea of a moving team boxing up their supplies but feel uncomfortable with an unknown person rifling through the drawer where they keep snacks, notes and hygiene products.
When they know the exact times and days movers will be coming to provide support, they’ll be better able to organize their personal items, create backups of locally saved files and generally feel prepared for the move.
Check for city ordinances
One unique thing about moving in Kansas City is that a move across town may technically also be a move across state lines. And, with that change, you may be subject to additional rules and regulations.
In order to make sure you’re toeing the line when it comes to your move-in process, work with an experienced Kansas City moving company. They’ll have the knowledge and expertise to address any unexpected issues and to prepare you for a smooth transition from one space to another.
One last thing to remember when you’re moving offices – it’s an extra physical and mental load for yourself and for your team. Give yourself a break and give your colleagues or team members a reward for making it through.
Once you’re settled in, we just might have a special housewarming — well, actually officewarming — treat for you as well! Let’s talk about your Kansas City move and make it happen as smoothly as possible.
