Move management and churn
Whether it is a whole office or a few teams changing floors, a move should happen around the business rather than in the middle of it. People leave on Friday and find everything working on Monday.
Internal moves, or churn, are a normal part of office life as teams grow, shrink and reorganise. Well-designed systems furniture makes them easier, because it is built to be reconfigured rather than replaced.
For larger moves, the work is in the planning: inventories, labelling, crate delivery, disconnecting and reconnecting IT, and a clear plan for every person and team.
What it involves
What a well-run move looks like
Planning
A move plan with inventories, floor plans, labelling and a timetable, agreed with each team.
Packing and crates
Crates delivered in advance, with clear instructions for staff.
IT and furniture
Equipment disconnected, moved and reconnected; furniture dismantled and rebuilt where it is being kept.
Clearing out
Surplus furniture reused, donated or recycled responsibly rather than sent to landfill.
What to get right
Plan the first Monday morning
The real test of a move is the first working day. Every desk needs power, network, a chair and the right equipment, and everyone needs to know where they are sitting and how to find the meeting rooms.
Out-of-hours moves cost more but avoid lost working time. For most offices the aim is to start on a Friday evening and have everything back in place for Monday.
- Appoint a move coordinator in each team.
- Clear out before you pack: archive, recycle and dispose of what you no longer need.
- Test IT before staff arrive.
- Have people on hand on the first day to fix small problems quickly.
A good fit if…
- You are moving office, or reorganising teams within your building.
- You want the move planned around the business.
Probably not the right fit if…
- You only need a van and two people for an afternoon.
From the archive
Michelmores
At the Exeter headquarters of law firm Michelmores, home to nearly 300 people over three floors, Business Interiors worked on the office interiors and on managing moves and change within the building.
Questions
What clients usually ask
Can moves happen out of hours?
Yes, and for most offices that is the best option: evenings and weekends avoid lost working time, even though they cost more.
What happens to furniture we no longer need?
Good-quality pieces can often be reused elsewhere, sold, or donated to charities and schools. What cannot be reused should be recycled, with a record kept for your sustainability reporting.
Related
Where this leads
Office relocation · Planning a move to new premises
Office furniture · Specification and procurement
Space planning · Where everyone will sit
Start a conversation
Planning a move, a refurbishment or a rethink?
Tell us about the space, the people who use it and the date you are working to. You will get a straight answer about what it needs, what it is likely to cost and what to do first.