Every business reaches the point where they need to move, whether to expand, receive reduced leasing terms, or better meet the needs of their core demographic. Ultimately, most companies transfer locations in an attempt to increase their net profits, balancing the short-term hassles and costs with the potential for long-term gains. The unfortunate situation is that so many of these companies follow an archaic moving process built around a “hurry up and wait” mentality that only causes stress for employees and customers, while costing the company more money than is necessary.
Currently, corporate offices begin their move by boxing up all of their files, packing all but the bare essential supplies, and strip the office down to a skeletal framework, while the new location is setting up cubicles, wiring phone and network lines, and prepping the server room. Even under the best of circumstances, organization quickly falls apart as different teams have different ideas regarding what should be packed first, where items should be stored, and who receives priority with the moving companies.
The week leading to the move is hectic for all as managers attempt to resolve scheduling conflicts and meet customer expectations, employees navigate piles of dismantled furniture to find necessary paperwork buried in mountains of boxes, and IT staff tries to reduce the inevitable downtime. In fact, with the exception of the last day, the entire last week is little more than a practice in stress inducing labor, as little packing takes place due to weeks spent preplanning to avoid unnecessary delays.
Finally, as all moves actually take place over the weekend, the last Friday arrives and employees are expected to box all remaining items while managing daily work. Either that evening or the next morning, the movers arrive, ship everything in the office, and a small team attempts to sort through the mass of boxes and computers to make Monday morning bearable. Meanwhile, IT staff works desperately to reconfigure the server to the new network, handle any unexpected surprises, and complete the setup of computers and telephones throughout the building.
As the office opens on Monday, employees are expected to perform the near impossible as they are required to work with customers while unpacking and organizing everything, hoping that the movers did not overturn any boxes. All the while, the IT department gets to field the influx of service calls and stress test the new network under working conditions, a process that rarely ends well. The truly sad part is that so many businesses believe that the traditional form of moving companies is the least stressful option. .
About the Author :–
John L. Carlson is a business analyst who has helped direct the moving of multiple corporate offices. After watching the chaos and budget impact caused by the traditional form of moving companies , Mr. Carlson has become an advocate of utilizing ReloCubes to house and move office furniture throughout the course of a move. Having employees help to pack and unpack the ReloCubes, companies can save a substantial amount over having hired movers , while employees are quickly able to recoup after the relocation.
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