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nacting your organization's decision to relocate requires planning – and proper planning depends on having all the facts. When should you start planning? How much planning is enough?
        Fact-finding and planning should begin when you first learn of your organization's decision. Early involvement and collaboration allow for a comprehensive understanding of your organization's objectives and goals. This potentially offers the greatest impact for improving workplace productivity and controlling costs.
        The magnitude of a relocation, type of industry, number of buildings, employees, and sensitivity of your organization's product will dictate the level of planning involved. For example, the planning required for the relocation of a hospital will differ from that of a data center, university, government agency, or pharmaceutical company.
        A new location has been chosen. You have begun the design and construction process of your new facility, and you are confronted by a number of issues which, if left unresolved, can escalate to critical proportions. Knowing what to do next and how to do it most efficiently will be the difference between inflated cost and staying within budget parameters, between success and failure.
        You are constantly challenged to maintain productivity before, during, and after the move. To successfully meet this challenge, proactive measures should be taken to control attrition by communicating with employees. Communication about the relocation with existing staff, the community, and your key customers is critical.
        Can one project manager communicate with all the contractors, managers, architects, and vendors and yet remain objective and know exactly what to do for each step that is required? Without a definitive, day-by-day project schedule and action item list it is probable that the project will not meet targeted deadlines and may cost more than is necessary due to changing schedules, inefficient processes, increased overtime, lease holdovers, etc.
        An experienced project management team is needed – one that is familiar with the many challenges an organization is faced with when relocating. When planning a move, many companies fail to analyze downtime – the opportunity cost of a business not being up and running. A project manager often cannot address the many tasks and issues that may arise. Complex relocations often require a team of experts skilled at coordinating all aspects involved in relocating.
        Moving is a team effort for two basic reasons: first, it is not humanly possible for one person to do all the work needed to execute a move in the time allowed. Second, no one person has all the answers or knows the answer to every question to successfully execute a relocation.
        Regardless of the size of the business, once the decision to relocate has been made, a systematic plan must be established to accomplish that goal with minimal disruption to daily business and productivity. Failure to allow adequate time can result in confusion, conflict, and cost increases.
        The roadmap to a successful relocation must include development of a comprehensive plan and a solid methodology for successfully implementing that plan. Outlined below are key components you should consider and organize quickly and effectively to promote a successful relocation.

Detailed Relocation Schedule

        • Key construction schedule milestones (i.e., carpet must go down before the furniture can be installed)
        • Elevator schedules (prevent costly conflicts with other vendors)
        • Business requirements (minimize disruption and downtime)
        • Lease constraints (prevent holdovers and escalations)
        • Furniture migration strategy (can an increased "seed" order decrease the move weekends?)
        • Vertical and horizontal cabling schedule (what price will you pay for an accelerated schedule which will require overtime?)
        • Furniture order dates (immediate reconciliations are necessary to ensure that the product is received on time)
        • Equipment installations (telephone switch, hubs, routers, servers)
        • Data migration strategy (this must integrate with the relocation strategy – what is in the plan?)
        • Procurement database (do you know what you need to buy? Is there sufficient time to do so? Will these issues prevent occupancy or project success?)
        • Vendor installations/start-up for copy/print, janitorial, security (who will handle the continuing coordination?)

Project Coordination

        • Conduct weekly relocation team meetings to monitor progress
        • Prepare meeting notes and distribute to team members
        • Conduct telecom coordination of team members between coordination meetings as follow-up to pending issues needing resolution
        • Update project schedules and action item databases
        • Solicit bids for various vendor services
        • Work closely with department representatives to address concerns, allay fears, plan out the details relevant to their business constraints

Communicate Plans to Your Employees During Transition

        • Orientation packets (how-to packet – customized for the project)
        • Amenities packets (new facility information, area restaurants, banks, etc.)
        • Emergency preparedness document (fire, weather, bomb threats, other disasters)
        • Building Operations Manual (who do you call, how are issues handled?)

Furniture Coordination

        • Determine requirements for new standards in conjunction with client
        • Reconcile existing inventory to new schematic drawings
        • Furniture reuse allocation phasing (who gets reuse, where is it now, where will it go, when is it available?)
        • Prepare new installation drawings for cubicles
        • Prepare new installation drawings for casegoods
        • Tag furniture for the move
        • Determine phasing plan which minimizes downtime and overtime costs

Move Coordination and Implementation

        • Handle numerous questions
        • Prepare micro schedules
        • Prepare names on prints in CADD
        • Prepare individualized employee move packets
        • Conduct orientation meetings
        • Outline methodology for movement of file rooms/libraries
        • Prepare post-move signage
        • Supervise movers/installers
        • Conduct post-move customer satisfaction survey
        • Operate move hot line

Post-Move Issues

        • Problem resolutions – move hot line (project managers and assistant project managers are on site to coordinate corrective actions required of team; cleaning up loose ends and helping the facility management staff get started in the management of the facility operations)
        • Auditing invoices prior to payment
        • Post-move assistance (provide ongoing assistance to the facility manager as he/she may need to keep the facility running at peak eff iciency)

Grand Opening

        • Prior to opening, give yourself time to get acclimated to your new environment and to get the finishing touches in place. A move gives you not only the opportunity to relocate, but also to improve the many facets of your business.

        In today's volatile economy, the ability to adapt to change quickly and in a cost-effective manner is a window of opportunity that a successful relocation may open. Companies want facilities that can be changed overnight or maybe even over a weekend. Churn rates of 100 per cent are no longer unexpected. Projects and project teams are being assembled and reassembled, completed, and reassigned in days and weeks rather than in months or years.
        Vendors and project management consultants play a key role in meeting these challenges and in ultimately making the project successful. Think of them not as vendors but as specialized experts who share in the workload and aren't afraid to ask the tough questions. They provide the technical expertise, develop alternative solutions, and serve as an information conduit to the outside world. If planned well, a relocation can be a positive experience for everyone.