Common Pitfalls of Workplace Relocation (and How to Avoid Them)

Organizations relocate for a multitude of reasons. Some need more space, some need less due to the pandemic. Others may need more community and collaborative space, or the organization just simply needs to move for a strategic reason. Whatever the reason for the relocation, there are a few considerations teams unintentionally miss as they relocate their space. By missing these, your organization could potentially spend overbudget to correct and/or delaying the project schedule.

If someone hasn’t relocated a business before, it can be extremely overwhelming. You should know exactly what to expect and when to avoid huge surprises. From reselling and reconfiguring furniture to building technology set up, the OI team has come across almost any type of move. With hundreds of relocation projects on our resume, we compiled a few areas organization tend to overlook as they prepare for the big move.

Supply Chain Management

Before selecting your moving date, your team should understand where exactly your supplies are coming from and how long they will take to get there. Considering the global pandemic and its effect on shipping, setting the right expectations for budget and schedule is essential. If you have anything being delivered outside the country, you should also adjust your budget to include tariffs and adjust your schedule to account for potential delivery delays.

Internal & External Project Management

Many times, organizations assign a project manager internally to completely run their relocation project. Ideally, this only is truly effective if that person has executed a workplace relocation before. Tasks like establishing information technology (IT), office wide communication plan development, and identifying what stays and goes from the old space can be overwhelming to someone also managing their normal day-to-day tasks. The most successful relocators actively find a project manager externally and internally that work together to develop a seamless moving plan. If it is left to one or two people internally without experience, there is potential for burnout and even resentment.

Comprehensive Budgets

When preparing for a relocation, you must consider ALL your budget items. If your team misses a key component like inflation or cleaning costs, your organization could experience some major budget issues. Those budget issues often entice leadership to compromise on areas where they should not like air purification, outdoor spaces and amenities. Your organization could potentially cut corners on furniture selection that may not be the best for longevity or flexibility.

Space Flexibility

It is rare that an organization overlooks the design element of their new space, but they may not consider all the ways they can make their workplace more flexible. There are options that allow your space to morph as the needs of the employees change. More flexible architecture such as movable partitions and temporary walls help transform a space.  Strategically selecting furniture beyond aesthetics is a major asset when developing your relocation plan can also provide many uses for spaces such as nesting tables and chairs.

If we compiled all the considerations for a workplace relocation, it would likely be exhaustive. Therefore, if we provided these common pitfalls we see often. If you are planning a relocation, feel free to reach out to our team for more information about the following services:

  • Bid Process Management
  • Vendor Selection & Qualification
  • Employee Move & Pack
  • Preparation/Purge Programs
  • On-Site Move Coordination
  • Post-Move Installation
  • Preparation/Cleaning Vacated Space
  • Vendor Invoice Audits

Schedule an in-person showroom tour or contact our team for more specific questions about relocation management.