Office relocation requires a significant investment of time in both logistics planning and personal preparation. The logistics involves defining who will be responsible for each part of the moving process, and which of the office items need to be moved. The personal preparation that is involved in planning an office relocation includes extensive research into both the services your move will require and which company can best provide those services.

 

Your research should start by confirming that the moving companies that you are considering are all in good standing with your local Better Business Bureau and have sufficient insurance coverage. In addition, the movers should have membership in one of the various moving associations that maintain industry quality standards. These are certainly not guarantees of quality, but they are a good start.

 

It’s important that the moving company understands all of your expectations before the day of the move. Such a statement seems obvious, but often times this necessity is overlooked in the rush of preparations, and important details are delayed until they complicate logistics. A good moving company will meet with you well in advance of your office’s relocation date, and go through a step by step plan for the move. Details will be ironed out, and surprises are limited as much as possible.

 

Be sure that the company has experience in the type of move you will need. If your relocation will involve transporting large, plasma screen televisions, ask the company if they’ve moved similar items before. Find out how they plan on securing your items. If the relocation will require moving servers or online data files, verify that the relocation company has a designated way to deliver these items, which protects them and allows them to arrive with the first shipments. You’ll also want to confirm that this won’t be the first time the moving company has handled such a task. You don’t want your move to be the one where they work out the kinks in their process.

 

After you’ve discussed the services your move requires, and the company has provided a detailed plan for the logistics of your office move, prices will be discussed. Often times you pay for what you get. If a rate seems too low for high quality service, your intuition may be correct. Obviously, if the rates are beyond your financial capacity, there’s little else to be discussed. In terms of rates, it’s good to receive multiple quotes on your move, so you have a general idea of what a median price is.

 

Office relocation is not a minimal task. Sufficient research and planning is required if you want the relocation itself to be a positive experience. A good moving company realizes that while they may perform 3 moves a week, this may be the only office relocation you go through in your life. Amongst other things, the moving company that you decide to hire should be accommodating, informative, and willing to provide references.