Move Policy for Inventory Control
Information Technology and Facilities Operations work closely to provide office relocation services to campus community. Moves covered by the procedures outlined below include:
Intra-departmental office moves by individual employees
Inter-departmental office moves by individual employees
Relocation of an university operation or function.
First Step
If you are contemplating a move to an office that is currently occupied by your department/school/administrative unit, you must first check with your supervisor and receive his/her approval. The supervisor will then submit the request and justification to your Vice President for approval. Your request will not be processed without the approval of the Vice President.
If you wish to move to an office that has not been occupied by your department/school/administrative unit previously, you must first receive the approval from your supervisor. The supervisor will then submit the request and justification to your Vice President and the Vice President of the administrative unit that owns the office. Your request will not be processed without the approvals of appropriate Vice Presidents.
In some cases, Vice President(s) may forward your request to the Space Committee for review and recommendation.
Before re-arranging or renovating the workplace, you must first contact Facilities Operations for a space analysis. If additional network or telephone jacks are needed, you must also contact the IT Department for an evaluation. All changes/additions must adhere to ADA and fire code requirements and must be approved by the Facilities Operations and/or IT Department.
Supervisors are responsible to fill out the request forms on behalf of new employees prior to their arrivals.
Request Procedures
Request for the move must be submitted four weeks prior to the move. Fill out and submit the Office Move Request Form to Facilities Operation. Your request will not be processed without required signatures. If there is cost involved, your request will not be processed without the approval of the funding
Move requests due to the following reasons will be processed and scheduled immediately:
Security and safety
ADA or health-related
Other emergencies
All other requests will be processed in the order of receipt and scheduled into the next available “campus moving day”. Due to the large volume of requests and limited resources, there may be a 6-8 weeks wait until the actual moving date. IT and Facilities Operations have designated Fridays as the “Office moving day”. Moves will be scheduled to achieve maximum efficiency and cost benefit, particularly with respect to the utilization of the moving contractor.
Office Move Checklist: Things to Consider When Moving Office
Moving offices can have a transformative effect on businesses big and small. Whether it’s giving you room to grow, more space to create, or more control over your brand and environment, a new space is an exciting thing – once you get past the move itself that is.
Any office move is a major project and needs careful planning. It might seem daunting, especially if you’ve never had to coordinate a move before, but don’t worry. Like any process, it can be broken down into a series of simple tasks.
Planning
Planning is your best friend, so make intelligent use of documents, spreadsheets and office moving checklists. Include all the tasks that need to be completed, no matter how small, as well as the steps leading up to them and the people, teams and companies responsible for each of them.
Timing
Plan the timing for your move carefully. You might not have much flexibility as to moving dates, but if you can, you want to avoid moving at the busiest time of year for your business. Remember that your business still has to function during the moving process.
Have a deadline
Having a set deadline, or set of deadlines, in place will help you get everything done more efficiently. With a deadline in sight you won’t have the luxury of procrastinating or putting things off until the next day. It’s motivating to have a deadline day for everyone to work towards.
Business Move Checklist and Coordination Tasks
Whether you enlist the help of a program, project or construction management team or handle your business move in-house, one thing is a must: stay organized. Download our free Business Move Checklist and Business Move Coordination Tasks here to keep organized and make sure your company doesn’t miss a beat when it comes time for this exciting but challenging time in every business’ evolution. When it comes time to make a new home for your company, be sure to have this helpful resource at your finger tips.
Business Move Checklist
Select a move committee. This is typically made of representatives from IT, HR, Operations and other interested and qualified people.
Establish a preliminary relocation budget.
Determine whether the move warrants hiring a third-party move management consultant. If so, interview and hire third-party partner.
Coordinate moving of servers with IT provider/support.
Contact telecommunications/data provider to schedule a cut-over date.
Contact telephone provider to get new numbers or move existing.
Order data circuits and/or specialty circuits (check for lead times).
Order phone lines for elevator, security and any other item that may require a phone line.
Confirm your long distance carrier or change it.
Determine if any equipment requires specialized or approved vendors to move it. This could include copiers, lab equipment, certain electronics or manufacturing equipment.
Check existing lease for restoration requirements/conditions for returning current space to landlord.
Reserve the building elevator (existing for move out, new for move in).
Order keys from the building.
Contact the building to confirm locations of signage.
Hire signage vendor to plan, get approval for, and install new signage.
Obtain a qualified mover by interviewing 2-4 companies, depending on the size of job.
Order new letterhead, business cards, forms, and other printed marketing materials.
Coordinate updates to your website, email signatures, and any place else where your address appears so they can be implemented on the day of your move.
Notify your clients of change of address.
Contact the post office for change of address.
Contact your bank for change of address.
Notify vendors of change of address (coffee service, vending machines, etc.).
Contact the IRS for change of address.
Change address with any publications that are delivered to office.
Notify insurance carrier of change of address and new office’s requirements. Obtain certificates of insurance for the landlord, and any entities required by the lease.
Contact the Franchise Tax Board for change of address.
Contact the Employment Development Department for change of address.
Contact the Secretary of State for change of address.
tips for when you’re moving to a new office space
Moving to a new office space is extremely demanding both mentally and physically, but it’s also an exciting chapter in your business’ story. Regardless of how big or small your office space may be, relocating is still a huge undertaking that needs time to plan to ensure that all goes as smoothly as possible. If you have never moved between properties before, you may feel overwhelmed by the very idea of the upheaval– after all, there are so many specifics to think about.
Planning
The key to any successful office move is preparation. Aim to be organized in the weeks ahead by creating databases and tick lists which can be easily accessed and updated once tasks are completed. You should also include an additional list of the jobs that are to be undertaken by your employees. Knowing exactly what is happening and when will limit confusion and stress and ensure that every single member of staff is informed of their specific duties.
Self-storage facilities
There may be a period in-between the move where you have to empty your current premises and wait until the new office space is available for you to move in. In this case, it would be advised to hire a self-storage facility to store all of your furniture and equipment before you’re given the keys to the new property. You can find storage units near you with secure keypad access and video camera monitoring to ensure your belongings are safe at all times. You also get a free truck rental on moving day, which will save you cash and limit additional stress.
Assign a project manager
While you may believe that you are well-prepared for the move, running a business alongside an office relocation can become too much. It would be in your best interests to select a project manager who is happy to oversee the office move and make sure that things are evolving as required, while you concentrate on the running of the business. The project manager should be an employee you can trust, has proven organizational skills and can manage multiple tasks at one time.
Inform your suppliers and customers
If your suppliers deliver to your office, ensure you inform them at least one month before the move that you’re relocating. You should also notify your customers of your new address and when you expect the business to be back up and running. Don’t forget to get in touch with Google and explain your business has moved location so that customers who browse for your business address online can head to the right place.
How to Handle an Office Move
Moving can be an exciting milestone for any business owner, especially if the move is designed to support or encourage growth. However, it can also be a disruptive time that’s filled with chaos and stress.
Make a plan
Once you find out you’re moving, it’s time to start planning. A good plan takes into account personnel needs, client/customer needs, and vendor/supplier relations as well as the logistical needs associated with clearing out of one location and setting up shop in the new one.
Communicate with your employees
Once you have a plan in place, it’s time to communicate with your employees. Doing so can drastically reduce the amount of chaos that is commonly associated with any type of move, especially office moves.
Your communication efforts should include a timeline for the move, information about the new location, including address and directions, parking and transit information, and the name of a point person(s) who will be overseeing the move or answer any specific questions.
Update customers and suppliers
A move doesn’t just impact your employees; it also will affect your vendors, suppliers, customers/clients, and any other individual or group that must visit or send information, products, or services to your office.