Moving Office
Moving furniture or whole office? Then read on . . .From time to time it becomes necessary to move staff within an existing office or relocate, such events are extremely disruptive and frequently a source of great concern to staff who may be apprehensive or fearful of the changes. Careful planning can reduce disruption to a minimum and can also reassure even the most reluctant staff.
Do You Really Need To Move?
Moves are disruptive, costly and usually result in significant lost
productivity. It is very worthwhile to consider all the alternatives before
making the decision to move at all.
Other Questions to Ask
If you decide you really do have to move, then the first question is do you
really need to move everything? In the interests of Health and Safety
(Manual Handling) and staff efficiency please check you really need to move
it all. If you decide it is essential to move and you are planning to have
a good sort-out and throw things out please do it BEFORE you move. If you
are moving offices and the office you are moving to has a desk do you
really need to move your desk in and that one out? It is much more
efficient to just move the belongings that go into the desk instead of the
whole desk. Similarly with other furniture such as book shelves, filing
cabinets etc.
Basic Information
The following will need to be identified and clearly defined in a move
specification:
- The organisations effects: furniture, filing, personal and non personal equipment, IT equipment, photocopiers, etc.
- The collection site(s): the addresses comprising locations for collections.
- The delivery site(s): the new location(s)
- The organiser of the move: so everyone knows who is making the decisions.
- An understanding of which service moves what
| Work Required | Service Responsible |
|---|---|
| IT equipment, set up and move | IT Support ext 4242 |
| New power points | Estates ext 4070 |
| Shelving/notice boards/hanging pictures etc | Estates ext 4070 |
| Telephones | IT Support ext 4242 |
| Moving furniture / equipment | Facilities Management (contact Reception) |
1. Crates
All requests for use of crates are booked via the Estates helpdesk (customers should be requesting numbers based on advice of team leader/caretaking staff). A cost centre will be required at all times.
The procedure cannot allow for long term storage, the crates are issued to facilitate moves only and time scale will be need to be agreed by Estates and you the customer at the outset.
The Facilities Management sector team will advise on the number of crates required and will arrange delivery and collection. The department/school who are moving will manage their use during the move and then advise your sector Facilities Team when they have been emptied and are ready to collect.
Estates admin/helpdesk will chase up any crates not returned by the date agreed.
Manual Handling
When filling the crates please ensure that you yourself can lift the crate
if it is too heavy for you it will be too heavy for the caretaker, if the
crate is too heavy for you to lift please remove some of the items until
you can lift it then it should be okay for the caretakers/external
contractors to lift. It is also important to make sure the lids close and
metal bars fold over the top of the crate as they may have to be stacked on
top of each other. If you need to weigh the crate to ensure is it less than
25kg the caretakes can arrange for you to borrow their scales.
2. IT Equipment / Telephones
Does your IT equipment need setting up? Does your telephone extension need re connected? If so you will need to contact the IT helpline to arrange for these services (ext 4242).
3. Other Jobs
If you need extra power sockets, your noticeboards/shelving rehung or new shelving etc. then you need to contact Estates well in advance of the work being carried out ring their helpline (ext 4070).
4. Planning the Move
To assist with the move it would be helpful if you could:
a) draw a plan of how you wish the room to be set out (note it is often a
good idea to measure up beforehand as sometimes things don’t always fit the
way you first imagine).
b) Label your items of furniture and crates with the location they are to
go to.
c) Give caretakers plenty of notice (at least two weeks) so that they can
try and arrange manpower for the move.
d) If you want the move to be carried out outside of hours there would be
an overtime cost incurred so please be aware of that.
e) Ensure that the crates/boxes are all packed ready for the caretakers
arriving to carry out the move
f) Give yourself time at the other end to do your unpacking and
tidying.
g) Will your desk need dismantling and re-established at the other end? If
so ensure you allow the caretakers time to carry out these tasks.
5. Postponement / Cancellation
If you have to postpone or cancel please ensure you inform all the relevant parties with as much notice as possible to minimise any time/resource wastage.
6. Mail Room
Don't forget to inform the mail room of your move and your new address for deliveries and mail collections. Give them a ring on ext 3861 or ext 4385. Alternatively contact the Operations Supervisor for Mail, Stephen White via e mail.
Finally we hope you like your new location and that you are not disrupted for a very long time after this.
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