Things You'll Need:
- boxes
- shredding bins
- recycle bins
- newspaper or bubble wrap
- moving labels
- floor plan of new office
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Step 1
Get a floor plan of the new office space. If you're having modular furniture moved, the furniture installer will have probably generated one. If not, sketch something up with squares to show the approximate location of each desk. Number each desk and room on the floor plan.
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Step 2
Move Spreadsheet.
Decide who will get each desk or room by number. Have a lottery or leave it up to management. Make a list in excel. Publish it to everyone involved. If you're doing a phased move, include move dates on this list. You're IT people will probably want to use this list for computer and phone information. -
Step 3
About 3 weeks before the move date, bring in shredding bins, recycle bins and extra garbage cans. Announce a purge day. Ask everyone to throw out everything they aren't going to need. Designate a spot for extra usable office supplies. If there are extra supplies that aren't needed ask someone to drive a car load to the nearest school. Call the school first.
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Step 4
Ask everyone to take home personal items that could be easily broken about a week before the move. At the same time have boxes and moving labels delivered by the moving company. 10 boxes per cubicle is generally a good approximation. Get extra if you're not sure. Most companies will credit you for boxes not used, but charge you for an extra delivery. Moving companies generally use one piece collapsing boxes that require no tape. Don't use file boxes, they're more expensive and the lids blow off out doors.
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Step 5
Boxes
Ask everyone to put everything they want moved into boxes. The box lids should be closed flat, so they can be stacked in transit. This will cut down on trips the movers need to make. Put a moving sticker with the number of the desk or room the box needs to go to on the side, not the top of each box. The name of the owner is a good idea as well, but not required. If you don't get special moving labels, you can make your own using paper and tape. Different colors can be used for different phases, or different destinations. -
Step 6
File Cabinets
Stick a label with the number of the destination on the top front of the cabinet. Unload all but the bottom drawer into boxes, and label the boxes with the same number. This is to ensure that the file cabinet will still work when it gets there. -
Step 7
Storage cabinets
Stick a label to the top front with the destination desk or room number on it. Unload contents into boxes and label the boxes. -
Step 8
Keyboard Trays
Stick a numbered moving label to the tray. It's also a good idea to make a list of keyboard trays to be moved to give to the moving company supervisor on move day. Double check they will have a power drill to move these prior to the move. -
Step 9
Tables
Stick a numbered moving label on top of the table. -
Step 10
Computers
Tell employees to take home laptops the day of the move. Don't pack desk tops and heavy CRT monitors. Most professional movers will have special carts that look like a wide book case on wheels for these. Cords and keyboards can be packed in boxes, or placed in plastic bags with numbered moving labels if they need to be hooked up right away. Stick a numbered moving label to each piece. -
Step 11
Chairs
Label each chair with a numbered moving label. -
Step 12
Copy Machines
Contact the copy repair company for help moving it, and getting it set up at destination. -
Step 13
If possible, the night before the move, hang large room and cube numbers in the new office. Post a numbered floor plan near the front door, and put up directions at key junctions that resemble the ones in hotel hall ways For example: <-51-100 1-50 ->. This will make it easier for the movers to find the numbered space corresponding to the numbered item they pull off the truck. It's worth doing this it will speed things up and cut down on the hours the moving company will bill.
