About the Office Move template for Project

 Note   This article describes a Project template. You can download this template by clicking the link in the See Also list in this article.

The objective of this template is to identify and correlate the activities required for an office move. The template is designed to focus on the required steps to successfully move your office from one location to another.

Template design

The office move template provides you with a basic set of common tasks that are necessary to complete an office move from point A to point B. The process of making an office move is divided into tasks and scheduled in logical sequence. The template uses a time-phased approach and the tasks are grouped into six key phases: Six months to one year before move day, three to six months before move day, one to three months before move day, one day to one month before move day, moving day, post-move. The activities are generic and might need to be edited to fit your particular needs.

Each move phase includes a number of typical activities with logical ties to other activities in that phase or another phase. These links are the mechanism that allows us to determine the overall planned duration of a project and to determine the effect of changes, delays and disruptions.

Individual activities may contain notes describing normal practices and procedures. Each activity also contains a typical resource classification. These resource classifications are included as a guide to you and are not meant to be prescriptive.

The following sections present an overview of the four phases of the process model, a description of the resources that make up a typical team, and a summary of major tasks.

Template description

Phase 1: Six months to one year before moving day

This is the early planning phase that sets the stage for the office move. Here the resource with overall responsibility for the office move assembles a "move team" and does all the research necessary to make the early decisions regarding the new location site and the outside contractors that will help prepare the new office space before the move date.

Phase 2: Three to six months before moving day

In this phase the early planning is complete. Your office space has been secured with a formal lease and you have researched and identified the contractors that will provide assistance with the build-out of your new space. The key to this phase is to design the new office space and order the major items (office furniture, phone lines, internet lines, etc.) that could take months to be ready. Also, it is important to identify and hire the moving company to be used. The activities in this phase must be completed with ample lead-time to make sure you get on vendor schedules in time to meet your office setup and move-day needs.

Phase 3: One to three months before moving day

In this phase the office move team turns their attention to high-level administrative tasks related to the move. An appraisal of assets is performed in preparation for updating of insurance policies, change of address notices are sent to customers and vendors and orders are placed for items that typically do not take months to deliver.

Phase 4: One day to one month before moving day

This is the "clean-up" phase. Here the move team makes sure that all installations have been completed at the new office space and works on completing all the administrative tasks not covered in phase 3.

Phase 5: Moving day

All planning has led to this day. Here the move team is focused on helping the movers to place things in the correct locations at the new office space. They key to this phase is for the move team to help the physical move be as smooth as possible and to help minimize damage to the new office space as well as to fragile items being transported to the new office space.

Phase 6: Post-move

The activities that come after the physical move are critical to completing a smooth transition to a new office. It is important to check for damaged items immediately so that any insurance claims can be filed quickly.

In post-move, the move team must also help employees make a successful transition by providing training on phone systems, security and safety (fire drills, etc.).

Finally, there is the cleanup of the old office space and remembering to check for mail periodically at the old location.