Office moves may not seem very different from regular household moves on the surface. After all, you're still loading boxes and furniture and other belongings into a truck and delivering it to another location, right? But despite the similarities that do exist, office moves and household moves are actually very different animals. Office moves often require more planning and must be handled differently than a regular household move because of the fact that there is a business involved - a business that must still be able to operate efficiently despite the move.
When you're preparing for an office move, it's important that you find a moving company that has specific background and experience in office relocations and can complete your move skillfully and efficiently without hindering any of your regular business operations. So before you hire a moving company for your office move, make sure to ask them a few important questions about the move and about their experience before you make your decision.
How long has your company been in business? Are you an accredited moving company registered with the US DOT and AMSA?
This seems like a pretty basic introductory question but it's also very important. Before you ask anything else, you should make sure that the moving company you're dealing with has extensive experience in the moving industry, particularly with office moves, and that the company is registered with the US DOT, FMCSA, AMSA and any other government-regulated organizations that oversee the moving and relocation industry. You can also cross-reference the company with the Better Business Bureau to make sure they are in good standing.
Are you experienced with moving servers, computers and other types of network hardware?
If you're moving an office, chances are that you're going to need a lot of delicate electronics moved as well as a lot of vital networking equipment that not only helps you run your business, but is also vital to the day-to-day operations of the company. Because of this, you're going to want to make sure that the movers you hire are experienced with moving items like servers, computers, hard drives, network hardware and other things that are essential to the function of the company. If not, your company's precious data and infrastructure are at risk.
Does your company disassemble and reassemble office furniture for the move?
Another thing that an office typically has a lot of is furniture. Desks, chairs, filing cabinets, tables, shelves and other types of large furniture items that need to be packed away, loaded and shipped to the new location. Most of this furniture needs to be disassembled before being loaded onto the moving truck and then reassembled once again when it is delivered to the new location. Doing this can take a lot of time and effort, two things that you can't afford to waste when you have a business to run. Some moving companies will disassemble and reassemble the office furniture for you, but not all of them offer this service so it's important you ask beforehand.
Have you done an office relocation like this one before?
No two office relocations are alike. In fact, yours may be unique. You may have multiple floors of office furniture and hardware to move, or perhaps your office has specialized equipment for different jobs that are difficult to move and extremely delicate. If this is the case, you'll want to know for sure that the moving company you hire can handle the move and whether or not they've done a move like this before. If they are an experienced office relocation company that has been in business for years, chances are they've seen it all and this question is an excellent way for you to gauge their level of expertise and knowledge of office relocations before you make the decision to hire them.
What kind of protection will you be using during the move and what kind of packing supplies do you provide?
If you are leasing the office space you are currently using, the building owner will likely request that any moving companies use floor protection when moving large objects and pieces of office furniture so as to avoid damaging the floors of the office by scratching or scuffing them. Typical floor protection includes plastic sheets or runners that can be laid down to protect the floor from heavy objects while they are being moved. Also, draping the items in moving blankets is another common way of protecting the items during the move as well as the office and the walls from being scratched or dented. Don't forget to also inquire about what kind of packing supplies the moving company will provide, if any.