Whether you are supervising your own office move, overseeing a move planning consultant, or thinking about offering move planning as an alternative service to clients, you probably will find this information useful. It is excerpted from "Move Management," by Patricia Henriques, president of Management Alternatives, a Washington, D.C.-based move planning and management firm, and published in the latest edition of The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (edited by Joseph A. Demkin, AIA, and published by John Wiley & Sons, 2001).

Moving a business, institution, or government agency requires complex planning, coordination, and careful execution—particularly where critical operations must be maintained. By offering move management services, architecture firms can support clients every step of the way to make moving as painless as possible.

According to the International Facility Management Association, companies move, remodel, or relocate approximately 30 percent of their facilities each year, based on square footage. Only about 15 percent of these moves are into newly constructed facilities. A move is a good time to implement new work processes and technologies to control costs and increase profitability and productivity. With proper planning and management, these objectives can be achieved. On the other hand, a poorly executed move creates downtime, additional moving expenses, worker stress, and decreased productivity.

Moving today's organization requires a lot more than furniture movers and a van. In many organizations moving requires the orchestration of many specialists and technicians to handle technology relocation. Few organizations have the resources to manage both the strategic and tactical aspects of a move, particularly when the schedule is aggressive.

Architecture, A/E and E/A firms, real estate brokers, and design/build companies often offer move management services as a deal closer when potential clients express reluctance to build or lease a new facility because of anxiety about moving. While these types of organizations are starting to offer move management as an ancillary service, teaming with firms that specialize in move management frequently is required, particularly in more complex projects where the client has specialized needs.

Most clients recognize the value of communications programs and include them in their move program. Employee and customer orientation and communications programs may include relocation handbooks and brochures, Web sites, bulletins, and hot lines. Other services that architects might package with move management include strategic facility planning, space planning, facility management, facility surveys, commissioning, and post-occupancy evaluation.

Generic steps to perform the service

• Planning. The first step is to interview representatives of key departments within the organization to identify the major issues involved with the move and special needs that should be considered. Some of these issues may include relating the move schedule to ongoing operations schedules, any critical operations that must be maintained, the range of acceptable downtime (if any) whether contingency planning will be required, and the sequencing priorities of the move. Discuss and clarify these objectives for the move.

Based on the client input, the move managers prepare a moving plan that defines the move objectives, approach, methods, team, schedule, and insurance requirements. A move budget is prepared based on the plan requirements. This budget should include move-related construction costs; move consultant and service fees; purchase of furniture and telephone, computer, and office equipment required in the new facility; expenses related to address change; costs related to downtime or productivity drops; and other expenses that can be related to the move.

Next, the move management team surveys the destination site to determine utilization and conditions that will affect the approach to delivery, unloading, installation, and final setup of furniture and equipment. The quantity of new furniture and equipment to be ordered for the new facility is verified.

The move management team then develops a bid package including floor plans, inventory lists of furniture and equipment, and move plans and specifications. The move managers conduct tours of current and destination facilities so bidders can observe conditions. Qualifications and bids are received and evaluated by the move management team. Recommendations for move services are provided to the client based on cost and ability to fulfill the move objectives.

• Pre-move preparation and coordination. The move managers oversee tagging, packing, and pre-move preparation. Employee or customer orientation and communications materials are produced, and distribution of materials begins. Where required, simulation exercises may be conducted to rehearse procedures required in operational contingency plans.

• Transport and on-site supervision. The move management team coordinates the move of existing assets, receipt of new furniture and equipment, and installation and setup times covered in the scope of work. Interim storage may be provided where required.

• Post-move follow-up. The move management team assists the client in filing for necessary claims, auditing invoices, and disposing of any unneeded assets. A post-move punch list of outstanding issues is prepared. When these are resolved, the project is closed out.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.