Is it ever too late to get help with a corporate relocation? Yes and no. No, if you just need bodies to move boxes, plug in your coffee maker, and hang pictures on your new walls. That kind of help is not hard to find.
But yes, if you get to the end of a corporate relocation having spent much more time, money, and energy than you anticipated at the outset. You may wish there were some things you knew when you first considered the corporate relocation.
It’s possible to avoid unexpected costs, delays, and frustrations if you gain a clearer idea of the complexities involved in a corporate relocation.
Top 10 things to know before you broker a deal:
- On average, corporate relocations require 180 days to fully plan and execute. This statistic points to the complexity of what your company is undertaking, and its truth can help reduce tension when people start wondering why everything is taking so long.
- You need more than a mover to make the move. A moving company will competently execute the physical move, but you will find that it’s necessary to develop a project management strategy that embodies the entire process, not just the relocation of desks and conference tables (although those matter too, and failure to understand appropriate disassembly and reassembly of furniture, for instance, can result in delays).
- Delayed decisions can have a compounding effect, making accomplishing tasks ahead of deadlines difficult. Every moving part of the relocation process has the potential to either enhance or impede your project. Having a clear picture of your entire project in mind can minimize the compounding effect of missed and changing deadlines.
- You will be coordinating with a significant number of vendors whose integration and dependencies affect the overall project schedule. On average, a corporate relocation balances the work among 10 different vendors. Because each vendor has a specific area of specialty, delays or complications with one vendor can affect the ability for another vendor to fulfill their obligation in a timely manner. The domino effect to your project’s timeline can be huge.
- Each vendor’s bid will require: the identification of requirements needing to be bid, a scheduled meeting to present the scope of work, follow up, time to understand the estimate that is provided, negotiation, and procurement through your internal processes. This type of coordination can require an unexpected number of hours and demands precise organizational skills to know the status of each vendor’s service. A Project Management Team can reduce this time burden on your company.
- Most vendors charge for rework, delays, and additional time. Not all these costs are evident up front, so knowing what questions to ask when analyzing bids can help with appropriate budgeting of the entire project.
- Construction is more than just putting up a few walls. You need a better understanding of the true scope required to achieve your vision for the new space as well as the required permits. Good communication during the lease negotiation and work letter creation phase can help with setting realistic timelines, budgets, and making sure the new space reflects the original vision.
- A final space plan is critical earlier in the process than you might think. “Beginning with the end in mind” is more than just a habit to make a highly effective person; its truth will drive your relocation process from start to finish. The design and plan of your final space needs to be in place to effectively coordinate and manage the decisions you are making along the way. The vision of your final space can also be a motivator to you and your employees as you move toward your final goal.
- Additional costs may apply if you are unable to occupy your new space on your lease commencement date. Knowing and understanding the terms of your existing lease agreement, knowing the realistic duration of your relocation project, and being able to keep on schedule are critical to avoiding unnecessary expenses due to delays.
- Once you leave your current space, it needs to be decommissioned. In a corporate relocation, someone must make sure all electrical connections are safely capped off, the data cables that ran to each desk are pulled or coiled, all of the furniture and trash is removed, and any other work such as repairing dry wall, etc, is necessary to receive your security deposit back.
When you understand what’s truly behind a corporate relocation, you can make the relocation with confidence and excitement. You can experience transparency, efficiency, and predictability with an accurate timeline and budget.
Let the Project Management Experts at Relofant help you manage your next Corporate Relocation!
For more information or to give any feedback, please contact us: 813-928-9408