Reducing Office Move Disruption in London
Is the lease on your London office expiring, and you have to move office? Perhaps you have outgrown your office, and are looking for a more suitable space. Whatever your situation, you need to move office, but you can't afford the downtime that often accompanies such projects.
Minimising disruption is a crucial part of every office relocation. It's especially important for industries such as commodity trading or wealth management. Even just hours of downtime can cause millions of lost revenue. And in London, where buildings are more complex and bigger companies are based, it's more crucial still. While some disruption is inevitable, minimising or eliminating downtime is essential.
Ever since 2008, we've been helping London companies design, build, and relocate to new offices. We've relocated trading floors, wealth management companies, and technology firms, amongst many others.
In this article, we'll go through the 6 crucial steps you can take to minimise downtime during your office move. You'll learn what they are, why they are needed, and how to apply them to your project. By the end, you'll know how to minimise downtime for your London office relocation.
Planning
The most important thing you can do to minimise the downtime caused by your London office refurbishment is to create a project plan. Every aspect of your project should be meticulously organised and executed. This will ensure all stakeholders know what they need to know. It will also minimise the risk of unexpected delays and help ensure a smooth transition.
For your project, you should create a full office relocation plan, including a brief, budget and deadlines. Tasks should be assigned to specific team members, and regular reports and meetings should be held to ensure your project is on track.
Design & Build Partner
A major part of your office relocation project will be the fit out of your new office. For this, you need to select an appropriate design & build partner. Appointing a company experienced in managing London office relocations will streamline the process. They will also make it much less stressful. They will be able to take on a lot of the planning and day-to-day management of your project.
A fit out company that will also manage your relocation is especially helpful. Using their contacts, knowledge and experience, they will be able to organise your move in an efficient and cost-effective way. This will minimise disruption to your business operations.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing your design & build company. The most important are values alignment, expertise, and pricing. To learn more, read How to Choose an Office Relocation Company.
Phased Relocation
The most disruptive part of your office relocation project will be moving your staff and equipment from your current office to your new space. One way to reduce this disruption is to split the move into several phases, so that some staff are working the whole time. This means the office always remains at least partly operational. However, phasing does increase the complexity and cost of your move, so you need to find a balance.
Non-critical departments or those with less urgent roles should be moved first, as the first phase is at the highest risk of disruption. Key departments can be moved later. Depending on your situation, you could split key departments into 2 or more phases to further reduce disruption.
IT Infrastructure
All companies are more reliant than ever on technology. Companies in the financial sector are especially reliant on technology. Downtime of just hours could lose you millions of revenue and expose you to ongoing risk. Consequently, your technology and systems must suffer little or no downtime during your office move.
You should fully commission the technology in your new space and ensure it is operational before you move your staff. Internet connectivity, cloud access, and phone lines are especially important. For key departments, it may be worth buying new equipment rather than relocating your existing equipment. While this will come at a cost, the reduced downtime and risk may prove a good investment.
Staff Communication
Moving your office will create a huge change in the working lives of your people. They will be spending their working days in a different location with a different design. To minimise the resistance to and disruption caused by such upheaval, effective change management is crucial. This will reduce any anxiety or confusion felt by staff, and will help you capitalise on the opportunities offered by your office move.
By conducting workshops and informal sessions, you can educate staff about tmove and what it means for them. It will also give you the opportunity to hear from staff and take their feedback onboard. Ultimately, staff performance will dictate the long-term success of your office move. As a result, it's crucial that they're supportive and engaged.
Landlord Communication
Effective and timely communication with your current and future landlords is an essential part of a downtime-free London office move. A collaborative relationship will ensure you know everything you need to know when you need to know, preventing unexpected delays and costs.
For your disposing landlord, ensure you are within your contractual rights to end the lease. For your new landlord, you will need access to technical information to enable the design and delivery of the new office. This includes details of air conditioning, access control, and the BMS. During the move itself, you will also need to communicate about loading bays and lift access. Good landlord communication will prevent avoidable downtime and help your relocation run smoothly.
Minimising Your London Office Relocation Disruption
Office relocation can provide incredible benefits for your company, such as increased productivity, improved communication, and better talent attraction & retention. However, it can also cause your company downtime, which is very disruptive and damaging. However, by following the steps outlined in this article, you can minimise or eliminate downtime in your London office relocation.
Planning allows you to identify and mitigate risks, as well as ensure team alignment. An appropriate design & build partner will create a high-performance, bespoke workspace and take on a lot of the stress of your project. Phasing relocation and pre-commissioning IT reduces key risks. Staff and landlord communication ensures smooth project progress and allows issues to be solved promptly.
An effective office relocation plan is the most important thing you can do to minimise the downtime of your London office move. For help with that, download The Ultimate Office Relocation Guide. It's a comprehensive guide that will help you understand everything that goes into an office relocation, what it costs, and how long it will take. To keep learning about office relocation planning & management, read The Top 5 Office Relocation Risks (And How to Manage Them) and Step by Step: The Office Relocation Process.
