Moving is always a stressful event. Whether it be moving apartments, moving homes or moving your office facilities, there are many factors to consider. Anything, absolutely anything you can do to reduce that stress is a worthwhile investment.
Your company has decided it is time to move its location. The reasons could be many.
- You’ve outgrown your building.
- Your company, for whatever reason, is relocating to another geographic location.
- Your lease is up on your present location and you’d like to take advantage and move to a location with better facilities.
As a facility manager, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Sensitive files must be properly packed and labelled. If you’ve been at the same location for years, that could be an arduous job. Even sensitive electronic files may need backing up for portability.
Your employees will be busy packing up their own belongings for the move. As manager, you are coordinating their efforts as well as the move for the entire building.
- What assets are making the move?
- What is being sold or discarded?
- Which staff members are being allocated to various tasks involved in the move?
It is a daunting task to be sure. If you are renting or your old facility is being sold, the building you’re vacating should also be given at least a cursory clean prior to your move.
Your new building will also need to be cleaned and updated. Whether it is an existing office space or newly constructed building, there are a number of tasks required before you move into your new digs.
For your own peace of mind, to reduce your list of to-dos’ and to make the transition as smooth as possible why not hire a cleaning company for your office move? “But shouldn’t the previous tenants be cleaning the building?”, you might be asking. While it is true that most tenants will give the building they are vacating a cursory clean, you must ask yourself:
- Did they mop the floors?
- Did they dust on top of ceiling fans?
- Were carpets and walls given a deep clean?
If you are moving into a newly constructed building, your cleaning concerns are magnified greatly. Dust from construction settles for awhile after the project is finished. In both cases, there are three main cleaning considerations when moving office locations:
Although as a facility manager, you must oversee the decisions and purchases necessary to maintain your brand image, it is wise to reduce your stress by having a trusted company take charge of the painting and installation of brand features.
As soon as possible, inspect the new facility yourself along with staff from your chosen cleaning company. List all concerns that could impact the health and safety of both employees and customers. Residual dust, exposed nails and debris missed by contractors or previous tenants are likely concerns especially in new construction. Carpets, walls and window ledges may need deep cleaning. Stickers may still be present on new window installations.
Customer and employee satisfaction is closely tied to your facility conditions. Sparkling and well-organized interiors, including spotless restrooms are essential for high productivity and customer satisfaction. It is essential to begin delivering services in your new facility in the best possible conditions.
Make sure you are clear with your instructions to your cleaning crew. Exactly what jobs do you want tackled? Make an exhaustive list and be clear on your expectations. If you’ve used a cleaning company in your previous office space, have been pleased with their service and they do provide move-in cleaning, they are likely your best resource for tackling this new venture.
Maintain your brand, safeguard your employee and customer health and safety and boost satisfaction rates from day one by hiring out the burden of office cleaning. You’ll experience peace of mind and a huge drop in stress levels through the seamless transition that hiring a cleaning company for your new facility will provide. Outsourcing the cleaning for your move is a smart long-term investment.
