If you work out of a warehouse storage facility, moving the business can seem like an impossible task without something going wrong. If you want the task to be easier and minimize the chances of something going wrong, you should have a warehouse relocation checklist. To make a checklist that has all the jobs covered, you first need to nail down come your relocation strategy.
Prepare The Strategy to Move To A New Storage Warehouse
When most businesses move to a new warehouse, they typically don’t suspend operations during the move. So, it’s harder for a warehouse to continue business like usual and move to a new location.
These are the questions a company should have the answers to when moving to a new warehouse:
- What are the names of the people that need to know about the move?
- Who will be doing what between now and the move?
- Who will need to maintain business while the company is in the process of moving to a new warehouse?
- Is there equipment that can be left behind due to being obsolete?
- How much time and money will the move to a new location require?
- Will it be cheaper to move your current equipment or to purchase new equipment?
- Will everything needed to continue business be at the new location or will it cost money to purchase equipment to continue business at the new location?
What Should Be on The Checklist When Moving To A New Warehouse
When you decide to move the business to a new warehouse, you will want to make sure you complete the following tasks to minimize the chances of something going wrong. These are the steps you should take when you know the business is going to move:
- Hire the moving company and pick the date of the move:
As soon as you know you are going to move, you want to pick the moving company and get a date. The reason for this is that moving companies may be booked up for months. Look up reviews on who you plan to hire, and then make an appointment with the company you like best.
- Arrange products and machinery:
If something will be coming with you to the new location, you want to have everything packed so it survives the move and doesn’t show up broken or get lost during the move. If it will be the responsibility of the movers to pack up items, make sure delicate items are marked fragile so they are handled with the necessary care.
- Have the shifts of your employees planned out:
During a move, it will interfere with workers. They may have to stop what they normally do to assist with the move. Until the move is completed, have a schedule of who will be doing what so all employees know what they should be focusing on during the time of transition.
- Make sure the moving company can reach the people in charge:
Before the movers start filling the trucks with your products and equipment, make sure they can reach the owner or manager in case any questions come up. In addition to the movers having the right contact information, make sure employees know who to contact and how to contact the people in charge of the move in case they have any questions about the move. If this is handled before moving day, it will reduce confusion between employees.
- Make sure everyone is informed of the move:
More people need to know about the location other than movers and employees. Anybody that supplies your company needs to know if they must send their supplies to a new location. People that do business with the company also need to know if the company has a new location.
Using The New Location to The Best of Your Ability
One strategy that could reduce the time a move would take is to be familiar with the area where the new warehouse is located. Inside the warehouse, you want to know where all the equipment will go and which duties will be taken care of in which areas of the warehouse. This should be done as soon as you choose a warehouse so the business can return to normal as soon as possible.
When a company moves to a new location, it is like a new beginning for the company. If operations were being hindered due to how the workplace was set up in the previous location, you can address those concerns when moving equipment into the new location.
If you ever have moved to a new home or a new work location, you know moving is a huge inconvenience until you are settled in your new place. When a company moves, it is also inconvenient for them although the move should prove to be beneficial in the long run.
At Mark’s Moving and Storage, we provide warehouse storage and commercial moving for customers in the Greater Boston area and across Massachusetts. For a free estimate, you can request a custom estimate here, or give us a call at 508-983-6000.