Plan an Office Move Without Downtime

Relocating your workspace should not pause your business. This step-by-step playbook shows how to move with near-zero disruption using timelines, IT continuity, stakeholder comms, and a tight moving-day runbook.

1. Executive Summary

Goal: maintain service levels while moving. Method: phased planning, clear ownership, and out-of-hours execution. Outcome: staff productive on day one in the new space.

2. Timeline You Can Copy

  • T minus 12 to 8 weeks: project lead, budget, building rules, surveys
  • T minus 8 to 4: IT and telecoms planning, floor plan, crate schedule
  • T minus 4 to 2: staff briefings, label system, parking and lift slots
  • T minus 14 days: final inventory, access cards, risk assessments
  • T minus 7 to 1: packing sprints, change freeze for critical systems

3. Stakeholders and Comms

  • Project lead and move captain per department
  • Weekly digest to staff; daily updates in move week
  • External notice to clients and suppliers with new address and dates

4. IT and Data Continuity

  • Document racks, ports, patching, ISP handover and IP ranges
  • Backups verified and restorations tested pre-move
  • Asset tags on every device; cable sets bagged and labelled
  • Staged cutover: core services first, non-critical later

5. Floor Plan and Labelling System

  • Zone map with desk IDs (e.g., A12). Print and post at entrances
  • Box label: Team, Name, Destination Desk ID, Priority
  • Monitor and dock go to the same Desk ID crate; no mixing

6. Access, Parking and Lifts

  • Reserve loading bay and lift windows in both buildings
  • Arrange permits or bay suspensions; upload confirmations
  • Use shuttle or smaller vehicles for tight access sites

7. Health, Safety and Compliance

  • Site inductions, PPE, manual handling brief
  • Method statements and risk assessments filed
  • WEEE handling for e-waste; secure archive transfer

8. Moving Day Runbook

  1. Pre-move: lifts booked, floor protection, signage up
  2. Load: team leads sign off per zone, photo logs as needed
  3. Transport: direct routes; live updates to move captain
  4. Unload: desks by ID zones; crates at foot of each desk
  5. IT: racks, switches, Wi-Fi, test print and VOIP
  6. UAT: small group validates apps, print, conference rooms

9. Post-Move Day One Checklist

  • Hotline or Slack channel for issues, 2 hour response target
  • Crate returns schedule; clear walkways and fire routes
  • Facilities snag list and vendor punch list agreed

10. Mini FAQ

Can we move overnight? Yes, to avoid business hours disruption.

Will you rebuild desks and racking? Yes, with labelled hardware sets.

Can you handle confidential archives? Yes, sealed and tracked, with chain of custody.

Keep your team productive while we handle the move.

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