Managing the soft costs of your office move

When planning an office move, budgeting is not just a key component of the process –– it could very well be the most important factor. Budgeting consists of making a list of vendors that you’re going to need – like furniture, telephones, cabling, movers, and construction – then estimating the cost of each vendor’s services. However, what many companies fail to consider are the soft costs associated with each move. They also don’t have a clue on how to minimize them. Worse yet, these soft costs can be just as expensive to a company, if not more so, than the actual hard costs.

For starters, one important example of a cost that is often overlooked is staff downtime. To fully understand the value of this soft cost, just imagine how much it would cost your company to have your entire staff unable to work for a full day or a few hours because of a massive furniture problem, a lack of Internet connectivity, or worst of all, your phones sitting on every desk without dial tone.

Another way to avoid downtime during a company relocation is to create an hour-by-hour schedule for your move weekend to ensure that everything happens exactly when it’s supposed to happen, with no glitches, no hitches, and no surprises. This is a proactive way to work out all the kinks before the pressure is actually on.

One more example of managing your next move’s soft costs is by keeping employee morale high. Because a move is often seen by employees as a time of uncertainty, most companies report a higher than normal rate of dissatisfaction, with some personnel even quitting out of frustration. After all, employee turnover can be an extremely expensive proposition for any company. To avoid this negativity when you’re just moving your office, we recommend employing a company-wide communication strategy to keep your employees in the loop, help them feel like they’re part of the decision-making process, and assuring them that the company is still going ahead at full speed.

While keeping employees informed and updated is a good thing, it’s important not to overwhelm them with the details of the relocation or how much it’s costing the company. Another example of a soft cost that companies need to monitor is maintaining productivity. When not carefully planned, a move can often take over a company’s normal operations, throwing everyone into chaos mode. Many companies ask an employee who is normally very productive at their job, and turn them –– unwillingly –– into the move coordinator for several months.

Golden Gate Company has identified 300 items that need to be accomplished with every move. (That’s possibly 75 more than the average company could identify.) Because of our vast expertise, it’s impossible for the average employee with a temporary title of move coordinator to handle both the management of the relocation and his/her regular duties. Plus, this definitely isn’t good for business. That’s why we strongly recommend hiring a move coordinator so that your business can focus on what you do best and continue to make money.

In summary, managing the soft costs of your move is a critically important component to consider when planning your move budget. Employing a detailed logistical schedule and communication strategy is a start to making sure that your business continues to operate at maximum efficiency throughout your relocation.

To receive a complimentary quote on your next office move in the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose and Oakland, please contact us today: (415) 513-4490 or email: sales@goldengatecompany.com.