October 10, 2005—Office moves are complex projects to manage, involving tight schedules, staff liaison and supplier control. But the 9th PHS Quarterly Facilities Management Survey, suggests that the majority of FMs (68%) manage their moves with no documented process to guide them. The survey also found that 71% of FMs are given less than 3 months notice to plan and prepare. Despite this, more than half the surveyed FMs completed their last moves in less than 20 man-days.
The survey—which conducted telephone interviews with 200 facilities professionals in August 2005—extracted top tips for optimizing the moves process and mimizing disruption, including the following:
- Plan ahead, test your plan (have a test run) and keep to your time schedule—dont overrun.
- Partner with major suppliers, like removal companies, early on, so the work is done to your time-schedule, not theirs.
- Consult with affected departments and other interested parties in advance, involve everyone up front as early as possible.
For more information on the survey, visit the PHS Web site.
