Posts Tagged ‘relocation’
|The Industrial Relocation Checklist
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
By Sean Hoehn, Managing Principal, Industrial
Relocating your industrial facilities can be a challenging task and requires careful planning. It is important that equipment does not get damaged during the move, that the relocation is completed on time to limit disruption to operations, and that it is completed within budget.
It is important to research companies that specialize in the transportation of racking and machinery well in advance of the relocation. Be sure to choose a reputable mover, and do not base your decision on pricing alone; the latter can end up costing you more in the end. Try to find a moving company that can provide you turnkey services; it is more manageable, and less stressful, to deal with one project manager as opposed to dealing with several companies with different contacts for different services.
Prepare rough floor plans of the new site outlining where the machinery and equipment should go. Once you have a shortlist of moving companies to provide you with a final quote, have them perform site visits with you in your existing and future home and go over the rough floor plans.
Speak to your distribution or production manager regarding any possible down time and stock requirements, as you do not want your move to affect your relationships with your customers. You may want to consider over-holding machinery in your current facility for a short period and perform a staged relocation by moving certain lines at the most appropriate time.
Someone in your organization should create a timetable for coordinating services with your local providers. A common mistake when planning a relocation is forgetting a services checklist for things like draining of oil, electrical and mechanical disconnects and reconnects, or any other requirement that might apply to your operations.
Obtain budget approval from your associates and make sure they know what moving company you have chosen. Explain the plan to ensure both internal and external stakeholders are comfortable with the relocation and timetable.
Cresa and its project management team are well positioned to facilitate your relocation. Our integrated approach enables us to take you through the entire real estate process from strategy development, surveys, market opportunities, negotiations with landlords and renovations/relocations.
Tags: corporate real estate, industrial, relocation, tenant
Posted in Supply Chain | Comments Off
Revving the Relocation Engine: RPM
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
By Phillip Infelise
Now that we are clear on PM and CM differentiation, let’s throw in another acronym: RPM. In the world of Project Management, that stands for Relocation Planning and Management. On the long and winding project path, during the relocation phase, the rubber truly meets the road for our clients, so we need to pay particular attention to the curves, steep grades, and potholes that come with this process.
Managing change is tough. Project Managers could even be called TMs (Transition Managers) or CMs (Change Managers), but that would be confusing, wouldn’t it? Most brokerage firms concentrate on the design or sticks and bricks phases and leave clients to their own devices during relocation. We have a very different – and perhaps enlightened – viewpoint that nothing is more important to more people than the success or failure of the actual relocation. It is embodied in our “Relocation Dictum.”
“During 99% of the project, only 1% of the client universe is directly impacted. During the final 1% of the project, during the Relocation, 100% of the employees, clients, vendors are affected. The goal therefore has to be a 100% seamless transition.”
Consequently, we need to focus as much on the Relocation Phase as we do on the Project Planning, Design, and Construction Phases. To not do so is to abandon the client at a critical time; perhaps when they need us most. However, solid RPM consulting starts way back at the beginning of the project, and RPM consciousness should never lag throughout, as there will be transition trauma from start to finish. Some key points to focus on for successful RPM:
- Elevate RPM to a strategic position in the overall project planning.
- Establish good department contacts and business-flow understanding during early program interviews – what you learn will have big impact later.
- Develop a transition strategy that minimizes downtime.
- Over-communicate to staff and the project team throughout the relocation process.
- Pick a strong Move Captain from each department as they will be your chief lieutenants.
- There is no detail too insignificant to attend to.
- Develop a platform where all vendors are speaking to one another and understanding the overall sequence of events.
- Tote moves are in; boxes are out.
- Staff the move 24/7 so there is continuous coverage – hope that it is so smooth that it is boring.
- Be willing to hold hands and be a shoulder to lean on. Change is traumatic and this is where our people skills are really needed.
Three months post occupancy, few of the client staff will recall who did their lease or may not even know who the Project Manager was during design and construction. But they will surely know who helped them with their relocation.
In my next entry, I want to look at how we use precise documentation and deliverable formats to enhance our communication with clients and project teams.
What was your last office move like?
Tags: corporate real estate, PM, relocation, relocation planning and management
Posted in Project Management | Comments Off
