How to Keep Your Business Safe During a Relocation

Business relocations happen daily due to different reasons. For instance, a business may decide to move to a bigger office space, to a location near their target market or cheaper location. Whatever the reason for your office relocation, you should be prepared to have a daunting moving day. Though you prepare in advance for the move by packing all the documents, equipment and inventory properly, there is a lot you should do during the D-day to ensure that your business information and supplies are safe. Here is what you should do before, during and after the relocation to ensure commercial security.

Before the moving day arrives

Just like a home move, you should start planning for your move months before the D-day or as soon as you confirm the moving date. Start by appointing a moving committee for each department. The committees should then draft a relocation timetable that indicates what should be packed when and by whom. They should inform employees about the relocation, the deadlines they should beat, the departmental relocation plans and what they should do to ensure utmost security during and after the move. 

The next step would be taking inventory and disposing of the things you no longer use. Inventory determines the equipment and office supplies you have, the ones that will move to your location and the ones that should be disposed of. For instance, if you have old computers that you no longer use, you can sell them at a throwaway price. However, sensitive items such as hard drives and dumpster divers should be disposed of with the help of professionals because they can easily leak confidential business information. 

Before you move to the next step, ensure that you inform your business partners, associates, and customers of your intended move. You may have to explain to partners and associates why you need to move and how you plan to implement the move. 

Choose a professional and experienced commercial mover. Office moves are very different from home moves in regards to the moving equipment required, size and weight of moving boxes. So, interview a few moving companies to determine the one that understands your relocation needs and has the right moving equipment. 

During the move

By the time your D-day arrives, everything should be packed and ready to be loaded in moving tracks. Avoiding last minute packing for a smooth damage-free transition is important. It is no fallacy that a lot of office equipment get lost during a relocation. Therefore, you should have measures in place to ensure that your equipment is safe. Try assigning employees to watch different office equipment during the move and the suspicious signs to look out for among dubious movers and colleagues. It is advisable to keep your video surveillance on and label all your boxes. Commercial security should be a routine for every business whether the business is operational or not. So long as you still have information and working supplies to protect, security should be your core priority. To avoid accidents, have designated entrance and exit routes.

After the move

After a successful relocation, start by conducting a security and inventory audit. You want to be sure that no items were damaged and no information was compromised during the move. It is advisable to hire a security auditor to assess your network and physical security needs. 

Next, ensure that the employees take part in the office arrangement process. Even if you hired interior designers to help with office arrangement, employees need to be present to ensure easy workflow when operations resume. They need to know where specific supplies and documents are stored. Also, employees keep an eye on the interior designers to ensure commercial information security. 

Summary

Despite hiring the best commercial movers, you need your team to conduct a successful office relocation. They help you plan your relocation and sometimes advise on the right commercial security measures to take. For instance, it would be advisable to track office equipment that contains confidential business information during the relocation.