Changing office space is one of the most stressful events for a company to go through. We interviewed Eric Toth of Sher-Del Transfer for his perspective on how to take the stress out of relocating offices. As an IT firm, we were curious to hear his view on how to best manage the technical components of a move.
Q: What is the #1 concern in any corporate relocation?
A: What we like to tell our clients is that technology is our biggest concern, not the furniture or contents, because their entire infrastructure is built on their technology working correctly.
So we sit down with their inhouse IT people to get it all straightened out beforehand. Sometimes they bring in a third party to do the disconnect/reconnect if they need extra hands or are leveraging outsourced IT support [btp.net].
The conversation focuses on answering key questions such as:
What time are you anticipating shutting down on the day of the move?
A move typically takes place on a Friday that way that have the weekend to rectify any issues.
Knowing the schedule allows us to optimally gauge when to send in our labor to prep the technology. We provide the anti-static bubble wrap bags for the monitors, and clear bags for the cables, keyboards, and mice.
Q: What is the logical sequence in terms of how you pack the equipment?
A: The server equipment is the last item to go on the first truck -- so it is the first item off in the new location.
Prior to the servers, we pack all the technology landing on the new desk (if they are getting new desks). If they are taking their existing furniture then we have to move the furniture before that.
Q: What if it’s a new build out?
A: If it’s a new build out we’ll meet with the architect or general contractor. They are concerned about space protection to protect the new office, and by that I mean floor and wall protection. We apply masonite on the floor and Coroflex on the walls. This protects the space from any damage.
We do conduct a walk through to identify any existing damages or dents to point out in advance. Usually the construction people are aware of any issues and they are already documented, but we do our own once over to make sure everything is fine.
Q: How do you see interior design changes in NYC impacting corporate relocations?
A: People are moving into collaborate work areas. They aren’t in the individual workstation anymore. HR, accounting, and the executive team tend to have their own offices but other than that everyone is in open seating plan (workbenches). With the cost per square foot rising in Manhattan , in order to maintain staff levels this is what companies have to do.
Q: What are you seeing in terms of the Green Building trends here in NYC?
A: People are growing more conscious of this trend. We’ve accommodated this by using plastic crates for moving instead of cardboard boxes. All of our trucks have battery operated liftgates which enable us to load and unload our trucks without having to keep them idle.
Q: Tell me about disposal options. What do companies do with the IT debris that can sometimes result from the decision to move to another office?
A: Through partnerships we offer disposal options for e-waste such as servers and electronic devices with confidential information on them. In addition, we will transport furniture to metal dumps to be recycled, and paper and cardboard go to recycling facilities as well. This saves the client money and helps avoid using landfills.
Planning your next office move? Contact sales@btp.net for information about how to manage the IT aspects of the relocation to minimize the possibility of disruption.
