ACME ABC Ltd has 65 people working in its 3 offices across town. The business decides to centralise all its office personnel into one purpose-built office in the centre of town with ample parking. The new office is nearing completion and Manager A has been tasked with leading the re-location with the help of Manager B, C & D (one from each of the 3 offices. None of them had ever tackled something like this before, so it was agreed to bring in some outside help to assist them to co-ordinate the move. A Planner with experience was selected and met with the team to understand the needs and expectations of the business.

The Planner then spoke with the main contractor who was finishing the new offices to get detail of when systems would be LIVE & tested, phones, IT, welfare facilities, lifts, access control, fire alarm etc. The business was purchasing several new workstations, computers, storage cupboards, but was retaining and re-using many of the existing, further complicating the move.

The Planner put forward a proposal that only half of each department from each office be moved at a time utilising the new workstations as hot desks for continuity of business with minimal disruption. A team of removal men and vans, IT contractors and phones contractor were planned to facilitate the move having a single supervisor co-ordinating on move days.

The plan was laid out to move up to 5 people at a time from any each of the 3 offices. Utilising hot desks until their own office furniture, computers were moved unless they were allocated new. Each batch of 5 were to be moved and checks were to be made to ensure continued working, before the next batch of people were to be moved.

The plan was finalised, agreed with management and printed & posted at each of the offices a month in advance, communicating to all personnel each one of their individual move dates, who was doing what, when and how. The Planner visited each office and talked through and explained the logic behind the plan with the teams answering any queries.

The other option the Planner had proposed was that the teams of 5 were moved as above, but during lunch times and evenings rather than business hours further minimising disruption to the business. Having reviewed both proposals the business decided it could manage the downtime during normal business hours if everyone followed the plan.