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Move Management means different things to different people and ones view and definition will depend greatly on your understanding and previous experience of the industry. I will focus my views through the eyes of the Move Management Consultant, and cover some points which you may have not considered before. Additionally I will not focus too much on implementation as this is the area that most people are familiar with.
 

Traditionally Move Management projects have been the domain of the Facilities Manager working closely with the in-house or contract moves, M&E, cleaning and security support services. Whilst a move management project can be an interesting diversion from the daily FM role, it is both time consuming and demanding, with risk management high on the agenda to ensure Business As Usual at all times.

The Move Management Consultant allows the FM to focus on their core business and becomes the focal point for the client, customer, service providers and facilities team. Through the application of proven Move Management Methodology, honed communication skills and an in-depth knowledge of the moves process they can significantly shorten delivery times, reduce costs and negate risk.

Most companies have their own often complex move management processes. When we focus to the highest level the principle key move steps are -

Each of the key steps has different drivers and it is important to understand how the process varies from client to client. To define these parameters the Move Management Consultant needs to understand –

1.     Asset Management and the quality of data at their disposal -What Asset Management controls and procedures are in place to ensure headcount, IT and storage requirements are properly catered for in the brief.

 

2.     Technology Platform, CAFM and Infrastructure Management -Does the client use Archibus, Aperture or Intelligent Infrastructure Management systems to gather this Information.

3.     Management of Head Count Information and Desk Demand – Has the Head Count requirement been accurately captured and verified with the Business, Finance and Human Resources departments. More importantly has this been accurately interpreted as Desk Demand in the brief i.e. those staff that actually require a desk as opposed to those on payroll.

 

4.     What existing Processes and Procedures are in place? –The Moves Management Consultant is not there to reinvent the wheel but to ensure best practice is being adopted. However given appropriate time the Move Management Consultant can be instrumental in redefining and facilitating change.

5.     Capability of existing vendor partners and the in-house team - The scale, size and complexity of the task in hand, may impact what your vendor partners can ultimately manage. Whilst existing relationships should be nurtured they should not work to the detriment of the client by limiting the size or shape of the deliverable.

 

6.     Public or Private sector moves - the type of end user, Financial, Media, Pharmaceutical or IT sectors may have a similar process but have completely different profiles, in terms of complexity and risk.

7.     Budget and Program - Ultimately the quality of the move you want to convey is governed by your budget, your time constraints and the ability of your team to deliver.

8.     What has previously been accepted as success – It is not until you benchmark your existing methodology or approach to the relocation process will you understand if you are doing it smarter, leaner and cheaper.

 

The principle drivers that instigate the need for a move are many and varied – Business re-engineering, consolidation, mergers & acquisitions, lease breaks, lease expiry, adoption of New Ways of Working to name but a few.

The Move Management Consultant will consolidate the requirements, budget, drivers, and risks to define the business plan and therefore determine the Brief, manage and develop the Migration Strategy.This stage effectively defines the feasibility, costs and approvals process. Governance and audit trail are very important and it is necessary to identify key stake holders and decision makers, not just within FM, IT and Real-Estate but within the business itself.

 

The Migration Plan begins to take shape. Strategies are developed for IT (new kit or use existing, cabling upgrade or new telephony roll-out), Facilities (vending, security, car-parking, etc), Adjacency and business profile planning ensue and a building stack is developed. Some organisations carry-out detailed business questionnaires at this stage to determine if the space and facilities are meeting the needs of the organisation. This is an ideal time to challenge work patterns, meeting room sizes, and the approach to new technologies.
 

It is now the turn of FM and procurement to challenge the breadth of contractors and suppliers who are currently available to the project team. A blend of pro-active partners greatly supports the team ethos and implementation of the project. Effective tendering and careful analysis is required. Procurement focus greatly on price, which is important, but also it is necessary to have the right balance between personality, quality of vendor, experience and flexibility. The scope of the move can change quickly and in most cases what you price against and what you actually deliver tend to be very different.

 

Communication is the key to implementation. It is very important that all crews are briefed and understand fully what is expected of them, from health and safety, to travel routes, lift allocations, protection of materials and especially timings. Communication with your senior foremen and IT project manager needs to be open at all times. Regular briefings with your team during the move period are recommended. There is nothing worse than to have removals men waiting for IT, and vice versa. Make sure your schedule of work gives realistic amounts of time to all disciplines, and includes contingencies for last minute changes.

 

5 key steps to ensuring you are on your way?

Down-time means money and in today’s environment this is now more important than ever.

Upon completion of implementation and sign-off of the move, it is imperative to receive end-user feed-back through questionnaires and lessons learned exercises. The Move experience can and should always be looked to be improved upon, especially if there is a long series of planned moves in the pipeline. It takes time for teams to gel and they will also appreciate the opportunity to give their feed-back too.

Lastly I would suggest that feed-back is given to procurement, so that the next-time you are one step ahead when looking for the correct professionals to suit your organisation. What we do is about communication and education. Move Management is an industry in its own right and it is important that when the term is used, it is understood for what it truly represents.

www.thebgmgroup.com