News/Blog

This particular Customer Chain success story all started with one phone call into our All American Relocation office just before the end of 2012. The call came from a local Construction Contractor that we have an existing relationship with. The Contractor was hired by a local Property Management company to up-fit a 40,000 sq ft space in an office building. We met with the contractor and were introduced to the Building Maintenance Supervisor.

The tenant company that occupied the space had moved a few days earlier (we did not provide that service). Because of our relationship and skill set, we were asked to quote on moving out 45 modular work stations to fully clear the space. We were also told that it needed to happen on a Saturday with only two days notice. The property managers were clueless about what to do with the 45 stations after removal so the Construction Contractor hired us to dispose of them...Win#1: Got the disposal contract. Yeah!

Our crews arrived on time Saturday morning and I got a text message from the owner of the Construction Company who informed me there was more product that had to be moved out other than the 45 stations…Win#2: More to move? Yeah! I was able to meet with them and the Property Mgmt group that morning to discuss the additional scope of work and to help formulate a plan and costs to remove the remaining product so that there was no delay in the construction schedule.

The moving company that was hired to move the office contents for the tenant was from out of state. They sent their own crews to do the job but could not finish. The property Management Company got us in contact with the tenant who was very discouraged with the performance of their moving company. After speaking with them further, we got the OK and moved the remaining items to their new location as well as provided some installation of keyboard trays, conference tables and white boards…Win #3: Do we do installation services? Yeah!

One week later the Maintenance Supervisor with the Property Mgmt Company called us to provide 5 UMC containers for storage of light fixtures in our warehouse for 4 months….Win #4: Storage too? Yeah!

The tenant (who is a nationally based company) was VERY pleased with the services we provided on the fly. They shared that they have other sites around the country that will need the same services. This is where the Commercial Relocation Network can extend the Customer Chain and strengthen your existing customer relationships. When I explained to them how CRN works they were very interested in allowing us to begin partnering with them…Win#5: More projects for us and all CRN members across the country? Yeah!

Bottom line was that we were able to create additional All American Relocation customers in the chain and other sources of revenue by taking care of their various needs. These local projects brought new visibility to CRN and hopefully will create new customers for other members of our CRN group in the near future…Yeah!

Brett Plummer

All American Relocation \ Office Solutions, North Carolina

A 6 year member of CRN, Jack is the general manager of Planes Companies which has an annual commercial revenue of $2.5 million. Jack was born and raised in Ohio and lives there with his wife of 18 years, Tracy and their two children, Eric (17) and Kendall (14). When asked to name the person who helped get him where he is today, he answers, "Simple answer, my wife. Anyone who can be there in the support role that she plays is my hero."

After 12 years in the commercial moving industry Jack is most proud of building successful productive teams while growing revenue and developing partnering relationships across the country. Being creative is a regular affair. "We don't sell widgets," he says. "Nearly every solution is tailored toward customer situations."

What does he like most about being a member of CRN? "Developing relationships and relying on those relationships to deliver the best solutions for our customers."

Communication is an integral part of any project.  Office moving projects are no different.   There are many activities that need to occur before the project begins.  Communication is vital during these activities and if not done effectively can create significant roadblocks throughout the office move project.   During the office move, we believe it is essential for you to have an open line of communication between you and your staff and between you and your office mover.

During your move, your office mover should consult with you on planning, communication, action items and processes through the sales process and consultation.  Additionally, your office mover should provide an office move coordinator who is available via phone or email at any time to answer questions, eliminate anxiety and handle short fuse needs directly with our office moving operations department.  These are the types of activities and services that members of the Commercial Relocation Network provide to their clients on a regular basis.

Commercial Relocation Network (CRN) is a group of office movers from around the country that work together to service our clients needing office moving and provide support to one another.  CRN is comprised of the best of the best office movers around the United States.  Not all moving companies are office moving companies.

As a member of the CRN, we share with each other our experiences and processes, as well as best practices.  This enables us to help each other provide top quality office moving for our clients and use the knowledge of others to get office moves done faster, better and for a better value.  Look for a member of CRN near you for next office move!

For a guaranteed reputable office mover, talk with a member of the Commercial Relocation Network (CRN) and set your mind at ease.

David Rushing
All American Relocation, Inc.
5433 Wyoming Avenue
Charlotte, NC  28273

One of the most common mistakes made in planning for an office relocation is not starting the process early enough. Too many organizations wait until the last minute to contract with a relocation company. Truth be told, the earlier you start the process, the greater chance the project will be successful on all levels.

Commercial Relocation Network members will work with you to establish a realistic dollar amount that your organization will be investing into the moving services portion of the project so that you don’t have to deal with last minute negotiations / change orders.

CRN members want to become part of your project team. The more time that we have available to help plan, coordinate and assist on the front-end, makes all the difference on move day. Our members will work with you to help implement a detailed move plan / schedule that will limit the amount of employee downtime, conduct employee meetings on the move process, identify non-essential items that could be moved ahead of time, help coordinate loading dock & freight elevator times, help with the decommission and / or sale of old furniture / workstations, etc.

Remember, your CRN member is a resource not just a vendor.

Doug Haas
Parks Moving and Storage
740 Commonwealth Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15086

Commercial Relocation Network members are dedicated to the green initiative and at our yearly meetings have been brain storming ideas to make the office moving process more sustainable. Ideas from using eco-friendly materials to bio-diesel to liquidation of excess items to the most important and yet simplest is to organize your company’s relocation as early as possible.

Begin the process with identifying items that do not need to be moved, you can save money and time by de-clutting prior to your office relocation. Excess office furniture can be repurposed to many donation sources for use by a needy family or if good enough condition they could sell for some green for their charity. Office liquidators can buy large lots of furniture in good condition working with you to determine a reasonable purchase price and inventory. Lastly recycle broken metal file cabinets and old files that can be shredded. Your CRN member has a long list of companies that specialize each of these areas and can assist you in keeping items from the landfill.

A common error is throwing out computer equipment which contains hazardous materials and is illegal to toss into the trash. CRN members can arrange the recycle of old technology, document the destruction of that hard drive or that old monitor that is out dated.
Starting with what is used to pack up the items for your office relocation renting the moving crates for the files and office contents helps eliminate the waste of the traditional cardboard carton. Made from recycled plastics to the crates are more secure ( lockable) and most hold at least 21/2 cartons worth of material. The cardboard cartons and move protection is something the mover can recycle and save from dumping into already full landfills.

Commercial Relocation Network members can assist you in the most important solution for saving green ! Preplanning the relocation process can help focus your efforts to identify excess furniture, files to be shredded or the store room of old computers. Next is to conduct packing instructional meeting with the office mover so all employees properly utilize packing materials and not be wasteful, not only saving rental costs but labor costs by moving less thereby saving lots of green cash.

Start working as soon as possible with your CRN member to accomplish the most sustainable move possible and an organized move will also save your company the most important green – DOLLARS ! Don’t wait till the lease is signed or construction is done be proactive and get your office mover involved early to help you organize the office relocation.

Ed Kucab
Director of Commercial Relocations
www.kingofficeusa.com
KING OFFICE SERVICES

We are all taught at an early age to plan ahead. We learned clichés, such as “The Early Bird, gets the worm!”, or “A teaspoon of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The essence of what we were being taught is that when it comes to most anything; being prepared, and starting early are recipes for success for accomplishing a goal. If one applies that logic to an office relocation project; then the message would be: Be prepared and start early.

Be prepared sounds easy enough; however, in the ever changing environment of relocation project that is not the case. The reality of any project is that there will be unexpected challenges that can and will arise. If the project manager (team) have prepared well enough, then these can be overcome and the project can stay on schedule. The best way to overcome the unexpected challenges is to identify as many possible pitfalls that could arise, so that you can prepare for them; thereby reducing the amount of unexpected surprises, throughout the project. This is done by establishing your move team, very early in the process, and discussing the project in detail. Most people are NOT moving experts. Most people have been involved in an office move, but they are not professional movers. Their perspective is therefore limited, and their ability to identify potential challenges, will also be limited.

Often times the mover is one of the last vendors contracted, on a project. It is easy to understand why that is the case, if you study the chronological time line of an office relocation. Let’s examine that time line, and when the team members are usually brought on board.

Real Estate Broker- Usually the first person that is contracted. He/she is needed to assist with the acquisition of the new office location, and they assist with the lease and build out negotiation with the landlord.

Architect- This is usually the second vendor that is contracted, as they will work with the client to determine their needs for space, office design-layout and assist with the overall plan.

General Construction Contractor- This is usually the third vendor contracted, in this process. They are usually the vendor that helps to establish the budget for the build out. Often times the client has a number they would like to achieve, but the GC will know the current market costs for the design that the client and the architect have created. It is now the GC’s responsibility to complete the project within that budget.

Furniture Dealer- At this point, it is very common for the client to request the help of a furniture dealer, to purchase new and/or used furniture for the new space. The furniture is a large part of the design; often times the architect will already have had some discussions with a few dealers, to create the design. At this point one must be chosen, to implement that design. Additionally, as furniture requires a great deal of ‘lead time’, when placing an order; it is important to get the order placed in time to maintain the project time line.

As we look at the vendors who have joined the team, we notice that mover has yet to be contracted. If we realize that these vendors have been contracted six to twelve months, prior to the move, this seems to make sense. The project managers are contracting vendors that are critical to maintaining the schedule for the project. What would be the advantage to contracting the mover, this early in the process? Remember what we learned as children? “A teaspoon of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. If a moving company is brought into the process early, they can assist with identifying areas of inefficiency and assist with reducing the overall cost of the project. Since these are professionals, they will be able to identify the unexpected challenges that could arise with this particular project and suggest methods to address them, before they arise. It is always less expensive; both in time and money, for a problem to be identified early, so a proper plan can be put in place to address that issue, in the most efficient manner. The issues that arise unexpectedly are always the most costly. If the mover is brought on board with the team, early in the process, it allows the client the ability to take advantage of their expertise in these matters. Additionally, most of the time the client has the benefit of receiving the best pricing for the moving services, as they secured that vendor well in advance. Done early enough, the client can take bids from qualified, properly vetted vendors; who will compete for the business. If the mover becomes an ‘after thought’, and their services are requested late in the process. The client’s own schedule becomes their worst enemy. Movers know that the client must choose whatever company has the capacity in their schedule, rather than the most qualified company to perform the task. Price and quality become less of a disqualifier to potential vendors; not to mention the loss of the ability for the mover to identify ways to make the project more efficient.

It seems simple enough to most of us to think that if we purchase a plane ticket two days before departure that it will be more expensive than if we purchased it two months before departure. The premise being since the airline doesn’t need to fill the last seat or two (in order for that plane to be profitable), they can keep the pricing at its highest level. The consumer has lost their leverage in this case. However; if the consumer purchases that ticket two months prior to the flight, the airline will offer its best pricing, as it is still trying to achieve profitability for that flight. The consumer has leverage in this case. Additionally, once the flight is purchased, then the rest of the trip can be arranged. The other aspects of that trip will also be cheaper, as they can be purchased early as well. Items such as; hotel, rental car, airport transportation and parking, etc. All of these items can be purchased at the best pricing because of proper planning. These same principles apply to hiring a moving company.

So when planning your next office relocation, and establishing your time line for the project; remember “the early bird, gets the worm.” Build your entire team as early as possible, and allow them to help you have the highest level of success.

Dave LeRoux
Vice President
Armstrong Relocation & Companies
13855 Westfair East Drive
Houston, TX 77041

How can changes within the commercial moving industry impact my office move?

Moving, as with most industries, has evolved over the years.  Generally speaking the basics haven’t and won’t change.  Movers move things from point A to point B.  The changes have come in the expansion of services that movers offer.  These days you will find that the best commercial movers in your market offer a lot more than just moving your office goods from point A to point B.  Your moving vendor should be your moving partner and a resource for you for all your relocation project management needs.  You may have the traditional move scope of work (“SOW”) nailed down tight (which employee offices need to be packed? Who needs a cubicle?) but still have some questions on furniture reconfiguration, computer disconnect/connect, art hanging, final cleaning of your current space…or even how to best get rid of your unwanted furniture items for recycle or disposal.

If you choose the right mover, they can help!  Now finding that mover is the next step and sometimes a challenging one - but there is good news!  The Commercial Relocation Network (CRN) has done the leg work for you.  Click here now to search for a CRN office mover in your area.

What is CRN and how can it help me with my commercial relocation project?

CRN is an evolving group made up of the best of the best commercial movers from each geographical market.  You may have used brand-X in the past in one market but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best brand to fit your needs in the other markets where you have office moving needs.  CRN hand selects the best fit in each market across the major brands to ensure the highest level of service and peace of mind for you.  The CRN website has an easy to use agent locator and we always encourage clients to do their homework by checking with their local BBB’s (Better Business Bureaus) and asking for referrals or other industry references.

Brandon Stephens
Dirks Moving Logistics Real Estate
www.Dircks.com

So you have to move your office. What do you do now? You call several companies and if you get a return call, you try to explain to them what you are trying to accomplish. The movers come out and do a walkthrough. Half of them come back with a proposal the way they see it and not necessarily the way that you will have the least amount down time for your business.

Now you are more confused because you have heard several different proposals and ideas, and you are trying to sort out what will work.

At this point most buyers start with the cheapest bid price. They forget what they are trying to accomplish. By then you are taking a huge risk by choosing the cheapest price versus loss of productivity of your business.

It is hard to put a price on good service until the company you hire doesn’t provide it. This is why if you use a Commercial Relocation Network or (CRN) representative anywhere in the country you can expect predictable, dependable service on every move. Most CRN clients care more about service than price because to them loss of productivity in their business is not an option.

No move ever goes more smoothly than it’s planned. Workplace and commercial facility moves and services that involve no delays, no problems and no down time start with exhaustively detailed planning. There’s no other way. That’s why your CRN expert is the key to your success. CRN representatives are problem avoiders, not problem solvers. They are experts in planning a seamless relocation.

To be a member of CRN you must be recommended by a current member, and you and your company must perform at the highest level to stay in the group. These are personal relationships developed over time within the group based on trust and performance. The members in the CRN group are usually the most successful companies in their respective markets. This is why it’s very important you understand what you are paying for in the move bid you have accepted.

Downtime, lost revenue, and angry bosses are just a few of the results of a poorly managed commercial move. Don’t trust your commercial relocation to just any mover. There are questions you should know the answers to before selecting a commercial mover.
Using a member of CRN means it’s a representative of a moving company that you can depend on to have the best process. You need the best people to move your organization from one location to the other with a minimum of interruption to your operation, at a cost that represents true value.

Some helpful points that you should be looking for from your moving company are:
Do you have a detailed relocation plan that outlines manpower requirements and a timing and workflow analysis needed to successfully accomplish the relocation? Successful commercial moves are about planning. If your mover can’t provide evidence of a detailed planning process, be wary.
How many relocations of this size has the company done and can they provide a list of current satisfied customers? Check their credentials!

What is your qualification process for hiring employees? See if they put new hires through drug screen tests and background checks. Companies with a rigorous qualification process hire the most competent employees.

What type of insurance coverage does your company carry? Companies who carry the maximum insurance coverage will not be a liability to your company if something were to happen on the job.

What experience do they have in handling sensitive electronic equipment, including PCs and servers? Look for companies with specific experience moving critical IT equipment.

Have them describe their experience in handling modular furniture. It takes product knowledge to efficiently break down and put up modular furniture configurations. Look for detailed responses that provide clear evidence of that knowledge.

What post-move services do they provide? Post move services are usually defined in a detailed relocation plan. Look for companies that work with you even after the move to assure that you and your employees are 100% satisfied.

Your CRN member has the experience and expertise to guide clients through the moving process with a minimum of interruption to their businesses.

“When you provide solutions, you separate yourself from everyone else out there. Experience is the key to providing the right solutions and avoiding problems on a relocation.”

THE CRN organization from top to bottom is committed to exceeding our customers’ expectations. When it comes to office or industrial moving, less than perfect is a failure. To reduce your risk, choose a highly experienced professional office mover from the CRN roster and let them show you the CRN difference.

Chris Hovde
Director of Commercial Sales
Daryl Flood Logistics, Austin TX
450 Airline Dr., Suite 100 Coppell, Texas 75019
Visit us at: www.darylflood.com

A CRN member for 9 years, Dan has spent 17 years in the commercial moving business and understands the importance of always striving to do his best. Having made "a lot of mistakes" over the years, as we all do, he also understands the power of the CRN organization. He says, "We as CRN members need to constantly take what we know, what we’ve learned and get that experience into the hands and minds of the people we are surrounded with. We preach that we are the best and we need to always back that up."

Dan especially appreciates the ability to reach out and lean on CRN members when he needs help and to rely on the collective experience and knowledge of this group of professionals.

Dan is particularly proud of an office re-stack that involved moving a large group of engineers. With much of the office personnel having 2-3 computers each, there was much to do. The catch - it was a job that should have taken up to a month but had to be done in one weekend. Dan's first job was, of course, to convince the client that his firm was up to the challenge, something he did by including in the contract many repercussions if they didn't get the job done on schedule.

Dan lives in Ohio with his two awesome sons, aged 10 & 12, who keep him busy with football, baseball and basketball. His children are the reason he does what he does and are the two people who help him to continue to do his job better and better. He prides himself on his traveling leads. and works hard to stay on top of what is new. Dan says, "I do everything I can to make sure my crew knows what I know. I am fortunate enough to be able to go out and work projects with the crews and am constantly amazed at what I learn from my crew. Empower people with a task and they will always try to find a better way to accomplish the given task."

Movers provide many levels of service for any type of commercial relocation. The level you select depends on what move related task your company will handle on your own. Below are just a few items to think about when moving your office or business.

Packing materials & moving supplies
Your company will need to decide if you are going to provide your own packing boxes or crates. In most cases the commercial mover will have an ample supply of boxes or plastic moving crates. Moving companies packing material rates are usually very reasonably priced. Plastic moving crates are a rental item and we rent them on a per week basis. All movers provide many office moving supplies like shrink-wrap, bubble wrap, numbered security ties, tape, and many other items. Movers can also provide rental library carts if you have a large file system or library. If you have servers or a data room that is relocating we furnish special rental data carts. Your CRN (Commercial Relocation Network) representative in your respected market can help guide you on your many packing material choices.

Packing and unpacking service
These two services (packing and unpacking) can be done in several available options. Full packing and unpacking service of all areas in your current space, partial packing and unpacking of common areas, or specialty items packing and unpacking. Whether you choose to do this yourself or if you would like the moving company to perform this service is a decision that should be made prior to the move.

Disconnect and reconnect of computers and printers
IMS Relocation and other members of the CRN network have data crews that can disconnect and reconnect your electronics. Even if your company has a qualified IT department your company should consider having the mover do the disconnect and reconnect of electronics. During a move your companies IT people can be very busy setting up the new network and troubleshooting the many network associated issues that arise.

Hang wall mount artwork, mirrors, whiteboards and electronics.
On any office move you will have several rooms like conference rooms, common area halls, and individual offices that will need to have relocated items hung on the wall. You need to decide if your company will take care of that or if you would like the moving company mount the items following the relocation. Normally the mover can provide you with a quote once you provide them with the number of pieces that will need to be mounted.

Some other move related items to consider are modular furniture planning, furniture cleaning, coverage during transit, final clean-up of old space and a smooth set crew following the move.

These are just a few of the many things that need to be considered the next time your company is considering a relocation. Through IMS Relocation or any of the CRN members be assured that you have many different services available when it comes to your commercial move.

By: Chad Harris; Office and Industrial Relocation Sales at IMS Relocation.