Smart Move Management is the Key to Smooth Transitions

By Dave Clifton
Content Strategy Specialist
SpaceIQ

Even the simplest of office moves are complex, with more moving parts than meets the eye. It’s never about moving someone from Point A to Point B—it’s about making sure they’re able to work efficiently during and after the process. You need to consider the space they’re in, the space they’re moving to, and all the logistics involved between the two. Add in the many technological ties of the modern workplace and there’s no denying the need for smart move management software.

Moves aren’t big one-time endeavors anymore, either. Agile workplaces see dozens of moves each day—often as simple as someone carrying a laptop from one place to another. Even here, logistics play a role. You need to make sure there’s space available, find someone to fill the old space, and eliminate bottlenecks, logjams, and friction every time there’s a new change of scenery. Needless to say, smart move management tools are essential.

What is smart move management?

Move management is a self-explanatory concept: the broad planning and oversight of an office relocation. Smart move management involves software, insights, metrics, and reporting to ensure an office relocation goes as smoothly as possible, as quickly as possible. Here’s a look at what’s involved in smart move management:

• Floor plan visualization (old vs. new)
• Individual and group move task management
• Move scheduling and phasing
• Track asset and IT infrastructure moves
• Collaborate with stakeholders and leaders

These elements are the keys required to execute a swift, precise office move. They’re even more essential in smart buildings, where—beyond the physical demands of a move—digital relocation standards play a role in the success of a move. Smart move management ensures employees not only have a desk to sit down at, but that they can seamlessly get to work when they do.

Smart move management is integral for all moves—not only departmental or company-wide relocations. The ability to seamlessly move from workspace to workspace is just as important, which makes it vital to manage moves in agile workspaces with the same granular level of oversight.

Common features of smart move management software

The features that make move management software “smart” are the ones that enable proactive insight and optimization before the process takes off. Here’s a look at a few perks of smart software and how they facilitate better, quicker moves:

• Scenario planning: Rather than draw out dozens of floor plans to figure out what works, smart software can auto-generate floor plans using the parameters you give it. Each floor plan is open to manipulation, but facility managers have a start point to work from. Instead of dozens of iterations, it might only take a few to map out the ideal floor plan before a move.
• Employee and group management: Phased moves require a granular level of communication. Smart software provides it. Send messages to individuals, groups, or team leaders within move management software and attach checklists, floor plans, and context to provide direction mid-move—even when plans change. Best of all, you can automate the process by a broad assortment of variables.
• Sync up resources: Move management software integrations are powerful. Integrate the employee directory to automatically push updated locations. Integrate asset tracking beacons to track transit in real time. Integrate support ticketing to ensure IT hookups are done before employees move. Smart software has the power to facilitate everything with minimal human intervention.

The theme of smart move management software is automation, with accuracy in-mind. Move managers can automate tasks to remove human error from the process, so they can focus on the move from a top-down perspective. Smart software handles the nuts and bolts; facility managers handle the unforeseen and the immediate obstacles.

Hallmarks and benefits of a smart, streamlined relocation

A well-planned, well-executed move takes minimal time and has few-to-no errors associated with it. In a perfect move, employees pick up their things, move to a new space, sit down and get back to work. While it might never be that seamless, smart move management software and practices nevertheless strive for a frictionless result.

Benefits abound from better moves. Less time wasted means more uptime for the workforce, which reinforces the top line. Fewer bumps and setbacks keep employees calm and engaged, which can smooth the transition to a new work environment. Perfecting the art of a smooth move even opens the door to new desking concepts and workplace management philosophies, like hot desking, agile workspaces, breakout spaces, and other forms of flex work.

Make every move a frictionless one

Friction is the downfall of an agile office. You can’t have employees angrily tapping their foot as they wait for a space that should be available. Likewise, you can’t rearrange employees and expect them to acclimate to each new setting without providing a smooth transition. It’s smart move management software that takes these considerations into account and helps facility managers plan for them.

Real-time space availability. Space-specific IT integrations. Collaborative communication features. Smart move management software ties the physical and digital components of an upcoming move together, to ensure it’s handled with finesse. The ability to manage even granular details lubricates the process, removing even minor friction points that might otherwise affect the outcome.

Keep reading: Workplace Move Management Tips for a Smooth Relocation