By putting your move in the hands of an experienced commercial moving company, you will save time, money and stress. Qualified professional movers have the expertise to efficiently plan for your move and virtually any contingencies. Select Commercial Services has the industry and relevant legal knowledge, personnel, equipment, and loss coverage to legally, securely and efficiently handle everything from simple office moves to the relocation of data centers, warehouses, complex industrial plants and more.
This post should help you avoid self-proclaimed “moving companies” that may be soliciting your business for your upcoming commercial relocation project. If they are primarily focused on residential moves, or are a big national “we do it all” moving company, proceed with caution.
6 Things that distinguish a true commercial mover
1. An experienced upfront planning process
Planning is all about knowing what to do; how your move is probably going to play out; avoiding mistakes that cause business disruptions, schedule extensions, and cost overruns; getting everybody on the same page and committed to their roles in the process; having the right people, materials, and equipment at the ready on the right days at the right times; and much more. Only an experienced commercial mover can help you with all of that. Only an experienced commercial mover can help you be truly successful on any relocation project no matter how big or small.
2. Proper Packing and Crating: Leave it to the professionals!
Packing can add up to as much as one quarter of your moving expense. Yes, that’s a significant number. Packing and crating is not for the in-experienced. Improper packing and crating of your business’ physical assets will result in damaged assets which in turn results in spending more time and money than originally budgeted.
3. The right vehicles and equipment
It goes without saying that moving a manufacturing facility, industrial plant, warehouse, or data center requires special equipment and vehicles with the right capacities and capabilities. Disassembly and removal of assets in these kinds of moves often requires many atypical tools and specialized/expensive equipment (depending, of course, upon each individual situation). Only a professional commercial relocation company has the access to and operational skills needed to bring these critical tools and types of specialized equipment needed when the projects are large, complex and have unique custom equipment, machines and potentially hazardous materials to be moved.
4. Knowledge of the locality and laws
Local professional commercial moving companies are responsible to understand the local laws related to any special required permits required for your business relocation project, loading/unloading location rules, trucking laws required for the public roads, and laws related to the movement of and proper disposal of any hazardous materials. Need we say more?
Local professional commercial moving companies are also required to be thorough in planning their pickup/drop-off and loading/unloading areas. They should understand the best routes across town; in part because they should know the road systems, tunnels, bridges, road conditions, and active road construction projects. They should also carefully scope out the locations’ entrance and exit options relative to their vehicles and the mission at hand. Finally, it’s absolutely essential that their project managers and drivers demonstrate that they have the skills and a comprehensive plan to safely and legally transport your business assets from point A to point B for you.
5. Comprehensive well explained loss coverage programs
The safety of your physical business assets is of paramount concern to any professional commercial mover. Understanding their loss coverage liabilities is a critical responsibility for both parties. This not only provides you peace of mind, but helps you to avoid extremely unpleasant future interactions after the fact that come with a huge emotional toll, wasted time and money, damaged personal and professional reputations (on both sides!), and should be avoided by addressing the movers loss coverage liabilities upfront.
6. A professional Asset Management System
Asset management, broadly defined, refers to any “business process” + “software system” that monitors and maintains things of value to an entity or group. In the case of a commercial business moving project, which often includes temporary warehouse storage of certain assets, proper scan code labeling and categorized/detailed entry of all assets into an asset management software system is a must! Any Commercial relocation company that you hire must have a demonstrable, quality asset management system and use it.
