For any seller of goods, a warehouse is the lifeblood of operations, it’s the central hub where production materials, manufacturing equipment and the final product is usually stored. As businesses grow or contract, maintaining supply chain effectiveness means the number and/or location of the warehouses will also change. So, when the time comes for a business to relocate it can be an extremely daunting task to undertake, with many risks that must be accounted for.
Before the move
- Plan, plan and plan some more. Analyse your future operations and what they may demand, optimise your new warehouse space by mapping it out and allocating space accordingly. It’s important visualise what your future operations might look like so that can create a more efficient in the future. Having expert help can also be a bonus at this stage
- Don’t waste time, space and money on obsolete inventory. You’re already sorting your inventory for the move, so why not take advantage of this and dispose of, give away or sell off some of it that’s no longer of value. If you don’t, you’ll just be taking up useful space at the new location and the cost of relocating these resources will far outweigh the value obtained from keeping them. This is a time to declutter and reassess your needs.
- Review the contract, permits and relevant regulations. Understand all the details in your purchase/leasing agreement, you don’t want to dedicate all of this effort and capital, just to mix up dates and be forced to reschedule, leading to business downtime. Additionally, not having the correct paperwork in order may also result in stalling the moving process, so be sure to reach out to the relevant bodies and confirm that you’re fine to proceed.
- Communication! Once your plan is settled and everything is approved, it must be communicated with your staff, customers and any other external parties who might be directly affected. If you cannot afford any downtime, then there must be processes/facilities in place to ensure that your staff can continue operations throughout the move.
The move
It might seem cheaper and easier to go it alone but use the experts and save yourself the pain!
Just the thought of moving a warehouse can be stressful, the thought of undertaking that exercise alone, without the guidance, manpower and support of relocation experts is extremely daunting.
Even before the moving stage, you should consult with movers to help you plan and assess what exactly is required to get your inventory and equipment to the new location. At Yellow Express we’ll work with you to develop a strategy that will optimise the move, basing it around your schedule whether that means its during business hours or after hours. We know business downtime is a killer, by planning and working with you we’ll deliver an efficient move that minimises any impact on your operations.
Need to move warehouse? Speak to us today.