The success ofa corporate move is vital for any company, whatever its size or activity. Have you found new premises for your company and given notice to leave your current premises? And you've decided to call in a removal company to help you move your business. So now's the time to draw up your specifications and put out a call for tenders to find a mover. But apart from price, what other factors should you take into account when choosing a moving company? Here are a few tips and key points to bear in mind when choosing a moving company.
The challenges are :A company move is a complex project requiring a wide range of skills. In the preparatory phase, you must continue to manage the company's production while preparing teams for the change and organizing operations for D-Day.
The process can take several months and involve a number of service providers. For a successful business transfer, you'll probably need to call on :
To provide you with the best possible support during all these operations, the removal company you choose must have a global vision of your move. You need to be sure that your mover can advise you on the organization and engineering of your move as a whole. To achieve this, the service provider must have sufficient expertise to coordinate the various trades involved in the move.
Moving companies sometimes have integrated planning and consulting units, or can refer you to specialized partners to manage these operations. Think about this if you have particular needs concerning the organization of in-house operations, inventory-taking, layout plans and space planning... The coordination of the teams involved in the move is an important point that must be specified in your specifications and clearly addressed during your analysis of the bids.
When it comes to the physical phase of the move, you need to make sure that your mover has the know-how and the human and technical solutions to meet all your specific needs: very heavy objects such as safes, moving archives, going through a window if access is difficult, transporting fragile objects, taking care of computers, etc.
In certain professional sectors, such as industry, there are sometimes specific problems associated with transporting and handling machinery. On this point, your business move specifications must be as precise as possible, to enable the removal company to identify as many of the constraints associated with your business move as possible. You should be able to rely on the mover's expertise to complete your request if necessary.
To best meet your expectations, Les Gentlemen du déménagement uses the AFNOR NF X 50-815 standard to respond to a call for tenders. This is a reference for drawing up specifications and technical solutions for corporate removals activities. Don't hesitate to consult it when drawing up your specifications.
In addition to the AFNOR NF X 50-815 standard, specific to the specifications and technical aspects of the move, you may also be interested in the company's general quality certifications when choosing your mover. Requiring the implementation of stringent procedures, they are a guarantee of professionalism on the part of those involved.
These include :
Your company mover's membership of the Association Française du Déménagement d'Entreprise (AFDE) is also an important selection criterion. In partnership with industry professionals and "end users", AFDE has drawn up a specific quality charter for its affiliates.
When it comes to relocating a company, it's important to note that you can't choose a removal company on the basis of a single written response to your specifications. The removal company must first visit your current and future premises, so that it can identify the challenges of the move and its precise constraints. This is the sine qua non for the company to meet your expectations. You can take advantage of this preliminary meeting with a company manager to find out more about the moving company's resources (fleet of vehicles, hoists, transport of bulky loads and parts, etc.) and experience. Don't hesitate to ask for references in your area, and check with the companies you're moving to make sure they're running smoothly. You can also take the opportunity to ask specific questions about certain aspects of the move: for example, raise the question of parking if you're located in a densely populated urban area.
For a diagnosis of your project, don't hesitate to contact Les Gentlemen du déménagement. Established throughout France, our group comprises 76 independent removal companies capable of meeting your business relocation needs anywhere in France, as well as internationally.