Helpful Hints

The following checklist helps you and your staff to plan and prepare for the relocation of your office resources to your new site.

Prepare Your Destination Floor Plan

It is important that floor plans be prepared showing the position and floor level for all furniture and equipment at your new premises. Floor plans should use an allocated numbering system and colour coded labels to ensure the correct positioning of all items.

• Plan a place for everything to go.
• Will all your existing office resources fit your new office floor plan?

Planning Access

Parking Facilities

• Check for any height restrictions
• Are loading docks available for use?
• Is a police or council permit required for street parking?

Access to buildings and floors

• Are all doorways wide enough?
• Are the lifts big enough?
• Are there any acute angles in corridors?
• Are there any extremely heavy items (e.g safes) to be moved?
• Are there any extremely large items (e.g. compactors) to be moved?

What Lifts are Available?

• How many lifts are available?
• Are they available exclusively during your move?
• Do they have to be booked and who is responsible for booking them?

Provide Location Access

Please ensure that building supervisors and/or security have been made aware of the relocation and the dates. Also ensure that security, lifts and loading docks are booked at both your uplift and destination location. Chess will respond to the building supervisor's requests and confirm bookings, dates and times.

Location Supervisors

An authorised person from your company should be available and on site at both your origin and destination location able to make decisions on the relocation, to operate building security systems and provide access.

Plan Your Pre-packing

Chess will work with you to provide a tailor-made plan for the packing of all goods

• Identify what needs to be packed?
• What will your staff be responsible for?
• What will require packing by experts?
• Is there any sequential packing required for records, archives or libraries?

Labelling

To ensure correct placement at the proper location, all items to be relocated must be clearly labelled with the Chess supplied colour coded labels.

Label all items to match your destination floor plan. To ensure easy identification, labels are to be clearly visible and placed on sides of cartons, top corners of desks, the top front of filing and stationery cabinets, and on hard surfaces of chairs.

Preparation and packing

Desks, mobile pedestals, bookcases and stationery cabinets must be emptied completely and their contents packed in the Chess supplied cartons. Lock or tape doors and drawers closed.

Filing cabinets may be left un-emptied as follows:

4 drawer - empty the top 2 drawers
3 drawer - empty the top drawer
2 drawer - can remain full

Lock or tape filing cabinets to prevent opening during transport. To prevent damage to keys or locks, do not leave keys in cabinet locks but instead tape them to the surface of the cabinet.

Security Crates

Security crates can be used for packing of files and personal items. These crates are to be returned after use.

Personal Items

We recommend that personal items (e.g. photos, ornaments, money, lap-top computers, calculators, etc.) be transferred by your own staff.

Artworks

Framed pictures and charts should be labelled and left hanging. Chess staff will handle them with care and use special protective materials to ensure their protection.

Packing Cartons

Do not overfill packing cartons as this may cause damage to contents in transport. Ensure that the top flaps remain level when folded closed.

Packing cartons will be picked up by Chess after unpacking has been completed.

Office Equipment

Typewriters, calculators, desk lamps and other office resources should be disconnected from their power supply. Apply the colour coded labels to ensure placement at the proper location at your new office. Chess uses special packing cartons and techniques to ensure safe transport of these items.

Cardex & Floppy Disc Files

Make sure that lids of Cardex files and computer floppy disc cases are locked or taped before packing in cartons. Loose business cards and computer discs can be secured in bundles with rubber bands and packed in a shipping carton.

Photocopiers

Please ensure to advise your supplier/maintenance contractor of the removal date, as specialist preparation for transportation may be required. ie. detachment of collator section. Photocopiers and plan printers with liquid toner or powder must be emptied prior to removal.

Computers

Do not pack computer terminals, personal computers, typewriters or fax machines in cartons. These will be packed by our staff. Turn off the equipment at the main switch and unplug from mains power supply. Disconnect the keyboards, screens, printers. Cables for use with specific computer equipment are to be marked and placed accordingly.

Refrigerators

Empty, switch off and defrost refrigerators and drip trays the day before the relocation to prevent damage during transit from leakage.

Special Materials

Liquids such as inks, chemicals, duplicator fluids, pastes and glues should be sealed tightly to prevent leakage. Be sure to affix a 'fragile' sticker to the carton they are packed in. Hazardous materials e.g. toxins, poisons, pesticides and polishes cannot be accepted for transport and may void any insurance warranty.

Insurance

Transit insurance cover is not provided unless especially arranged. Chess recommends that transit insurance be taken and we can arrange for cover as required. Electrical derangement of electronic equipment such as computers, faxes, printers etc. will not be accepted, even on insured claims, without physical evidence of damage.