Warehouse Move Checklist 2022

Moving warehouse can be an extremely overwhelming and stressful time for many business owners. Without having the correct plan in place, delays can escalate quickly and prevent you from meeting your move-in deadline. 

Following our warehouse move checklist, you’ll decrease the likelihood of unwanted and unnecessary surprises that can cost you time and money. We’ve created a strategy to enable a stress-free and smooth transition into your new warehouse. 

Starting With a Plan and Timeline 

Firstly, creating a plan of action that coincides with a timeline is crucial. Going all in without any sort of plan or timeline will leave you with no structure, creating complications along the way.

You can easily underestimate the many small details it takes to move warehouse and oversight the realistic time it takes to complete a move of this size.

Below is a simple template to work from, adding and subtracting your own individual timeline and goal. This can always change too, with any setbacks on the way, or if you complete a task ahead of schedule. Keep in mind there are usually delays to any large move, so this timeline should be written in pencil to allow for modifications.

Is Moving Warehouse Necessary?

With any big decision, it’s always good to ask the simple questions. In the case of moving warehouse, it is good to sit down and run through the numbers and decide if it is worth moving. 

Many companies take the risk of moving warehouse without a thorough investigation into their own company. This can lead to disaster and can be easily avoided. A new warehouse can be enticing for some, the idea of upscaling and a new space to produce. However, sometimes you need to be realistic and make sure you’re making the correct business decision.

Take into account your future business. Are you committing a new product range that will need more storage or a faster workflow? The better and more thorough you plan, the easier and more efficient your move will be.

Here are some points to consider:

• Would more warehouse space improve production?
• Would moving warehouse create a revenue risk?
• Could I expand, or renovate my current warehouse?
• Will my employees be happy with a move?

Consult Local Authorities

This step is crucial when moving warehouse. For the safety of both your employees and business, you will want the new warehouse to be fully inspected by both fire and building inspectors to ensure the warehouse meets regulations. Making sure to have fire sprinklers, parking and escape routes, these inspectors will give you peace of mind that your warehouse meets the standards. 

Also, you’ll want to make sure that the warehouse permits are up to date and if there are any restrictions on the premises. You don’t want any unnecessary costs, so the quicker you get this done, the better it will be in the long run.

Consider the New Warehouse Height  

This is a great opportunity to expand your production and improve the workflow of your business. However, remember to inspect the height of the warehouse, to avoid making an error when it comes to business. 

An important factor is to give yourself more room than you currently need, this will give you room to expand if your business needs to increase too. Newer warehouses will give you more space, due to the upright beams being less close together. 

This may mean making a cleaner and more minimalistic warehouse by improving workflow and removing unwanted delays. Get some ideas from similar companies in your genre and test with different solutions. Speaking with your team is also a great way to improve productivity. They are on the front line and may have suggestions for ways to boost workflow.

 Things to think about with the new layout:

• Workflow
• Improve production
• Employee happiness
• Ergonomics
• Safety
• New equipment location

Can You Reuse Racking? 

It is easy to get attached to your current warehouse, so considering bringing some of it with you. When planning your move, think about saving some money and transfer your old racking to the new warehouse.

Or, if that isn’t possible with height or storage restrictions, have a business mind and sell your old racking. Your racking supplier may offer a deal in exchange for your old racking.  

Also, when you’re moving warehouses, it is a good idea to have a sort out of all your inventory. This can improve the speed of the transition by removing the transfer of obsolete equipment and inventory. You could save a lot of time and money by removing stock you don’t need anymore.

Researching Service Providers

When moving warehouse, it is easy to forget about your service providers. These play a huge part in the running of your company and can be overlooked. When planning your move, it is a good idea to research your current energy usage. When speaking to new service providers for your gas, water, electricity and internet, advise them of your needs. If you’re looking to upgrade your productions, then investigate your needs and quantities for new amounts.

Consider the first day of new production in your new warehouse and there is a lack of power. This could be detrimental to business and can cause huge delays. Make sure everything is up to speed and running before the first day in the new warehouse. This will give you peace of mind the new warehouse is ready to go.

Teamwork is Key

Keeping your employees involved in the warehouse move can be a great idea to boost morale and improve production rates. Your staff, customers and investors should all be made aware of the move and can contribute to suggestions for improvements. These key members of your business could have an opinion which you may have overlooked.

Also, your employees may be impacted by a new move. Even the shortest of moves can have an impact on their lives, whether that is a new route to work, or more time out of their day travelling.

Suppliers could now request higher fees based on your new location and production rates, also leading to an impact on delivery times. Consulting with customers and suppliers is critical too during before warehouse transition. Seeking feedback from as many people as possible is an easy way to research the benefits of your move. 

Every member of the team should be given updates and advised on the steps you’re taking when moving warehouse. When it comes to moving day, creating a stress-free environment will ensure staff will know where they need to be, as well as the new layout and possible new machinery.

Getting your staff involved not only gives them time to plan their new route but also boosts team morale too. They’ll feel a crucial part of the team and make their opinions feel wanted. Plus, their ideas might be both beneficial to the company and themselves. New meeting room or staff rooms could improve happiness around the workplace and make it a better place to work, increasing the likelihood of new talent wanting to work there.

Be Mindful of Product Damage and Theft

When products are being shipped to your new warehouse, it is key to remember that there may be some accidents along the way. You can reduce the risk of this happening by hiring a professional, renowned company when moving.

Another factor to keep an eye on is theft. Ensure you keep a track of all product numbers and supplies. When moving, it can be easy to lose produce, with items being on the move. Assign different products to different members of the team, giving them an important role in the warehouse move. Keep a keen eye on item inventory and ensure when a product is delivered, there is someone waiting for the delivery to avoid any suspicious activity. 

Also, when first moving into your new warehouse, security might be overlooked due to familiarity of your old warehouse. Make sure this is done before the move and that you have security in place. 

A good way to keep on top of your move is creating a checklist of days when deliveries are being made. Have an equipment checklist, along with a date and time. You can then be on top of the transfer and check on its status. Then, make sure to have a list of people you need to inform. It may be getting an engineer out to check a machine is working, or member of staff to test out the new layout.