How to prepare for a factory relocation
Moving from one factory to another can be an incredibly stressful time. With the amount of work involved and ensuring everything goes smoothly. That’s why it’s always best to have support from experts in factory and machinery relocation like FESS. Not only that but understanding exactly how you should prepare for the move ahead of time will save you potentially serious problems further into the process. That’s why we’ve put together this guide detailing how you should get ready for a relocation and the steps involved.
Plan the logistics in advance
An industrial equipment relocation project is a big job that can’t be left until the last minute to organise. Planning well in advance, no matter how close or far the new factory will be beneficial for everyone involved. This planning will include a risk assessment to ensure the safety of the workers carrying out the move. The timescales and phases of how everything will be moved. So, the equipment is transported to the new facility quickly and efficiently with minimal risk of damage during transit.
Also, if you’re still going to be in production throughout the relocation will your workers be based in a temporary office or a different option? These are all important factors that you will need to consider during your planning stage. To make sure that every possible base is covered and you’re ready for anything unexpected that might occur. A fully thought out and detailed plan with plenty of time to implement it, will help your heavy machinery relocation go smoothly.
Communicate with your team
Given the sheer scale of a factory relocation and the number of moving parts involved. Having good communication with your team and anyone else who will be part of the move is key. There will be several people on hand to help with your relocation. HR, health and safety, and quality control teams are just a few examples. They all need to know exactly what their role is as well as what everyone else is doing to avoid confusion.
For example, if you haven’t communicated with your transport team early and they aren’t prepared on the day of your move. Not only will it delay the process overall, but also it will have an effect on everyone else who will be ready to carry out their role at a certain time and in a certain way. Clear communication with everyone who is part of the move will ensure that the plan you have put together stays on track. And any unnecessary problems or delays are easily avoided.
Document your machinery and be clear on what is being relocated
You will have a lot of machinery and industrial equipment in your factory. Therefore, when you’re planning a relocation it’s important to have documentation of exactly what you have and the condition it’s in. This is because you might decide on inspection of some equipment that it’s not in as good condition as you initially thought. So, you’d rather replace it with new machinery rather than going through the time and effort of moving it to the new facility. Only for it to break down shortly after.
When listing what machinery you have and what you’ll be moving to the new factory. Make sure you inform everyone in your team which equipment is going with you and what you will be getting rid of. If you don’t you might end up taking certain pieces of equipment that you wanted to leave behind and replace. This will be frustrating and have wasted time.
Make sure you know the layout of the new factory
As well as knowing what you’re taking, you also need to know where it will be installed once it arrives there. You have probably already visited the new factory plant before deciding it’s right for your business. But if it has been a little while since that time you might not be as familiar with the layout as you need to be for an effective relocation.
Try and create a drawing of the factory layout and plan where your machinery will fit in each area. This will allow you to optimise your space as much as possible. As well as confirm that all the equipment that you’re relocating can be easily installed. Certain machines might need special foundations to be fitted correctly. So, knowing where that can be positioned will make it easier and quicker to organise on the day.
Accommodate your operations and commitments
Relocating a factory can take quite a long time. Therefore, you need to know what will happen with your day-to-day operations and other commitments during this time. You’re still running a business and any lengthy downtime you have could significantly impact your profits and other key figures.
Be sure to inform any customers, suppliers, and any other stakeholders and shareholders in your business of the relocation. And ensure it is far enough in advance, so they know what to expect when you make the move.
Have a plan for what will happen with your operations while you’re moving and put in place any necessary contingencies. To guarantee the business isn’t negatively affected by the transition.
What mistakes should you avoid when planning a relocation?
Alongside knowing what you should be doing to prepare for a factory relocation. It’s also important to know some common mistakes that you need to avoid. These include but aren’t limited to:
- Not accurately reviewing your inventory. You don’t want to get to your new factory and find you don’t have enough supplies to start working.
- Forgetting to deal with any key issues or operational changes that might slow down relocation. You need to assess your requirements precisely to support each part of your operation in the new factory.
- Overlooking your budget. If you have a set budget for the relocation it’s important to stick to it or it could cause problems further down the line.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has given you a better insight into how you should be preparing for your factory relocation. At FESS, our factory setup consultants can help with the entire relocation process, from start to finish. This includes moving the equipment to the new factory and ensuring it is installed and operating as efficiently as possible once it’s there. Contact us today to discuss your factory and machinery relocation needs.