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OFFICE RELOCATION, COMMUNICATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning, communication, designation of responsibilities, and the implementation of these, are key to bringing about the successful relocation of your facilities. Proper instruction of employees designating exactly who will be responsible for fulfilling key roles in the relocation process are vital to assuring that your move will be completed in a smooth, well-coordinated manner. We can coordinate with you to identify the key areas that need to be addressed and conduct a pre-move employee orientation seminar to get all involved familiar with the process.

Certified Van Service, Inc. will take an active role in the communication process. Employees must realize they have a key role in your office relocation. Cooperation is essential to meeting limited time schedules. The ultimate responsibility lies with the Move Coordinator and company supervisors for continuing direction and steering the project to a successful completion. We believe that the goals of any commercial relocation should be to get business back to usual in the shortest period of time with the least amount of disruption, utilizing the most efficient means possible, while keeping an eye on containing costs to a reasonable level.

Responsibility begins with each employee packing and marking items within his/her own work area. Desks, chairs, office equipment, wastebaskets, etc., must be tagged for identification. Certified Van Service, Inc. will provide all boxes and tags necessary for marking and identification purposes.

Other suggestions minimizing disruption in office routines:

  • Employees should discard unneeded items. Shipping them only adds to
    costs. Most employees can dispose of one or two full cartons. Each employee will be provided with color-coded labels and tags for use in packing his/her office possessions. All have a tag or label. It is recommended that labels and tags be affixed to the side of the carton, not the top.
  • The department Move Coordinator is responsible for seeing that all items are labeled and tagged. Any item not labeled will not be moved. All office effects will be moved by number, according to the Move Coordinator’s master plan, not the employee’s name.
  • To save space, you may wish to have employees coordinate packing with
    those who will be working with them in the new office.
  • Desks and credenzas to be moved should be emptied prior to loading time. Each employee is responsible for emptying or arranging the removal of books, papers, letters and other desktop items (pack all contents in cartons and color-tag with numbers corresponding to the desk number). Drawers should then be locked and all keys kept by the supervisors.
  • Secretaries and typists with carriage typewriters should leave typewriter
    carriages locked and centered. Electric cords should be taped to the office
    machine.
  • Cartons and wrapping paper provided by Certified Van Service should
    be kept on hand for packing standard-size items and bulk-storage
    materials.
  • Pictures, lamps, typewriters, bookcases, open files, libraries, etc.,
    normally will be packed and unpacked by the mover. Each department
    should be prepared to empty any stationary cabinets, as they usually are
    not recommended to be moved with contents.
  • Traditionally, movers contract to move only company property. Movers
    are not liable for loss of personal property. If you need containers for
    personal property, they can be provided by the mover.
  • Electric calculators may be transported personally or wrapped well and
    included in a carton with desk contents. Many times, calculators over 12"
    (or a pre-agreed size) will be packed by the mover.
  • Hanging pictures and maps may be packed by the employee or the mover.
    Affixed items must be removed by company servicemen or the employee.
    In either case, pictures and maps to be shipped must be tagged.
  • Atlas recommends file cabinets and contents be left intact when the
    cabinets to be moved are conventional cabinets (not lateral files). If cabinets are bolted together to form a bank, remove the bolts. Internal drawer plates should be tightened to hold contents in place. Leave it to your mover to do the packing and unpacking when necessary. If you decide to pack lateral files, label all cartons appropriately (being sure to tag banks of files in their proper sequence).Small plants should be transferred personally. Special arrangements can be made to transfer larger plants. Movers are not responsible for the safe transportation of plants.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

I. GENERAL PREPARATION

CERTIFIED VAN SERVICE, INC., WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

  • Pack artwork and glass tops in rolling picture bins. Glass tops may be
    crated, as necessary.
  • Bubble-wrap and move CRT’s, printers, typewriters, and other delicate
    equipment.
  • Disassemble and reassemble any free-standing furniture which cannot be
    safely moved intact (secretarial desks, conference tables, etc.).
  • Move supply shelving, central file shelving, library shelving and steel
    shelving. Will be responsible for all signage/plaques at destination.
  • Move all vertical files loaded with contents.
  • Move all metal 2 drawer lateral files load with contents.
  • Move all specified large lateral files loaded with contents. (5 drawer laterals, bottom 2 drawers only full.)
  • Provide special cardboard and/or microfoam protection for grease boards, presentation boards, specified executive furniture and conference table tops.
  • Suggest a coding system using colors, numbers and letters to facilitate placing cartons and furniture in the new offices.
  • Provide training for your Move Coordinators on proper labeling, packing and preparation procedures. A Letter of Instruction will be provided for distribution to all employees outlining what they will be responsible for individually.
  • Confirm with the building management all matters arranged by you relating to move in/out policies, move-date reservations, permits and any other special requirements. Each building has their own policies regarding moving, including moving hours, elevator and dock restrictions, etc. Certified will advise building management of our requirement for exclusive use of elevators and dock areas. However, should it become necessary to move without exclusive use of elevators and dock areas for any reason, the cost of your move will be based on the actual time and materials used to complete the move.
  • Conduct move according to move schedule.
  • Dispose of used moving boxes and miscellaneous materials after the move. This service will be performed on a 1-time basis at no charge.
  • Obtain and maintain any necessary permits, franchises, licenses, or other
    lawful authority required or reflecting the removal, handling and other services to be performed.
  • Acquaint ourselves with the premises in relation to the use of trades to insure there is no jurisdictional dispute and/or work stoppage.
  • Provide comprehensive automobile liability and property damage
    insurance covering the use of motor vehicles with limits of bodily injury -
    $1,000,000 per person and property damage of $1,000,000. (See attached.)
  • Provide all vehicles, dollies, and any other equipment needed to execute move and will also provide any special containers for miscellaneous and electronic equipment.
  • Furnish certificate of insurance in an amount that satisfies the building owners' specifications as well as providing proof of Workmen's compensation coverage. (See sample attached.)
  • Will be responsible for all mechanical work, such as bolting and unbolting
    lateral files and vertical files. Files will be leveled at destination. (Optional.)
  • Transport all vertical filing equipment upright. (These files can go loaded.)

CUSTOMER WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

  • Arrange with building management all matters relating to move in/out policies, move date reservations, permits and any other special
    requirements.
  • Pack the contents of offices, cubicles, bookcases, storage cabinets and any loose materials into cartons or onto carts (unless packing services are requested of the carrier).
  • Pack all common area contents. (Mover can perform as option.)
  • Move miscellaneous personal items: small plants, knick-knacks, small
    pictures and plaques.
  • Pack or move lamps, sculptures and miscellaneous fragile items.
  • Implement an identification coding system with assistance from Certified Van Service, Inc.'s personnel.
  • Have diagrams placed at each office or work station in the new office showing the desired placement of furniture items in relation to doors, walls and windows.
  • Arrange with vendors for servicing and preparation of all electronic equipment, copiers, etc. Certified Van Service cannot be responsible for any damage resulting from equipment that is not properly serviced for moving.
  • Coordinate with vendors for servicing and preparation of all electronic equipment, such as Xerox (copiers), main-frame computers, vending machines, coffee system, and other items. If you desire Certified Van Service, Inc. to move any such items, additional charges will be quoted to you upon request and will apply.
  • Disconnect and reconnect all computer hookups (ie: park hard drives, put disks in disc drives, prepare for moving).

II. LATERAL FILE MOVES

CERTIFIED VAN SERVICE, INC. WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

  • Set all specified lateral file cabinets on steel dollies, strap them to the dollies and move them to your new offices.
  • Set and place all lateral files in their designated locations.
  • Level all banks of file cabinets (optional).

III. PRIMARY OFFICE MOVE

CERTIFIED VAN SERVICE, INC. WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

  • Move all specified furniture, cartons and electronics from your origin building to the destination building.
  • Place all specified furniture, cartons, electronics and storage in the new offices according to their diagrammed locations one time.
  • Reshuffle miscellaneous furniture and cartons in the new offices. (Optional not included in bid price.)
  • Provide a crew on the first work day following your move to rearrange miscellaneous items, remove empty cartons and assist your employees in returning to normal business operations. This service is optional and is not included in our pricing section. During weekend and overtime hours, this service is subject to a four hour minimum. (Optional.).
  • Arrange for disassembly, moving and re-assembly of supply shelving, central file shelving, library shelving and steel shelving.
  • Pack microfilm files and shelves.
  • Arrange for vendor disassemble bulletin boards, grease boards, presentation boards, maps and miscellaneous wall-mounted items. (Optional.)
  • Close and tape the tops of all boxes in your office.
  • Breakdown moving boxes after the move and stage them for removal by moving company personnel.
  • Provide move coordinators for both the origin and destination building during all move phases.
  • Provide emergency phone numbers for elevator repairmen during weekend and after business hour moves.

IV. BUILDING PROTECTION

CERTIFIED VAN SERVICE, INC. WILL DO FOLLOWING:

  • Provide building protection, including masonite flooring, door pads and door jam pads at origin and destination.
  • Protect elevator cabs when property management does not have protective pads.
  • Protect applicable walls, corners and columns at both origin and destination.
  • Certified Van Service will take every reasonable precaution to prevent damages to your office space and common areas in your building. However, where damages may result form other contractors, such as painters, finishers, or other workers contracted by you or the property management and cannot be directly attributed to Certified Van Service, Certified’s maximum liability will be limited proportionately.

V. CARRIER LIABILITY

The carrier's standard liability for loss or damage to items moved is limited to $.30 per pound per article. This is a limited liability based upon weight, not the value of any items being moved. Should you elect to establish with the carrier a liability based upon the value of the items being moved, please advise our representative. Should you elect to declare the value of your shipment, the charges will be $7.00 per $1000 declared on a lump sum declaration basis.


VI CARRIER QUALIFICATIONS


A list of current references is attached for your review. These references each represent major relocations that Certified Van Service has completed.

The company has been in business for over sixty years. We own a large fleet of straight trucks and tractor trailers, all of which are designed for moving furniture and equipment. We maintain an extensive inventory of moving equipment, including dollies, masonite, machine movers, panel carts, pads and bins. Physically, the company is well prepared to handle your move.

As one of the largest movers in the metropolitan area we maintain a large staff of qualified, experienced movers to insure that your goods will be handled properly, efficiently and damage free. The crews are fully supervised and quite capable of completing their assignments in a timely and courteous manner.

Management assigned to your move by this company will be based upon the requirements of your move. We have two project managers available, each with over 25 years experience. In addition we have three move supervisors on staff with average length of service in excess of 15 years. We are confident that we can put together the team of professionals that will be required to make your relocation a success!