Industrial Relocation Planning: 3 Major Mistakes to Avoid

Introduction to Industrial Relocation Planning

There’s no commercial move more complex than relocating an industrial facility. It’s a process that could involve not only moving office space but also production lines, heavy machinery and sensitive equipment that requires clean room services. The sheer scale of an industrial plant relocation makes it more challenging than most other types of commercial moves. 

Given all of the details that are involved with moving to a new location, it’s easy to make mistakes during the relocation process that can cost the business a lot of time and money. We’re here to help you avoid those mistakes. 

The team at Able Machinery Movers has planned out and executed a number of industrial plant relocations over the years. We’ve had to come up with solutions to overcome plenty of mistakes. We’re sharing those solutions for three common mistakes that businesses can avoid when they know what to watch out for.

Why Proper Industrial Relocation Planning Matters

Relocating manufacturing facility assets is a process that requires a lot of planning. It’s not just a matter of making sure everything is safely moved. Industrial relocation planning is needed to also minimize costly downtime. 

Just one day of downtime for an industrial plant can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Extended downtime can quickly lead to decreased worker productivity and throw production schedules completely off. It can also have a negative impact on customer commitment, testing the loyalty of even the best customers who rely on a reliable supplier. 

Proper planning is absolutely essential for an industrial relocation. However, creating a detailed relocation plan for an industrial facility requires a combination of expertise. It takes the facility operators collaborating with experienced industrial movers to get everything relocated safely and as efficiently as possible. 

When this expertise comes together proper planning is possible and the mistakes below can be avoided.

Mistake #1 – Inadequate Pre-Move Preparations

Importance of Early Preparation in Relocating a Manufacturing Facility

With any type of commercial move, you want to give yourself ample time to prepare because of the business logistics. For industrial plant relocations you want to give yourself even more time to get everything prepared before you start disassembling equipment.

In addition to minimizing the impact on production, an industrial relocation often requires special permits and careful auditing. Time is needed to ensure you stay in compliance when you’re relocating a manufacturing facility or plant. You may also need to do site prep at the new facility before equipment can be moved in. 

There are many things that have to be lined up well in advance for industrial plant relocations. It’s even possible that the move will need to happen in phases, which takes more coordination. 

You want to give yourself at least a year to prepare for an industrial plant relocation. In most cases, 12-18 months is ideal, especially when relocating a large facility with a lot of complex machinery. 

Aligning Timelines for Seamless Production Line Relocation

Another pre-move preparation that often gets overlooked or underestimated is the importance of aligning timelines. Many people will be impacted by the relocation or will be a part of the process. You need time to align the timelines of:

• Internal teams and departments
• Vendors 
• Contractors
• Transporters
• Customers

Failing to sync up the timelines will lead to a loss in productivity in both the plant’s production and the relocation. Inevitably, the loss in productivity leads to excess production downtime. 

Mistake #2 – Underestimating Equipment Logistics

Handling Heavy Machinery and Specialized Equipment

When machinery is up and running it may seem like it’s an indestructible piece of equipment. Professional machinery movers like Able know not to be fooled by workhorse heavy machinery. 

The machinery may be big and heavy, but it’s also delicate. Moving this type of equipment takes a specialized team that understands the precise handling logistics to avoid costly damage and accidents. Moving heavy machinery can involve:

• Rigging and lifting equipment
• Heavy duty cranes
• Oversized flatbeds or transport vehicles
• Specialized tools for disassembly and reassembly
• Coordinating with machinery manufacturers
• Special training 
• Clean room services

Arranging to have the necessary equipment and manpower in place takes time. It helps to work with a company like Able Machinery Movers that has already assembled a crew of riggers, transporters and machinists that can be brought on to any project at any time. 

Avoiding Downtime With Efficient Production Line Relocation

The production line is the productivity hub of an industrial plant. When the production line is down the whole operation can be affected. During a production line relocation downtime is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be excessive.

Contingency Plans the Prevent Downtime

There needs to be a contingency plan in place for handling delays and disruptions that could be encountered to prevent extended downtime. It takes a keen understanding of the equipment logistics to predict what could possibly go wrong and how to handle it in the most efficient way possible. 

Invest in Backup Inventory as a Buffer

When a plant is relocating it’s not just output that can be disrupted. Sourcing materials that are used by the factory can also be disrupted and cause problems post-move. One way around this is to invest in backup inventory that acts as a buffer when operations aren’t running like normal. 

Transport Logistical Factors That Can Reduce Downtime

Transport is another factor that can lead to extra production line downtime if you aren’t careful. You need to select the right transport vehicle for the job that you are confident can handle the heavy load safely. 

Communication among the transporters and moving crew is also key. You want to make sure everything arrives on time as expected or it could cause significant delays at the new facility. 

Mistake #3 – Ignoring Compliance and Safety Regulations

OSHA and Other Compliance Requirements for Relocating Manufacturing Facilities

Something that you will never see Able Machinery Movers do is ignore compliance and safety regulations in an effort to speed up the relocation process. We’re professionals that understand the importance of keeping our crew and facility workers safe at all times. From a liability and productivity perspective, it’s also critical for the facility operators and owners as well.

It’s so important OSHA has established regulations for relocating manufacturing facilities to minimize safety risks. Anyone who violates the regulations will face steep fines and legal penalties. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also sets regulations for manufacturing moves, and there could be industry-specific regulations established by regulatory bodies.

There are also regulations requiring how heavy machinery is transported. From the trucks that are used to the weight of the load, certain requirements must be met to move machinery. And the regulations change depending on whether you are moving within a single state or crossing state lines. 

The best thing facility operators can do is hire a moving company with an exemplary safety record that has properly trained its crew. That way they are up-to-date on the latest regulations and requirements.

Appointing a safety officer on your end is another way to ensure you remain in compliance during the relocation. They’ll be the ones checking on certifications and researching the compliance requirements that must be followed. It’s a task that’s so important it requires accountability and due diligence on your part. 

Safety Precautions During an Industrial Relocation

Following safety regulations is really the bare minimum, and it doesn’t really help you figure out how to ensure the regulations are followed. Maintaining safety at a facility with industrial operations is a continuous process that begins in the planning phase.  

Early on in the planning phase it’s important to: 

• Identify any potential hazards and how to mitigate them by walking the facility.
• Assign safety officers to the relocation project.
• Ensure the proper personal protection equipment is on hand at all times.
• Provide safety training for personnel and teams.
• Assess equipment with visual inspections and analyzing maintenance records.

Communication is also extremely important for maintaining safety. The safety officers, relocation planners and facility operators should all be in regular contact to make sure all of the safety precautions are taken.

Tips for Successfully Relocating a Manufacturing Facility

Now that we’ve gone over the essentials of relocating a manufacturing plant safely and efficiently, let’s take a look at some of the finer details that make the process go smoothly.

Setting Realistic Budgets for Production Line Relocation

An industrial relocation is going to be expensive, but by now it’s already been determined that moving the facility is what’s best for business. Budgeting for a complex relocation can be challenging because of how many tasks are involved, the need for specialized services and the long duration of the project. 

Setting an accurate budget for a production line relocation will actually help you better prepare and avoid unexpected costs that you didn’t account for but must be covered. This is another advantage of working with experienced machinery movers. They can help you budget better by identifying costs you aren’t aware exist.  

Experienced movers can also help you save money by circumventing issues that lead to extra costs. For example, they can help you analyze the floorplan of the new manufacturing plant or a warehouse layout to figure out the most efficient way to move machinery around using more affordable equipment. 

Professional movers can also provide information about the cost of equipment transport and the labor required for the relocation. They will have much more accurate information that applies specifically to your relocation.

Something you’ll need to factor in and calculate accurately is the cost of downtime. Take the time to figure out the cost of downtime for a day. Then work with your movers to determine how many days will be required for equipment disassembly, transport and reassembling the equipment at the new location.

Involving Key Stakeholders Early

Stakeholders are often busy people that know how to delegate tasks to others. That said, key team members should be involved in the relocation process early and often. Involving operations managers, project managers, facility managers and equipment maintenance managers from the beginning helps:

• Establish lines of communication
• Assign responsibility for different aspects of the project
• Ensures good coordination all around

These individuals will be in contact with key members of the moving team that are responsible for managing the relocation on their end. 

Choosing the Right Partners for Industrial Relocation

Why Hire Experts for Plant Relocation Services

As mentioned earlier, enlisting the help of experienced movers like Able makes a factory or plant relocation go much smoother and can even help you budget better to save money and avoid downtime. Something else to consider is the time that’s involved in planning and managing a large-scale industrial relocation. 

Most facility operators and project managers are busy people that already have a full-time job. Managing a relocation is something that must be done in addition to regular operations. In truth, it can actually make managing the daily operations and keeping production on track more challenging, especially as you get closer to the relocation date when things are going to be disrupted. 

Having a moving partner with project management expertise for this type of project is the support you need to get it all done as efficiently and safely as possible. They can make the relocation their full focus so that nothing is overlooked or not given the attention it needs.

What to Look for in a Machinery Moving Partner

Finding the right machinery moving partners for a facility, plant or warehouse relocation mostly comes down to three things: 

Experience

The experience that professional movers have is a key factor in ensuring everything goes smoothly and there’s minimal disruption. Experience goes beyond the years that the company has been in business. You’ll want to make sure the movers have experience within your industry, moving the type of equipment your facility uses and handling large-scale projects. 

Certifications

Professional movers that invest the time to earn certifications are the people you want to work with. Look for safety certifications as well as certifications for training and equipment operation. 

Equipment

Moving heavy machinery requires a lot of specialized equipment that can be difficult to source for some movers. Moving companies that have their own equipment is ideal since they will have complete control over its availability. The fleet of vehicles is included here since moving oversize production plant machinery requires certain types of flatbeds and trucks.

Creating a Customized Relocation Plan

Developing a Detailed Project Timeline

Something that can be done in the planning phase to help everyone coordinate and keep on track is a detailed project timeline. Setting a realistic timeline is important since it will set the pace and help establish the order in which tasks need to be done. Things you can do to create a realistic timeline for your relocation include:

• Conducting a complete inventory of your facility.
• Doing a detailed assessment of the equipment.
• Determining if new equipment needs to be acquired.
• Mapping the layout of the new location.
• Establishing who the key players are and their responsibilities. 
• Identifying potential delays.  

If you already have a move date in mind you can also use this to create a timeline, working back from that date. It serves as a deadline of sorts for when everything needs to be done. However, keep in mind that because an industrial plant relocation is a long-term project the move date may change during the process. 

Setting Milestones for Smooth Transitions

Relocating an industrial plant is a huge undertaking. As with any large, long-term project, it helps to break things down into multiple milestones that you’ll hit along the way. This makes the process much more manageable, helps keep the project on schedule and helps you track progress. 

Contact Us for Expert Industrial Relocation Planning

Able Machinery Movers is a true partner throughout the entire industrial relocation planning process. We bring over 67 years of experience to every relocation project. We’ve worked with clients in many different industries to provide everything from relocating a single piece of machinery within a facility to full factory and plant relocations that require transport over many miles. 

Get the industrial relocation planning off to the right start with a free consultation and quote from Able Machinery Movers. It’s a no-risk way of getting a better idea of the cost and scope of your particular plant relocation.