Category Archives: Case Study

The Project

In 2017, Johnsons were awarded the Move Management of University College London’s Charles Bell House Services. The services encompassed taking full responsibility for the planning and management of the relocation of approximately 205 people from several locations across the UCL Estate to the newly refurbished Charles Bell House Building (CBH) including:

• Initial intensive fact-finding and familiarisation and confirmation of numbers and phasing
• Setting up and running relocation project meetings dealing specifically with the move
• Development of the full migration schedule, including requirements for any dual operation during the relocation period
• Developing and running a comprehensive staff communications programme
• Detailed planning work to capture the full detail of all laboratory equipment, samples and hazardous materials to relocate
• Liaison with UCL ISD to co-ordinate the relocation of servers, IT equipment and telephony
• Filing audits and reduction programme
• Procurement of and overall management of any further removal contractor(s) and management of thereafter
• Full site supervision during the relocation period
• ‘Day 1’ onsite assistance to ensure staff settle in post-move (where ‘Day 1’ refers to a team’s first day of operation in the new facility; onsite moves assistance will be provided throughout the period of dual operation).

Controlling the Project

To maintain control of the project, our Project Manager was required to develop a full migration strategy and move programme, which was continually reviewed throughout the scope of works, and in addition, developed and agreed relocation strategies and contingency plans for all items being relocated.

The management of the project was carried out in accordance with best practice, including drafting and updating of the following documents:

1.A Project Control Plan:
2.A Move Schedule detailing each occupancy and move phase
3.Relocation Project Business Continuity Plan, Risk Assessments and Risk Log
4.Project Risk and Hazard Log,
5.Preparation of Monthly Highlight Reports to include move management progress, cost status, anticipated changes, approvals and outstanding actions
6.Project Move Cost Plan, showing costs associated with all aspects of fulfilling the relocation.

Controlling Timescales and Ensuring a Positive Delivery

Due to the tight timescales of the project, our Project Manager submitted a list of key elements which we felt would provide us with the best knowledge and preparation for a successful project. These suggestions were taken on board by the University and during our pre-move meetings, were agreed to and ultimately proved to play a large factor in our efficacious completion of the project. These included:

• Prioritising and obtaining what OEMs were required for the project and securing their costs and services. Within the laboratory in The Cruciform Building, there was a certain amount of laboratory equipment (mainly analytical) that needed a variety of OEM technicians to complete decommissioning and recommissioning/recalibration work. Due to the time of the year that phase 1 relocations took place, we knew from experience that lead times for booking in OEM technicians can sometimes be in the region of 6 – 10 weeks.
• We provided a support Move Manager in our proposed delivery structure to work on the project as and when required. With the initial intensive fact-finding stage of the project planning key to moving the project forward, we looked to (if required) put our support Move Manager on site to assist the lead Move Manager with obtaining all necessary information for the relevant sub-contractors/key stakeholders to be engaged and managed.
• We engaged early with the lead UCL Project Manager and Construction Manager to understand the handover programme of the new building; whether this is all at the same time or if certain areas are released over a staggered period within each phase. This allowed us to understand any constraints when designing the delivery phase programme.
• Involved our in-house DGSA early in the process, which allowed us to highlight key specialist project risks and legal requirements for road transport. These were then built in the scope of work requirements for specialist/removal contractors to tender on within their required scope of works.

Services

• Project Move Management
• Chemical Transfers
• Scientific equipment relocation
• Decom/Recom specialist equipment
• Pack/ relocate/ unpack of general filing and paperwork crates and boxes

The Project

Following a successful tender submission, Johnsons Business Moves were awarded the opportunity to undertake the move management project at the University of Hertfordshire. This included of the relocation of; their Science Laboratory and teaching equipment, comprising of specialist equipment from the University’s existing science facilities to the New Science Building being constructed on another part of the campus.

The project was split into two phases; phase one we relocated approximately 35% of all items and phase two we relocated approximately 65% of the remaining items. Due to the split, we provided seven days of pre-planning to ensure all parties were aware of their responsibilities. Successful communication between ourselves, the University and additional contractors on site (Electricians, Gas Engineers and Specialist Equipment Engineers) was paramount for ensuring the project took place in accordance with the specification and all safety requirements.

Chemical Relocation

Johnsons provided 5 days of chemical moves with a fully qualified Chemical Technician and provided ADR Qualified Drivers. We moved over 6,000 different chemicals, making it one of the biggest chemical relocation’s we have carried out.

Challenges

With this project carrying a high element of risk in terms of the chemicals being decanted, the high value of the science apparatus and the sheer volume of equipment being relocated, during our site visits, we identified and collated a number of potential hazards which could prove to be problematic should they occur. We worked closely with the University and created a risk register which highlighted mitigation put in to place. These were monitored by the Project Move Manager, Johnsons’ QHSE Manager and the University throughout, ensuring the works were being carried out in accordance with the agreed methods.

Also included in the project:

• 2 days post move assistance per phase immediately after each phase was completed
• Crate hire including coloured labels to identify where items are to be placed
• Cages throughout the physical relocation days for larger items that wouldn’t fit in a crate
• IT crates for small desk top laboratory and IT equipment
• Safe protection, packing, transfer and unpacking of all specialist items
• Dedicated packing team for lab and office effects

The Result

The Project Move Manager provided a second to none service to the University. The professionalism of his team, their communication skills and integrity ensured all works were carried out on time.

The running of this project proved to be so successful that the University have requested an agreement to be drawn up between ourselves and them, for future works on site.

Services

• Move management
• Multi-phase relocation between buildings
• Chemical, instrument and equipment relocation
• Pre and post move assistance
• Provision of crate hire
• Furniture and IT equipment relocation
• IT decommission and recommission

The Project

Natural Resource Wales provided the opportunity for a removals company to relocate their Llanelli laboratory to their new, purpose built £xxx site in Swansea. Johnsons were presented this opportunity and carried out the project for them from December 2016 to February 2017.

Overview

A research study showed the Llanelli Laboratory site was deemed to be unsuitable for future development of the analytical service. Therefore, a bespoke laboratory relocation, full operational and project management services were required to effect a smooth transition to the new Faraday Building, Singleton Campus at Swansea University, with minimum business critical downtime.

Categories of items included in this move encompass:

• Instrumentation
• Cold Chain Materials
• Dangerous goods / chemicals (including reagents)
• General lab consumables
• Office Equipment, furniture, IT and associated office items (files etc.)
• Data (hard copy files)

Critical Success Factors

• Preventing unauthorised access to the site throughout the period of the contract.
• Prevent any interruption of the services supplies to the surrounding building at any time throughout the period of the contract.
• Preventing any disturbance or interruption to the normal operations of the existing buildings in use at any time throughout the period of the contract.
• Ensuring that all components required for the project were delivered to and installed within the project.

The Result

By providing a flexible and dynamic approach to this programme and providing Natural Resource Wales with a dedicated Move Management team from project inception through to completion, we were able to manage changes accordingly and still complete the project within the required time frame, with as little disruption to the workforce as possible. The post-move team were on site to complete a snags during their workforce’s first day back in, but were met with little issues.

Services

40 x Days Project Management, inclusive of:

• Fortnightly Meetings from Instruction – 8 days
• Validation Period – 4 days
• Pre-pack -3 days
• Moving period – 12 days
• Programme Management & managed – 8 days
• Belgium pre- move visits – 4 days
• Validity of furniture for disposal and sale – 1 day

• Validation and finalisation of the asset list to be transported
• Pack/unpack disconnected IT
• Labelling strategy for the relocation
• Design and provision of 14 x specialist Novak wooden crates and 74 x IT crates for the protection of IT and certain specialist items in Analytical and Coatings areas.
• Provision of 325 x plastic lidded crates which will be packed and unpacked for the items stored in cupboards throughout the departments
• Relocation of 4 x 18 ton loads of items and equipment from Knowlsey to Ghent

The Project

In June 2017, Johnsons undertook a major laboratory relocation from Knowsley to Ghent, Belgium for Eastman Chemicals. The project involved relocating a high number of complex, sensitive and valuable laboratory and testing equipment.

Following a number of site visits and meetings with the project team at Eastman, we believed the key to a successful relocation was the provision of an experienced Project Manager who understood the relocation process as well as being able to programme multiple elements of the relocation in to the overall programme. Our dedicated Project Manager therefore provided a strong support function to the team and was able to lead the relocation to a successful delivery.

The high level project management included verification of assets being relocated, management and design of the relocation programme, management of subcontractors involved in the relocation and control of costs in line with the budget. We based the project management allocation on:

• Management and costs associated with the technical decommission and recommission of the Analytical departments equipment as listed.
• Packing, crating, relocating and unpacking of the Analytical and Coatings departments, including specialist attention of the Omissions Chamber. This was wrapped in anti-static bubble and received a shrink wrap finish, all displays were covered in card, the unit was the provided sponge profiles on each corner and finally everything was held into place by a final layer of shrink wrap.

• Schedule for the physical relocation to be in two phases. One phase estimated at taking six days from start of collection to delivery and one phase over seven days with the heavy specialist plastics machinery being relocated at the same time as one of the two main phases and taking approximately four days from start of collection to delivery.
• We also included a day for a pre-preparation crew who prepped the bespoke Novak crates and delivered the materials and specialist equipment such as scissor lifts and stair walkers to site.

Specialist Equipment

The specialist equipment being relocation included:

• Specialist heavy services for the relocation of the below items to Ghent.
• 1 x Demag Injection Moulding machine: 4.3m x 1.43m x 1.853m – 4500kgs.
• 1 x Dryer: 1.0m x 0.6m x 1.9m – approx. 400kgs.
• Hoppers for Dryer: 1.8m x 0.7m x 1.6m – 200kgs.
• 1 x Dryer: 1.4m x 1.0m x 1.9m – approx. 400kgs.
• Hoppers for Dryer: 2.8m x 1.0m x 1.8m – approx. 300kgs.
• 1 x CNC Router: 1.6m x 1.65m x 1.45m – approx. 1000kgs.

In addition to the above, we provided Eastman’s with a team for handling the unwanted furniture from the offices, admin area, boardroom and meeting rooms and, due to overseas chemical transfers being subject to very strict regulations, an audit of the MSDS chemical list and quantities, ensuring we worked within all European regulations.

The Result

Due to providing a dedicated Project Manager and Project Team on this project, we were able to condense the programme in to fewer days than originally planned, without any negative effect on the quality of service delivery.