What Does Relocation Project Management Actually Include? A Phase-by-Phase Breakdown

Are you considering hiring a project manager for your corporate relocation but wondering what you actually get for your money? Are you unclear on what happens before, during, and after the move itself?

These are common questions. Project management can sound vague until you understand what it looks like in practice. The reality is that a good project manager is involved from start to finish, handling details you may not even know to think about.

I am Joseph Plott, Supervisor of the Logistics Administration group at Interstate. I help coordinate between sales and operations on the full scope of every project, from start to finish. I have worked on easily over 500 relocations and installations, from something as simple as shipping a few plaques for the US Marine Corps to coordinating multi-week band tours across the country and furnishing entire hotel and apartment buildings.

In this article, I will walk you through exactly what project management includes at each phase of a relocation: the planning work that happens before anyone touches a piece of furniture, what on-site supervision actually looks like during the move, how we coordinate with other vendors, and what happens after everything is delivered. By the end, you will have a clear picture of what you are paying for.

Phase 1: Planning (Before the Move Starts)

Project management starts well before anyone shows up with a truck. The planning phase is where we set the foundation for a smooth move, and it looks different depending on the type and size of the project.

How far in advance do we get involved?

Whether the project is big or small, a few weeks ahead of time is ideal. That gives us time for pre-job meetings and calls to discuss the plan. For a huge relocation, like a full building or multiple floors, we are probably looking at over a month in advance. That way we can really solidify the plan before the first piece is touched.

What happens during the planning phase?

The specifics depend on the job, but here is what planning typically includes:

• Site surveys. We walk the site to make sure we have a plan for where all the product is going. This is especially important for FF&E projects where we need to know exactly where everything will be placed.
• Inventory tracking. For projects where product ships into our warehouse before the move, we track everything that comes in to make sure it matches what was planned or what we were notified about. Then we develop a plan to get it out once it is received.
• Pre-job meetings. For large-scale relocations, we hold multiple pre-job meetings to make sure our team, the client’s team, and anyone else involved is on the same page. Nobody should be surprised by the way we are doing anything.
• Coordination calls and emails. A lot of planning is simply communication. Calls, emails, making sure everyone knows the schedule and the plan. For large moves, you often have old stuff on site being relocated while new product is shipping into the warehouse. It is a whole jumble of “this needs to go there at this point” and “this needs to be moved at that time.” Everyone needs to be on the same page.

The project manager is involved in all of this. They attend the pre-job meetings, participate in call discussions, and pipe up when they notice something where they can offer value, whether that is a suggestion, a concern, or expertise from past projects.

Phase 2: Execution (Move Day Itself)

We do not just handle planning. We also oversee the actual execution. On move day, assuming it was planned for the project manager to be on site, they are there for the whole day or a partial day depending on how long the job is and whether they have other projects to check on.

What does on-site supervision actually look like?

Here is what a project manager is doing hour by hour on a typical move day:

Morning huddle. The project manager gathers the crew and the contacts on site for what we call a huddle. They talk through the plan for that day. If it is the first day of the job, they will briefly go over the weekly plan to make sure everyone is on the same page. This is especially important because the client contact is not always going to be on site the full day. They might show up in the morning, confirm everything looks good, and then head out because they have other obligations. The huddle gives them confidence that we have it handled.

Shadowing the crew. Once the move starts, the project manager almost shadows the crew, making sure everything is going smoothly. As things are moving, they check to see if tasks are being completed on time, if items have been moved as planned, and if anything is getting missed.

Working as the “broom.” One of our PMs described it this way: they work behind the crew almost like a broom, sweeping up anything that might have been missed and making sure everything is in motion according to the plan.

Handling last-minute changes. If the client is on site and wants to switch something up, that goes through the PM. They confirm whether it works, whether it does not work, or whether we need to handle it another day. Any last-minute changes are managed through the project manager while they are on site.

Phase 3: Coordinating Multiple Vendors

On larger projects, there are often multiple vendors involved beyond just our moving crew. Managing all of those different parties is a key part of what project management includes.

What does vendor coordination look like?

We have had large projects where other moving companies were on site handling a different floor, and we had to share the freight elevator with them. That kind of coordination has to happen beforehand. We talk to the site contact, the building managers, anyone who knows what is going on in the building. We make sure we are not overstepping on anyone or getting in the way of other people working on site.

A lot of times there will be electricians or different types of techs working in certain rooms. We are advised to move around them if they are in the way, or ideally we wait until they are done before we move anything in that section. All of this is communicated beforehand. We ask those questions ahead of time: Will there be electricians on site? Will there be other movers? We make sure our crew does not get in the way, and vice versa.

A real example: 

We do FF&E deliveries for coffee shop installations inside grocery stores and pharmacies. We deliver the appliances, equipment, and casework goods into the store, but the installers are working at their own pace. A lot of times we are delivering 15-plus pallets of product, and there is only so much space on site. These installers can only work so fast.

That is a good example of working with other people. Things can change on site. We just have to make sure we are all in communication and okay with adjusting the plan, like delivering to an outside storage unit if the inside is not ready yet.

Phase 4: Post-Move Support

Project management does not end when everything is delivered. Large projects often include post-move services and material pickups.

Material delivery and pickup. 

Before a job starts, we often deliver packing materials if it is going to be an internal relocation or building-to-building move. That way the client’s employees can pack up their own things, so when we arrive, everything is ready to move. Some clients opt to handle packing themselves to save on costs.

Once the job is finished, we go back to pick up the crates, boxes, and dollies that were used. They have had the materials for a week or so, they have unpacked everything at the new site, and now there is just a bunch of empty crates in a room. We pick those up.

Post-move cleanup and adjustments. 

We also offer post-move services to clean things up after the initial delivery. Once everything is in place, the employees and client have had time to adjust and settle in. Sometimes they realize they do not need certain items that were delivered from the old building. We will pick those up and dispose of them if that is what they are requesting.

Artwork hanging and final touches. 

Another common post-move service is hanging artwork. Clients often want to move everything on the ground first, maybe shuffle some things themselves, and then have us come back to hang everything on the walls. That final touch is often part of the post-move phase.

Project Management Services at a Glance

How Project Management Scales to Fit Your Project

Not every project needs the same level of involvement. The scope of project management scales to fit what you are doing.

Small projects: For something simple, like shipping a few items, the planning might be as simple as a few emails. I can talk to the client the day before, iron out all the details, and we are good to go.

Large projects: For a big project, like furnishing an entire hotel or apartment building with tens of thousands of pounds of product, you are looking at weeks of planning. We have to plan how to load the truck properly so we know what comes off first. We have to coordinate with the client to make sure the rooms are ready for delivery, whether that is the ballroom or individual guest rooms. That takes a lot of PM hours.

Conclusion

Project management for a corporate relocation is not just one thing. It is a full lifecycle of services: planning before the move, supervision during the move, coordination with other vendors, and support after everything is delivered.

What you get depends on what your project needs. A small move might require just a few emails and a day of oversight. A large, complex project might require a month of planning, multiple pre-job meetings, dedicated on-site supervision, and post-move services to wrap everything up.

The goal is always the same: make sure the move goes smoothly and nobody is surprised by anything. We talk to you the whole time to keep you on the same page, and we are there to handle the details you may not even know to think about.

If you are planning a relocation and want to understand what project management would look like for your specific situation, reach out and we will walk you through it.