MovePlan has held a master service agreement with one of the US East Coast’s leading research and higher education facilities since 2017. As a partner of choice for its laboratory moves, MovePlan has relocated over 1,200 staff, 5,300 assets and specialty equipment and been responsible for engaging with over 140 research labs / principal investigators, 80 different specialty equipment vendors (OEMs), and high-value assets.
Relocation of the university’s science building
The first project with the university was also the largest to date: a multidisciplinary site encompassing neuroscience and molecular biology research, comprising 16 stories and 365,000 square feet, including 10 floors of open and adaptable laboratory space.
The work undertaken covered all the laboratories used for education and research purposes, including wet labs. The careful removal and storage of equipment and samples is critical and the MovePlan team is highly experienced in moving not only sensitive, irreplaceable samples, but also high tech equipment, including incubators and freezers, with some newer and more specialised equipment costing over $1M alone. Both require focused planning to ensure items are kept at the correct temperature at all times.
MovePlan has overseen a number of the lab moves. Every laboratory move is unique and faces a number of challenges which require careful scheduling around the removal of individual items.
The move needs to take place in phases to ensure equipment is disconnected and reconnected in the right sequence, all the while managing a high number of vendors responsible for each piece of equipment. At any one time, there can be upwards of 50 movers and specialist vendors on site. It quickly becomes a very complex operation.
Lab employees at the heart of all planning
It is paramount that the lab employees are consulted throughout all stages of any move. Most of the research being conducted in the labs has saved or is working to save many lives, so the smooth transition allows for their critical work to continue with as minimal disruption as possible.
Often the biggest challenge with lab moves is making sure the researchers are comfortable and trust the MovePlan team to handle their equipment and samples in a safe way. Some researchers may not have moved from their labs in decades, with their work residing in the same facility for over 20 years. Many of the samples are irreplaceable and impossible to replicate.
MovePlan places strong emphasis on collaboration throughout the process, developing tailored strategies for the safe relocation of critical items. For every single lab move, dedicated time is taken to meet with each lab group to understand their concerns and develop a plan that directly addresses them.
Careful planning leads to successful outcomes
The MovePlan team also aligns itself closely with vendors and suppliers from the outset of any project, many of which have technical support teams that are not local (some travel from Europe) and require advanced scheduling.
Once a move is underway, delays are not an option.The planning phase is carefully managed to ensure a smooth relocation and successful outcome—not only for the lab technicians, faculty members, and the lab equipment—but also for the many hundreds of samples that are handled during each project.
This level of planning can be the difference between a research project succeeding or failing, which places significant importance on MovePlan’s role.
To date, the MovePlan team has completed 15 relocation projects for this client. The relationship continues to grow, with MovePlan providing ongoing support across a variety of relocation needs.
