Audit Wales is the public sector audit and inspection body in Wales, UK, responsible for ensuring effective and efficient use of public funds by conducting financial audits, performance audits, and offering advice to improve governance and performance of public bodies.
Requirements
Audit Wales would be moving from its existing offices in Cathedral Road in Cardiff to new premises at One Capital Quarter, in Cardiff. The new office would provide them with a more modern, cost-effective and environmentally friendly workspace, reflecting its adoption of hybrid working, and reducing both its costs and carbon footprint.
To achieve minimal downtime, Audit Wales needed a highly experienced removal contractor with a large depth of resources, capable of completing such a large move project in a single weekend.
The successful Contractor would be required to undertake the pre-planning, packing, management, coordination, and supervision of the end-to-end process for the moves from initial engagement with all necessary stakeholders, both internal and external, and would require the relocation of general office items, including:
- PC screens and ancillary equipment
- Crates
- Storage cabinets and shelving units
- Office furniture such as desks and chairs
- Sundries and peripheral goods
Solution
Pickfords organised a preliminary meeting involving representatives from Audit Wales, the Pickfords Contract Manager, and the on-site Pickfords Move Manager tasked with overseeing the move's execution.
Before the relocation, comprehensive pre-move support was provided, encompassing detailed planning and scheduling, along with arrangements for meetings, delivery objectives, stakeholder involvement, and communication protocols.
The Pickfords Contract Manager collaborated with stakeholders from Audit Wales to plan the office move, conduct site assessments, identify potential risks, and ensure compliance with health and safety standards.
A highly experienced Move Manager was selected by Pickfords to supervise the entire moving process, including packing, coordination, management, and oversight.
Given the significant volume of items to be relocated within a condensed timeframe over a single weekend, Pickfords mobilised resources from their Cardiff, Bristol, and Gloucester depots to complete the task.
Additionally, Pickfords enlisted Furniture Fitters to dismantle and reassemble furniture and roller racking as part of the relocation.
Approach to health and safety in a 'live environment'
All Pickfords personnel assigned to this project were fully aware of and complied with, Audit Wales's site regulations for on-site contractors, encompassing aspects such as Health & Safety protocols, alarm systems, fire safety measures, and designated entry and exit points at each location.
Summary
Pickfords delivered a comprehensive solution to Audit Wales for its transition into its new headquarters, ensuring minimal disruption to staff and adhering to the agreed-upon timeframe and budget allocation.