Group Moving

Brief history and concerns faced during the programme...

BTR International was authorised by a client to support a group move of 40 employees from their current location of Zurich to the newly built office in Warsaw for a set period of time. The group move consisted of differing nationalities, accompanied statuses and employee levels ranging from administrators through to regional directors. The initial duration of the group project ranged from six to nine months with the possibility of extension to 12 plus months.

Services Authorised...

Serviced / Temporary (S/T) accommodation
Orientation, home finding and settling in services
Household goods shipment by road
Visa and immigration

Service Delivery Details...

PRE-ARRIVAL PROJECT CALLS – CLIENT & BTR

Needs analysis calls with the client to ensure all expectations were discussed and met
Location differences talked through and supporting information provided
Variance in location budgets discussed and supported with S/T accommodation links
Budgets recommended with options included for provision of mobile phones, shuttle buses from and to the office from the S/T accommodation residences, welcome baskets and weekly maid service

Expectations clarified on the following points...

S/T accommodation vs 6 to 12 month rental lease options
Furnished vs unfurnished options and applicable cost savings
Shipping of HHG’s vs rental furniture
Visa and Immigration requirements and red flags given the project duration
Updated reports following the call sent to the client's Global Mobility team

PRE-ARRIVAL LOOK & SEE VISIT – CLIENT & BTR

Accompanied tour of the various S/T accommodation residences, facilities and comparison with rental apartments
Orientation tour of Warsaw including the new office location and surrounding area
Needs assessment carried out based on actual information known about the employees involved in the Group project
Daily debrief on the decisions made

Concerns during the initial discussions...

Overall cost of the Group Move project
Confidentiality being maintained within the Group due to the variance in the levels of staff
Potential for visa and immigration red flags due to the unknown duration of the Group Project
“What if” scenarios if the project overran or was completed ahead of schedule

Initiatives taken by BTR International to resolve the concerns...

Through negotiation with our contracted partners BTR was able to secure S/T accommodation in two centrally located residences to accommodate the Group Project assignees. Because the client had viewed the residences they had peace of mind that all levels of staff could be accommodated with directors in penthouse apartments. Due to the block booking proposal BTR secured significant cost savings
Given the quality of the furniture provided in the S/T apartments BTR proposed that the need for HHG should be limited to personal effects only. The assignees were granted an excess baggage allowance for clothing and a dedicated road move was arranged for personal effects with collection of two boxes per assignee from the office and drop off at the S/T apartment. Due to our HHG proposal BTR secured significant cost savings for the client. Shipping costs were reduced dramatically and the need for shipments reduced from one per assignee to only four due to the proposal to pick up from the Zurich office
BTR held a series of open days with the Group Project assignees to ensure they all received the same information at the same time. This was done deliberately to reduce the opportunity for internal gossip. Q & A sessions followed with BTR and the client's Global Mobility team
Prior to arrival the host location through a series of needs assessment calls all V & I red flags were highlighted and addressed in advance resulting in zero issues
Mutually agreed contractual addendums were put in place with the applicable parties to ensure early project completion was covered as well as any overrun. For example, if the project completed early then the S/T residences would be returned with scaled early termination costs dependent on the remaining duration. In the event of an overrun then a similar scaled cost would be implemented in the clients favor.
In addition to the cost savings secured by BTR we were able to ensure that the Group Project benefitted from the provision of mobile phones, welcome baskets, a shuttle bus service to and from the office to the S/T residences at key times of day, access to the S/T residences gym facilities and a weekly maid service.

Conclusion...

BTR successfully proactively negotiated and delivered the services required to ensure the group project proceeded smoothly and efficiently by thinking one step ahead and outside the box.

BTR worked alongside the client and proposed changes to the scope of service that benefited the client and secured significant cost savings
Contingency plans were put in place to cover as many eventualities as possible

Partner contracts were amended specific to the Group Project. For example, if one assignee left the project then his/her replacement could move into the S/T apartment on the same lease. A lease name change was all that was required
BTR’s proposal to provide a shuttle bus had not been considered by the client but when we detailed the positives such as safety due to potential late night shifts they thought it was a wonderful idea

The Group Project lasted for 18 months and was deemed a huge success by the client and by BTR and our partners

We are so thankful for BTR. They think one step ahead and always have our best interests in mind whether it’s a cost avoidance, a cost saving or the safety and welfare of our staff . Our Group Project was a huge success and this was due in a large part to BTR’s proposal of offering our assignees the additional elements of transport, a phone and a gym.