How do 1900 employees move from 15 different buildings and 750 highly sensitive devices from around 500 laboratories to 32 new, 15,000 m2 large laboratory floors around? Exactly: through digitization.
The challenge: mastering complex removal logistics
The transfer of the Roche laboratory landscape to the pRED Center presented Amberg Loglay with a complex challenge as a logistics planner. As early as the 2022 planning phase, it was clear that traditional methods were reaching their limits during this move. Exact planning, complete transparency and the management of complex dependencies on research equipment were required.
In addition, the planning team coordinated around 100 technical service providers, IT support and moving people. A total of 500 participants got involved at different points in time. The time pressure from science was also high: There were a maximum of 11 days per department so that research work could continue with as few interruptions as possible. “Because of all these components, the preliminary planning was extremely complex,” says Ronald Schröder, project manager at Amberg Loglay, who supervised the move as a logistics expert.
Tailored solution from practice
A digital tool was needed to efficiently identify, plan and manage the multitude of dependencies. “It would not have been possible to represent this complexity in Excel spreadsheets or ordinary tools at all,” says Ronald Schröder. This is how Amberg Loglay developed the MOVEit software solution in parallel with relocation planning. With their functions, the problems and challenges of a laboratory move can be solved smoothly. “With MOVEit, we were able to precisely plan and document the entire process,” explains Roland Schröder. “This was the only way we could ensure that delays and thus significant financial effects were minimized.”
MOVEit — focusing on key technology
MOVEit became the central planning tool for the entire planning and relocation team to efficiently manage complex removal logistics. Particularly demanding: The highly sensitive research devices, which react sensitively to the slightest shocks, temperature fluctuations or dust. Specialists therefore carefully prepared them for transport. “In some cases, various preparatory work also had to be carried out at the new location before the devices could be installed,” says Ronald Schröder. “The work steps to be coordinated became correspondingly more complex and complex.”
MOVEit addresses this problem: The software makes dependencies visible, combines all relevant data and thus creates the basis for predictive planning. This minimizes risks and avoids delays. Ronald Schröder sums it up with an apt comparison: “Basically, removal logistics is like a continuous 4D Tetris, which must respond flexibly to more than 50 technical, operational and logistical responses up to one week before the moving date.”
This also resulted in a completely new way of bringing different locations together in a new location: Instead of moving one laboratory after another as usual, entire teams were moved from 15 different buildings to their respective floors in parallel. “In this way, we opened up entire floors within a few days, with the great advantage that the research department was able to continue working almost undisturbed with short interruptions,” continues Roland Schröder.
MOVEit as a game changer
The potential of MOVEit was even more obvious when implemented in practice. With the introduction of the MOVEit Lab mobile app, all laboratory devices, including technical details, could be digitally inventoried for the first time. Shortly thereafter, the web application was added, which provided all participants with a constantly up-to-date database.
The functions were particularly convincing during operation:
- Digital inventory: Every laboratory device was recorded, including transportation requirements, safety requirements, and installation requirements.
- Single Source of Truth: A central web platform that made all relocation-relevant information up to date and available to all parties involved.
- Interactive planning: Researchers were able to locate their devices themselves using a tablet or smartphone. This led to the precise planning of the new laboratories.
- Maximum transparency: Interdependencies between devices, laboratory groups and transport routes were recorded and digitally presented. As a result, bottlenecks could be identified at an early stage and resolved immediately.
Thanks to parallel development during the project, a tailor-made solution for the relocation project was gradually created. “The pressure was high because the software completion date was linked to the move,” says Schröder. “The expertise of our development team and strong, cross-divisional collaboration were the key to success.”
The success of the Roche move thanks to MOVEit
After months of preparation, the move began — managed and supported by MOVEit. All participants accessed up-to-date information, made adjustments immediately and managed progress and work via a central dashboard. The result: The Roche move was completed in just ten months — efficiently, punctually, cost-optimised and with significantly fewer sources of error. “Looking back, it can be said that the use of MOVEit has revolutionized the entire process,” summarizes Ronald Schröder. This project also impressively demonstrates that research and innovation are unstoppable when bright minds, technology and bold decisions come together.
Amberg Loglay then further developed the software and launched, among other things, MOVEit Office, which, in addition to relocations of premises, can also be used for moving offices and banks. MOVEit will therefore continue to ensure that complex relocation projects lead to success more easily and securely in the future.
