If someone guarantees “no downtime” on a commercial move, the first question shouldn’t be “How much?” It should be: “For who—and under what conditions?”
After decades in commercial relocation, here’s the reality: downtime doesn’t magically disappear. It gets shifted, minimized, contained, or ignored. And when it’s ignored, it shows up at the worst possible time—on moving day.
What “Downtime” Really Means (And Why It’s Misunderstood) Most organizations treat downtime as a single thing. It’s not.
Downtime usually falls into several buckets: employee downtime, system downtime, operational downtime, and departmental downtime.
You can reduce downtime in one area by increasing it somewhere else. That tradeoff must be planned, not glossed over.
Why “No Downtime” Fails in Practice
When moves go sideways, it’s almost never because of the movers themselves. The problems are usually baked in weeks—or months—earlier.
Late IT involvement, poor sequencing, unrealistic schedules, no contingency windows, and unclear authority are the usual culprits.
Downtime doesn’t happen on moving day. It’s pre-installed during planning.
What “Managed Downtime” Actually Looks Like
Experienced relocation teams design moves to control where downtime occurs and limit its impact.
That includes phased moves, IT dry runs, swing spaces, and clearly defined decision points.
How We Actually Reduce Downtime
Downtime reduction is an operating discipline—not a talking point.
It requires early coordination, correct sequencing, ownership clarity, buffer time, and contingency planning.
Zero downtime isn’t promised. It’s engineered.
A Simple Gut Check for Any Commercial Move
Before accepting a “no downtime” promise, ask: “Can you explain exactly how downtime is being reduced—and where it still exists?”
If the answer is vague or overly confident, that’s your answer.
Closing Thought
Downtime isn’t the enemy. Unplanned downtime is.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s control.
