That was certainly the experience of Ventana Medical Systems as it moved into a $24-million worldwide headquarters complex in three phases from July to November 2001. Consolidating production, R&D, and administrative functions, three new interconnected structures now give the diagnostic instrument and reagent manufacturer twice as much space as it previously occupied in multiple locations scattered around Tucson, Ariz.

Ten months of painstaking preparation, along with relocation planning services from HDR, which also served as project architect, allowed Ventana to become the first tenant in a completely undeveloped 300-acre business park without missing a beat.

Says Gregg Forszt, Ventana's senior facilities manager, who oversaw the process, "Initially, I thought beginning to plan the move that far in advance was way too early, but now my advice is that it's never too soon to plan. The generous head start enabled us to test and refine our plans, which is why everything worked so well."

While many managers who preside over a company move swear "never again," Forszt adds a further tribute to the undertaking: "It was really a good experience. I'd be glad to do it again as long as I had plenty of time."

From 22 Locations to One

Founded in 1985, Ventana is a leading supplier of automated diagnostic systems to the anatomical pathology and drug discovery markets. Rapid growth had led to somewhat haphazard physical expansion. Before moving, the company occupied roughly 90,000 sf of space in 22 different locations on three Tucson sites as far as 15 miles apart.

Planning for a centralized headquarters started in May 1999, when HDR's Tucson office was hired as project architect. Construction of the 182,400-sf complex—an 85,600-sf manufacturing plant, a 59,200-sf R&D facility, and a 37,600-sf building housing executive and administrative functions—got underway in July 2000.

The new structures were designed to accommodate planned changes in corporate organization as well as shifts in business goals and strategy.

"Where Ventana Medical was going did not mirror exactly where it was coming from," says HDR's Richard Miller, who served as relocation manager on the project. "In initial meetings we gathered a lot of information to understand where the company was heading and how the buildings and relocation process should respond."

A Good Marriage

A few months into construction, the project architects advised Ventana that it would be wise to obtain professional help to pack and move the plethora of sensitive manufacturing and R&D equipment, especially given the multiple sites and the need for extensive record-keeping and compliance with FDA regulations.

Forszt and his colleagues talked to outside relocation consultants as well as with HDR's Miller, who has in-depth experience assisting clients move into complex research facilities.

"After examining the relationships the architects had with our internal divisions, we thought it was a good marriage," says Forszt. "We felt they would do a good job determining how to orchestrate a move of that size and sequencing what needed to go where."

Forszt assembled a relocation task force consisting of representatives from every major department within the company, along with Miller and a few colleagues from HDR's Tucson office. The team quickly set about addressing major challenges and concerns, prime among them potential downtime and its financial repercussions.

"A lot of companies never move," says Miller, "and there can be a high level of apprehension, especially when it comes to P&L responsibility. We wanted to get those concerns on the table and address them with the most accurate information in an efficient manner."

Timing Is Everything

With the cost of downtime calculated at $300,000 per day, establishing—and adhering to—construction and occupancy timetables was a key priority. The task force developed matrixes of employees' current locations and future destinations, along with schedules and rationales for the timing and sequences.

"The Ventanta folks would bring their challenges, and we would address and plan for them," says Miller. For example, the team was careful to avoid scheduling move-related activity at the end of each quarter, traditional busy periods for the company.

Team members would go back to their groups to talk about many issues, including what was moving and the associated timing and schedules. They also needed to make sure that sensitive instruments and chemicals would be catalogued and packed properly.

"When we first started, we didn't realize just how difficult and expansive a task the move really was," says Forszt.

The challenge of coordinating lease terminations in the spaces to be vacated was another major hurdle Ventana had to overcome.

"Even though we knew for several years that the relocation would take place, it's difficult with a major construction project to get the date right the first time," says Forszt. "But our schedule went like clockwork. We were able to coordinate leases so that there was only a two-month period where we had residual payments."

Once the schedule was determined, Miller and his team prepared the RFP for the physical move and helped Ventana evaluate contractor responses. They also interviewed and negotiated with other service providers, tested sequencing, and conducted dry runs of various aspects of the move.

Production Moves First

The largest facility, the manufacturing plant, was the first occupied, in a two-step move that occurred in July 2001. Two different divisions, located at two different sites, were moved separately, one day after the other. In the new facility, taped outlines on the floor indicated exactly where each piece of equipment should be installed. Meticulous planning on the part of the architect assured that electrical outlets were within reach of power cords in every spot necessary.

A vital issue was minimizing disruption to the outflow of the company's reagent products, many of which have a limited shelf-life and are temperature sensitive. The hospitals and clinics that use them expect next-day delivery of their orders, and Ventana generally ships out 300 to 500 packages per day.

These circumstances required continuing availability of customer service, shipping capability, and an inventory strategy that allowed for a few days of lost production.

"It took a lot of forward planning, but we were able to keep customers supplied during this critical period," says Forszt. "While you can't move one day and start production the next, the new facility was functional almost immediately."

No Disruptions to R&D

A few months later, in early November, the R&D group became the second to relocate. Chief concerns here centered around avoiding interference with ongoing research.

"We have a large R&D staff," explains Forszt. "Our scientists are constantly running experiments to develop new products or enhance existing ones. We could not afford to have sensitive instruments damaged or critical processes interrupted."

To minimize disruption, the task force set the move date well in advance, giving investigators roughly six months' notice to plan their research timetables and prepare for dismantling their labs. Major experiments were timed to wrap up before the move or launch in the new facility.

The task force catalogued more than 1,300 pieces of equipment that had to be specially packaged and tracked. Once moved, they were all recalibrated and revalidated to make sure they functioned properly and met all FDA regulations. Very strict records were kept reflecting what was moved and when.

A proactive posture helped avert a potential glitch the weekend of the move, when a large bicycle race was slated to pass through the Oro Valley business park and in front of Ventana's new complex.

"HDR asked whether any community activities were going on at that time and then worked with race organizers and the local police to avoid any logjams," says Forszt. "The task force also researched local ordinances on moving chemicals, disposing of packaging materials, and so forth, so we had all those details covered."

Business Process Transfer

Executive and administrative functions, along with the company's communications systems, were transferred over to their new home during the long Thanksgiving weekend. According to Forszt, this stage was the most difficult to orchestrate since it required extensive coordination with outside sources, from phone and data service suppliers to corporate offices in France and Japan.

"On top of that, we set up a new computer system and telephone network," he says. "It was a huge undertaking in terms of logistics and the sheer number of things that had to be done."

A few days ahead of time, employees received boxes, tape, and identifying stickers to do their own packing. At the close of business Wednesday, the IT staff took the computer systems off line and backed up all data. An outside consultant made sure these tasks were performed correctly. As servers were shut down, they were packaged with special tape that would reveal any subsequent tampering. Ventana personnel accompanied the servers to the point of departure and met them upon arrival in the new facility. For data security, disks and tapes were transported in special vehicles with at least one employee in attendance.

Core task force members worked over the weekend to get business processes up and running, while the IT team set up personal computers so employees would not have to do much more than unpack their own boxes on Monday when they returned to work.

Food, Forszt discovered, was one of the critical elements in keeping the work flowing smoothly.

"The HDR folks set up command centers where people could get food, soft drinks, and information," he says. "They also color-coded various areas of the building to indicate where things should go. These were some of the details we never would have thought of that helped keep us on target."

After almost two years of operation, Ventana's manufacturing plant has reached single-shift capacity, and the company continues to turn in above-average financial results. Forszt attributes much of the positive performance to the relocation.

"One of the reasons we've been able to attain such phenomenal growth is the ease of getting business done now that we are all in one facility," he says. "The increased communication has been a significant benefit."

By Nicole Zaro Stahl

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