Many know JK Moving for moving offices. But in reality, JK has extensive experience in laboratory, IT, and specialized relocations. The following account provides a glimpse of our lab team’s expertise. This case study shows that lab moving really can be a science — and requires a lot of planning.
Executive summary
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a leading real estate and investment management firm, entrusted JK with a critical task – the relocation of a laboratory’s invaluable pathology collection. This intricate project involved the seamless transfer of over 2.7 million meticulously preserved tissue slides and tissue blocks from 12 distinct locations within a single building. JK’s expertise and precision were instrumental in orchestrating the successful migration of this vast collection into a state-of-the-art high-density filing system. The meticulous handling and careful preservation of these invaluable specimens exemplify JK’s commitment to delivering unparalleled relocation solutions for their esteemed clients.
Lab Moving Challenges
- A 3-month project compressed into a 1.5-month timeline.
- Each slide required meticulous handling.
- The slides needed climate-control.
- Slides needed to be pulled out and relocated one-by-one, alphabetically and chronologically. It was critical to maintain the precise order.
Our Lab Moving Solution
To adjust to the shortened timeline, we implemented a double-shift schedule. This included two move crews of five members each, working around the clock. Our on-site lab project manager worked 16-hour shifts, 5 days per week. This aggressive schedule allowed project completion in 6 weeks.
In addition to the shortened time frame, a climate-controlled room was unavailable during the slide transfer. This resulted in our team having a shortened amount of time to transfer the slides and blocks, which we were able to accommodate.
It was particularly important to keep the fragile slides and contents intact and in precise order. The tissue slides had to be moved by hand using gloves. For this reason, our Project Management team created a detailed schedule, coordinating every person transferring the slides to a specific plan. This ensured the relocation of all slides in the correct order and within the limited short time frame.
We faced a second challenge when we found a large quantity of undocumented and non-inventoried slides. This discovery required some reorganization of slides, which we were able to accomplish and successfully complete the job.
Results
Here are the measurable benefits our client received:
- We relocated 2,732,360 tissue slides and blocks from 12 different locations into one central location. This allowed the researchers to work in a much more efficient manner.
- All slides were relocated alphabetically and chronologically so that each slide was easy to find with no mix-ups.
- Finally, no slides were compromised, even without a climate-controlled environment provided. Rather, the JK Team worked quickly and carefully to relocate each slide to ensure the integrity of its contents.
JK’s lab experts can help with your specialized lab move. Contact us at 703.574.6754 or via email at commercial@jkmoving.com.