Access
Part of Flexible office changes
Keeping business operations running during an office move
Protect essential work during an office move with service owners, readiness checks, fallbacks and accurate address updates.
Name the services that cannot pause, check their dependencies at the new location and assign an owner to each fallback. The move is complete when people can use the new arrangements for ordinary work, not just when furniture arrives.
Identify work that must continue
Start with the services customers expect during the move. For each, list the people, systems, equipment, records and location it needs. Note nearby deadlines, such as a client meeting or supplier delivery, and decide who may authorise a temporary change and who will inform affected people.
| Essential activity | Dependency to confirm | Possible fallback to arrange |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to customers | Contact channel, responsible person and records access | Named colleague and approved alternate work location |
| Completing scheduled work | People, equipment, files and connection | Rescheduled task or another approved setup |
| Receiving visitors or deliveries | Correct address, entrance and contact | Redirect instruction and person monitoring arrivals |
Use fallbacks the business can actually provide. Name who activates each fallback and confirm the alternate work location can support the activity before relying on it. Make a service promise to a customer only when its dependencies or an acceptable alternative are confirmed.
Prepare the handover
Name one owner for the move schedule and others for IT, premises access, equipment, communications and address records. Record the old-space exit date, new-space access date, supplier appointments and when each service changes over. Keep a working contact route available while phones or computers are moved, and name who monitors it.
Ask IT or the responsible supplier how staff will reach approved systems from the new site. Check essential devices, accounts and connectivity before moving the last workable setup.
Maintain the organisation's backup routine and try a restore of important data. Possessing a backup file does not establish that recovery will work.
Before the first shift, give staff the new entrance, permitted hours, work area, help contact and emergency instructions. Arrange a usable alternative if an essential route or facility is unavailable.
Communicate and update records
Identify customers with appointments or deliveries, suppliers needing an access window, and colleagues who rely on the office address. Tell each group what changes, when it takes effect and whom to contact if the plan fails. Before directing people to the new address, confirm the business can receive a visit or item there.
Business addresses serve different purposes: the principal place of business is where you run the business; a company's registered office receives official notices and must be a street address in Australia, not a PO Box; a postal address can be used for mail and may be a PO Box. ASIC publishes a company's registered office on its company register.
Depending on the business and the address that changes, check whether the ATO, ASIC and Australian Business Register (ABR) need an update. A business address change may mean you need to update your ABN details with the ABR.
For company address changes, notify ASIC within 28 days; a late fee applies. In the company officeholder portal, use Form 484 – Change to Company Details, select Change of address, enter the date and new address, then submit. You need online access, the company's corporate key, and its ABN or ACN. The change takes effect 7 days after submission.
If the company does not occupy its new registered office, confirm the occupier agrees to its use. Keep a record of the owner's written consent.
Updating Company Address with ASIC
- Access the Company Officeholder Portal
- Select Form 484Change to Company Details
- Enter new address and effective date
- Submit using corporate key and ABN or ACN
- Wait 7 days for change to take effect
Check the first working day
Before normal operations begin, ask authorised users to check entry, an ordinary work task, the customer contact route and essential facilities. Record who checked each item, when, and what remains unresolved.
If a critical item fails, use the agreed fallback and tell affected people what to expect next. Keep the old setup available during an overlap only if the agreement permits it. Close the move record when essential work operates from the new arrangement and any remaining faults have owners.
