The 90-Day Onboarding Playbook That Saved a Tech IPO

Three months before their planned IPO roadshow, a US fintech company faced a crisis. Their Geneva office move was behind schedule, the team was demoralized, and leadership was distracted by logistics instead of preparing for the most important event in the company's history.

They needed a structured approach—a playbook that would get them operational in time without consuming executive attention. Here's the framework they used, and how you can adapt it for your own move.

The Problem with Unstructured Moves

Most office transitions fail not because of any single issue, but because of coordination chaos. There's no clear owner, no defined milestones, and no way to identify problems until they become crises.

Common symptoms:

• "Who's handling IT setup?" "I thought you were."
• Furniture arrives before electrical work is complete
• Staff orientation happens after move-in, leading to confusion
• Leadership spends 20-30% of time on move logistics
• Problems surface late, with no time to fix them

The 90-day playbook solves this by defining clear phases, owners, and milestones—with enough structure to prevent chaos, but enough flexibility to handle the unexpected.

The Four Phases

Phase 1: Weeks 1-2 — Foundation

Objective: Establish project governance and confirm all prerequisites

Key Activities:

1. Appoint Move Champion — Single point of accountability with authority to make decisions
2. Confirm Project Team — Landlord PM, IT lead, facilities contact, HR representative
3. Create Communication Plan — How and when staff will be updated
4. Validate Timeline — Confirm fit-out completion date with landlord
5. Establish Issue Escalation — How problems get raised and resolved

Critical Meetings:

• Kickoff with landlord project team (Day 2)
• IT infrastructure planning (Day 5)
• Internal stakeholder alignment (Day 7)

Move Champion Checklist:

• Project governance document created and approved
• All vendor contacts confirmed and documented
• Weekly status meeting schedule established
• Budget tracking mechanism in place
• Escalation path clear to all parties

Phase 2: Weeks 3-6 — Preparation

Objective: Complete all planning and procurement; begin staff communication

Week 3-4 Focus: Physical Readiness

IT Infrastructure:

• Network equipment ordered and scheduled
• Data/voice cabling plan confirmed with landlord
• Server room or IT closet requirements finalized
• ISP installation scheduled (often requires 4-6 week lead time)

Furniture and Equipment:

• Inventory current assets; determine what moves vs. new purchase
• New furniture ordered (consider lead times)
• AV equipment for meeting rooms specified
• Signage and wayfinding ordered

Staff Communication:

• Move announcement sent to all staff
• FAQ document prepared
• Individual concerns captured (parking, commute, accessibility)
• Desk/seating preferences collected (if applicable)

Week 5-6 Focus: Operational Planning

Reception and Security:

• Access control system configured
• Reception procedures documented
• Visitor management process confirmed
• Emergency procedures drafted

Services Setup:

• Mail forwarding arranged
• Cleaning and waste management confirmed
• Coffee/refreshments ordered
• Plant care arranged (if applicable)

HR Coordination:

• Updated office policies drafted (if needed)
• Building rules communicated to staff
• Parking allocation finalized
• Amenity access confirmed (gym, restaurant, etc.)

Phase 2 Deliverables:

• All major purchases ordered
• IT installation scheduled
• Staff communication complete
• Operational procedures documented
• No major open issues

Phase 3: Weeks 7-10 — Execution

Objective: Complete physical transition; validate all systems

Week 7-8: Fit-Out Completion

Daily Coordination:

• Move Champion on-site daily during final fit-out
• Daily check-ins with landlord PM
• Punch list items tracked and resolved
• Photo documentation of progress

IT Installation:

• Network equipment installed
• Testing of all data points
• Phone system configured
• Printers and AV tested

Pre-Move Inspection:

• Walkthrough with landlord to identify issues
• Final punch list created
• Timeline confirmed for resolution

Week 9-10: Move Execution

Move Weekend (or Week):

• Professional movers briefed on building access and procedures
• IT team present for immediate troubleshooting
• Move Champion coordinates traffic flow
• Evening/weekend move minimizes business disruption

Immediate Post-Move:

• All workstations tested (power, data, phone)
• Meeting room AV confirmed working
• Kitchen/break areas operational
• Reception trained and ready

Phase 3 Deliverables:

• Fit-out complete with all punch list items resolved
• IT infrastructure tested and operational
• Physical move complete
• All critical systems working

Phase 4: Weeks 11-12 — Optimization

Objective: Resolve teething issues; transition to normal operations

Week 11: Stabilization

Issue Resolution:

• Dedicated support channel for staff issues
• Daily triage of problems
• Prioritization: safety > functionality > comfort

Staff Orientation:

• Building tour for all staff
• Introduction to building management team
• Amenity overview (restaurant, fitness, parking)
• Emergency procedures walkthrough

Documentation:

• Operations manual finalized
• Vendor contact list distributed
• Issue reporting process communicated

Week 12: Handoff

Project Closeout:

• Final walkthrough with landlord
• Outstanding issues documented with resolution timeline
• Budget reconciliation
• Lessons learned capture

Transition to Operations:

• Move Champion role transitions to normal facilities management
• Ongoing landlord relationship established
• Regular check-in schedule confirmed
• Staff feedback survey sent

Phase 4 Deliverables:

• All critical issues resolved
• Staff orientation complete
• Operations documentation finalized
• Project formally closed

The Tech IPO Story

The fintech company applied this playbook starting in January, with an IPO roadshow scheduled for April.

What Made It Work:

1. Dedicated Move Champion: They assigned a senior operations manager full-time to the project, removing all other responsibilities.

2. Landlord Partnership: They chose a building with on-site project management and scheduled daily check-ins during critical phases.

3. Aggressive Communication: Staff received weekly updates starting Week 1, with a dedicated Slack channel for questions.

4. Parallel Workstreams: IT installation began while fit-out was completing, rather than sequentially.

5. Buffer Time: They planned for Week 10 move-in, giving 2 weeks of buffer before the roadshow.

The Result:

• Moved into new office on Day 68
• Zero critical issues at go-live
• Staff productivity returned to normal within one week
• IPO roadshow proceeded on schedule
• CEO spent zero time on move logistics after Week 2

Adapting the Playbook

For Smaller Moves (< 30 people)

Compress to 60 days:

• Phase 1: Week 1
• Phase 2: Weeks 2-4
• Phase 3: Weeks 5-7
• Phase 4: Weeks 8-9

The structure remains the same; the duration of each activity shortens.

For Larger Moves (> 100 people)

Extend to 120 days:

• Add buffer time in each phase
• Consider phased move-in by department
• Increase communication frequency
• Add more formal change management

For International Teams

Add specific workstreams:

• Cross-border employee considerations (for France-based staff)
• Multi-timezone coordination for global rollout
• Local compliance verification
• Cultural considerations for staff engagement

Common Failure Points (and How to Avoid Them)

Failure Point 1: IT Underestimation

What Goes Wrong: ISP installation takes longer than expected; network isn't ready for move-in.

How to Avoid: Order ISP connection in Week 1. It's the longest lead-time item and the biggest single point of failure.

Failure Point 2: Furniture Delays

What Goes Wrong: Custom furniture arrives 2 weeks late; staff sit on temporary chairs.

How to Avoid: Order furniture early with confirmed delivery dates. Have a backup plan (rental furniture) if custom items are delayed.

Failure Point 3: Staff Communication Gap

What Goes Wrong: Staff learn about move details from rumors; morale suffers.

How to Avoid: Over-communicate. Weekly updates minimum. Address concerns directly.

Failure Point 4: Punch List Backlog

What Goes Wrong: Move-in happens with 50 unresolved punch list items; staff experience ongoing issues.

How to Avoid: Set a hard deadline: no move-in until punch list is below 10 items (and none affecting safety or core functionality).

Failure Point 5: No Post-Move Support

What Goes Wrong: Move is declared "complete" on Day 1; issues fester for weeks.

How to Avoid: Plan for 2 weeks of intensive post-move support. Staff need a clear channel to report issues and see them resolved quickly.

The Playbook's Real Value

The 90-day playbook doesn't prevent problems—it surfaces them early when they're still solvable.

Without structure, a problem discovered in Week 8 becomes a crisis that delays move-in. With structure, the same problem surfaces in Week 4 and gets resolved without affecting timeline.

The playbook also protects leadership attention. When governance is clear, decisions happen at the appropriate level. The CEO doesn't need to decide where the printer goes; the Move Champion handles it.

For the tech company facing their IPO, this was the critical insight. They didn't need a perfect move—they needed a move that didn't distract from the IPO. The playbook delivered that.

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LINK Geneva provides comprehensive onboarding support with dedicated project management. Get in touch to download our full 90-day onboarding template or schedule a consultation to discuss your move.