Moving office requires a lot of planning, energy and in some cases, using up valuable productivity time for your organisation. From notifying your customers, to updating your company registrations and managing your IT infrastructure, it can be an overwhelming event. Fortunately for the latter point, managed IT service providers such as systemsGo can handle the migration of any IT services, either completely or working together with your own internal IT team.
Following years of experience assisting organisations with their office moves, systemsGo has created a checklist of 6 tasks that will help make any move seamless and efficient. This will help save time and money, as well as keeping your team and customers happy.
- Plan ahead of time
Maximise the time until your move-in date. Contact all of your technology vendors and notify them of your moving date. Where possible, inform your ISPs and other vendors at least 2-3 months in advance. Also, take the time to schedule a site visit of the new location to review the requirements of the new office (more on this below). - Review your existing infrastructure
An office move is a great time to start fresh with newer, upgraded equipment but understanding what your organisation currently has will also help tremendously. The right plan coupled with knowledge of your systems could even mean your systems and networks are up and running even before you move in.
When reviewing your current infrastructure, consider the following:- Inventory all your IT/Network/Security equipment and consider whether it still fits your needs. Will it be necessary for the new office?
- Create a list of any equipment that needs to be replaced or upgraded and procure the equipment as necessary.
- Return any leased equipment that is no longer needed.
- Properly dispose of any equipment that is no longer needed.
- Prepare your site visit checklist
In our first point, you should have scheduled your site visit. This is essential for a seamless move and preparing a list of things to check is the ideal way.- What are your organisation’s communications requirements? The new office might not have the installed cabling and infrastructure to support your needs. Consider what is required so any workarounds or upgrades to the new office can be planned.
- Contact your IT provider and review the configuration plan of the new office. Ensure there are ideal locations for workstations, power points, Wi-Fi access points and network cabling.
- Examine the ideal locations for any hardware such as routers, printers etc.
- Confirm whether the minimum requirements for the server room can be met (electrical, cooling, dimensions, and security).
- Check on Telco company to make sure you can get a new internet/telephony connection in there in timely manner
- Consider your communication options
Ensure that you research the right phone system and service contract based on your organisation’s needs. Consider what any growth or expansion you expect in the next 3-5 years; this will help determine whether you should consider a new business phone system for your new office location.- Set up call forwarding if you’re changing your office numbers
- Determine the type of internet access required for the new office
- Investigate what type of phone system is best for your office (VoIP, PBX etc.)
- Protect your data
It is essential to regularly backup and protect your files and data and that is no exception during an office relocation.- Make several backup copies of all systems and store copies where they will not be affected by the move.
- Ensure full recovery is possible so that, if something does go wrong, you’ll still be able to access all your company’s important data.
- Prepare for the move and test the new office
Transporting your office’s technology equipment is not as easy as you may think. It requires special handling, expertise, and transit protection. We strongly recommend you allow your IT or your telecom solution provider to complete the actual moving portion for you. If you’re planning on using the same moving company for every aspect of the office move, make sure they’re able to move electronic equipment appropriately.- Verify all wiring and data cables are labeled correctly and to which piece of equipment it belongs. At the new office, verify all cabling, equipment, and phones are in the right place.
- Transport copies of your data backup to the new location separate from the main system and each other.
- Test to see whether the call forwarding from the old number is working and being forwarded to the correct phone
- Test all features of the phone system
- Test internet connection and test incoming/outgoing emails
- Test each network connection
Following the items in this list can help alleviate the stress of moving office. In the modern office, IT infrastructure is at the core of the organisation and getting your move done right, will ensure your business remains highly functional with no downtime. Managed IT providers like systemsGo can assist organisations at every step of the way. For details on how we can help, our friendly team can help you.
