Moving your office operations to a new location is an exciting prospect, but unfortunately it involves breaking down your entire physical IT infrastructure. This means that for a (hopefully) brief period, your operations are halted. Unfortunately, complications can arise that may extend this downtime or even cause you long-term efficiency problems.
This office IT relocation checklist will walk through what you need to consider before your big move. If you do it right, your systems will be as efficient or more so than it was before.
Make a detailed plan
The last thing you want to do when it comes to fragile or sensitive technology is to “just wing it.” If you want to make sure that your IT runs as efficiently as possible and provides the maximum benefits for your company, you need to design an efficient setup. Visit the new location well in advance to determine what should go where, and how best to connect everything.
Check the new space
Before committing to the move, you need to determine if the new space can meet your IT’s needs in its current state. Ask yourself these questions when you visit the new space before the move:
- Are there sufficient power outlets?
- Is there existing data cabling, or do we need to install our own?
- What is the Wi-Fi setup?
- Is the space physically secure enough?
- What things, such as fire escapes, must not be obstructed by our equipment?
Conduct an IT audit
An office move is the perfect time for documenting all of your hardware assets such as printers, desktops, and servers. Not only will this give you a detailed inventory that you can refer back to so that nothing gets left behind, but it will also enable you to identify out-of-date equipment and purchase upgrades if possible. This is also the perfect opportunity to consider switching to a Technology-as-a-Service model to more cost-effectively meet your hardware and software needs.
Touch base with your telecom provider
To make sure you can get up and running ASAP after the move, your phone and internet lines should already be set up and live. You’ll need to arrange this with your service provider well in advance.
Back up all important data
If any of your critical data is stored exclusively on local hard drives, back it all up to either the cloud or a redundant drive. There are plenty of things that can go wrong and compromise your data during the move, so having backups ensure you can quickly recover in no time.
Carefully disassemble, pack, and label hardware
You don’t want carelessness to damage expensive equipment, and you don’t want to lose anything in the shuffle, so take the extra time to meticulously pack and label everything.
Test your new setup
Before the big move, install a single workstation and any other vital components to your operations. If it works as intended, you can go ahead with the full move.
Reevaluate security
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your cybersecurity posture will just snap back into place. Recheck both the digital and physical security of your new location before going online fully.
Inform your team in advance
Once everything has been tested and your plan is confirmed, call a meeting of all stakeholders and make sure everyone knows what their part is on moving day. This will avoid confusion and costly mistakes.
Rehearse the move
If possible, do a dry run or test the plan with only a small portion of the IT resources that you’re moving. This way, you don’t run into any surprises on the big day and can adjust beforehand.
Getting an office IT relocation right the first time is crucial to avoiding costly mistakes and long-term efficiency issues. It’s likely more cost-effective to enlist professional IT movers, as prolonged downtime or poorly set up security could end up costing you more.
outsourceIT provides expert office IT relocation services, including planning and site inspection across Maryland and the DC Metro Area. Contact outsourceIT today, and our experienced consultants can immediately get started on a personalized plan to get your office moved and set up for maximum efficiency in as little time as possible.
