The First Thing to Do When Your Company Decides to Relocate

Moving to a new office has always required a thorough checklist, but you can make a smoother transition with the help of experienced IT consulting. Before making the move you should pay close attention to your IT infrastructure and analyze what challenges the move will present, such as deciding on a backup solution to avoid or minimize downtime. The right solution will depend on whether you use local servers or cloud storage. Following are a few important items for your moving checklist.

Identify Your IT Challenges

Your company needs to take into account the importance of IT considerations before, during and after your move to a new location. Planning for the transition should be done several months in advance and your new location should be able to accommodate your current needs, such as space for servers, phone lines and other physical demands. Here are important questions to ask during the planning stages:

  • does your hardware or software need upgrading?
  • is there any equipment you can sell and replace with newer items?
  • do you know where to dispose old unnecessary equipment safely and legally?
  • what are your server room and cabling requirements?

Allocate Office Space

Make a diagram of your new floor plan and decide where specific equipment will go. You will need to know ahead of time how many power outlets and telecom jacks you need. Consider cost efficient solutions such as VoIP. At this stage you should also decide whether you need a T1 line or other types of broadband connections and where they will be wired. Make sure the new location meets your needs for cooling, electricity and security.

Implement a Data Backup and Recovery Plan

One of the most important steps that you cannot afford to overlook is protecting your data. You never know if equipment might get damaged in a move, so make sure you your data is backed up in multiple places and is easy to access upon arriving at your new location. Ideally, you will use backup servers during the move so that you can maintain business continuity.

 

Seamless moves can be accomplished through careful planning. Since moving can be complicated, it helps to hire an IT consulting firm. Once you make the move it's important to test all your equipment to ensure your business is ready to pick up where it left off. Then let all your customers and vendors know about your new location.