Top 10 - Relocating Your Office

Top 10 Things to Consider When Relocating Your Office

10 - Work weekends. While moving on a weekend means sacrificing days off, it also gives the IT department a cushion should there be unforeseen glitches with getting the network up and running.

9 - Communication. Keep employees in the loop. Write a brief guide that describes what equipment or data each employee or department is responsible for during the move.

8 - Packing. The quicker the move, the less downtime. Label all computers, printers, and other IT equipment indicating who it is assigned to or what room it should go in so movers don’t need to waste time asking you the day of the move.

7 - Notify. Make sure all your clients and associates know your availability may be a bit limited the day of the move. Some companies use an office relocation as an opportunity to send employees out in the field for some face time with clients.

6 - Upgrading. Relocating is NOT the ideal time to upgrade equipment or systems. There is always something unexpected; introducing new variables to the moving equation is ill advised.

5 - Preparation time. Whether moving next door, across town, or to a new state, begin preparations to move at least three to six months prior to the actual move date to minimize business disruptions and productivity downtimes.

4 - IT Communications Planning. Make sure the phone lines and Internet connections are ordered well in advance and tested prior to move-in.  Depending upon the vendor and type of service, this can take months to complete, so get started early. Network cabling is another bugaboo – make sure the cable plant and infrastructure are sufficient to support what you need, or get the cabling installed and tested well before move-in.

3 - Equipment planning. Carefully map out in advance where your IT equipment needs to be set up. Determine your security, HVAC and electrical requirements and work with your future landlord to ensure that your needs are met. Creating a floor plan in advance will enable quicker set up.  Don’t wait until you’re moved to decide what goes where.

2 - Have backup. Have your IT department make a list of materials needed to set up the equipment at the new office and make sure to have spares of everything from copier ink to RJ-45 cables. Have employees backup of all their files, either via a cloud service or on a flash or other external hard drives.

1 - Be prepared for the unexpected. Even the most organize moved can unexpected delays so have a contingency plan in place, such as workers telecommuting or using a telepresence facility for a scheduled meeting, to avoid as much downtime as possible and to make the move seamless in the eyes of your clients.