Hi! We’ve just moved from Milton to Spring Hill QLD. It was a long tedious process but it’s all worth it!

Working within the IT Services and Consultancy industry, we’re able to take advantage of our resources and capabilities in IT to make our office move much smoother. In this article, we’d like to share an IT checklist that might help with your planned office relocation. Let’s get started.

1. Keep the communications up. Be sure to keep your whole team up-to-date with moving plans and timeline. As there will be many things that need to be done during office moves, it would be great to get everyone involved. In the months leading up to the move, contact all technology vendors, carriers and ISPs and inform them of your target move date. Review configuration plan of the new office with your IT provider.

2. Benefits of Partnering with an MSP. An MSP can give you expert advice and provide you with additional IT support during the relocation process. Keep in mind that while you are managing your IT for the office move, you also need to maintain your regular IT operations to meet the needs of your customers. Partnering with an MSP to co-facilitate all the aspects of the relocation can make the entire process seamless.

3. New office, new network. Of course, moving to a new office means you’re going to have a new floor layout. A new layout means you need a new plan for connectivity. Offices, desks, and other areas will need cabling installed for wired connections as well as for the wireless access points. Plan your connectivity with your MSP ahead of time.

4. Inventory and assess your IT equipment. List down all equipment including physical IT hardware, cables and racks to determine whether they still meet your needs and will be suitable in the new location. An office move can also be a good time to consider an upgrade. If your equipment is ageing or is slowing down, starting with a fresh installation of new equipment installed at the new office is a great way to make your move smoother, while improving your IT infrastructure at the same time.

5. Safeguard your Data. It’s important to be prepared for the worst-case scenarios at all times, but it’s most critical during an office relocation. You never know what could happen to your hardware and data during the relocation process. Therefore, it is important to back up your data and protect it from loss and breach when moving. After you’ve created multiple backups, make sure that you have a recovery plan in place so you would know exactly how to respond to an IT disaster.

6. Handle your Servers with care. Transporting office technology equipment is not as easy as you may think. It requires special handling, expertise, and transport protection. Don’t ever try to move loaded server racks because you might lose your data. If you want to minimise potential chances for damage, hire a team of professional removalists to relocate the server for you. Also label and pack your equipment and cables correctly and clearly.

7. Have a contingency plan. Having a contingency plan in the event of an IT disaster is critical. Your business is very dependent on your IT equipment and communication lines working, and failing to have a dependable backup plan could seriously affect your business and clients. Be prepared with some alternatives, such as a virtual office so your team can continue working in the event of an IT disaster.

8. Update your digital address. Let your customers and partners know when you officially change your company address and when normal business will resume. Be sure to update your website, Google page, e-business cards and social media sites to keep your community informed.

Make sure to plan out the whole moving process as thorough as possible. This way you’ll spare yourself a lot of unexpected and untoward IT incidents.

If you are looking for advice on IT planning for your intended office relocation, feel free to contact our team. Email us at enquiry@andersenit.com.au or fill out the form below and we will get in touch with you.