Over the past three decades our company has helped businesses of all shapes and sizes move from one office space to another.
While each of these projects is unique, they are invariably complex by nature. But this doesn’t mean that they have to be a nightmare; with proper planning, your office move project could very well go off without a hitch.
What’s the key to a successful office move, and why does it matter so much? We’ll walk you through it below.
The key to a successful office move project
To make sure your project goes off without a hitch, you need to inform your IT team early, and you need to keep them in the loop for the duration of the project.
Most businesses these days will be unable to work (and therefore unable to make money) if they don’t have access to their data, but time and time again a company’s IT team will be the last to know about a planned office move.
Not taking your technology into proper consideration during a move will at minimum result in increased costs as you rush to redo or force-fit a solution. A more serious misstep might result in extended downtime for your business.
How early do you need to involve your IT team in your office move project?
As early as possible, and definitely before building out your space.
While it might seem easy to fit your technology into your new office, your office actually needs to be designed with your technology in mind. Your IT needs will influence things like:
- Server Room Location. Where should your server room be located so that it’s safely away from water sources, but also within cabling constraints?
- Server Room Design. What requirements does your server room have as far as power, temperature control, and security? How does this impact construction?
- Power Sources. How many power outlets, wall jacks, and wireless access points will you need? Where do they need to be located so that every member of your team can connect to your network and work effectively?
- Furniture Design. What sort of furniture you will need to support your workstation setup (multiple monitors, individual printers or scanners, standing desks, etc.)?
- Equipment Relocation. How will you disassemble and reassemble all user workstations? What’s your method for keeping track of what belongs to whom, and where and how it needs to be set up?
- Equipment Disposal. How will you properly wipe and recycle/destroy any old equipment you aren’t moving over?
- Vendor Coordination. Will your phones, AV equipment, and printers be set up so they can communicate with your network?
- How will you know your setup actually works prior to your move-in?
Beyond all this, also keep in mind that most Internet Service Providers will require 60-120 days to have their service installed and ready in your new space, and that most phone vendors need 30-90 days to handle their piece of the puzzle.
It might seem like overkill, but the more advanced notice you can give your IT team about your office move the better; even if you’re a year away from your relocation, a quick heads up will do wonders to minimize your costs and your frustration.
Because with ample time, your IT team can work alongside your move planner, your contractors, and your staff to help advance the project forward systematically, and to ultimately guarantee a smooth move.
And you, on the other hand, can continue to focus on your business.