Has hybrid and remote working left you and your team rattling around an office that’s too big? If you’re now in the position of overspending on rent, utilities and cleaning, you might be thinking about moving to another location – or even abandoning the office completely.
That’s something that will take some planning if you want a smooth transition with minimal, expensive downtime.
Moves are always stressful, and relocating your IT systems takes a bit more thought than manhandling a desk up the stairs.
So here are our top three suggestions to make it easier to shift your IT setup to a new location.
Use a checklist
Treat this like any other project. Use a to-do list where you check off each step so that nothing’s forgotten. Allocate every task on the list to specific people, so everyone knows who’s responsible for what.
Refer to your checklist regularly with progress reviews a month before, a week before, a day before, and on the day of the move. Have another list for unpacking at the other end.
Give your internet provider notice
We rely on internet connections for most of what we do, but it’s common to allow too little time for this to be set up. It can take six weeks to arrange, install and test the connection so it’s ready for the day of moving. Allow plenty of notice to avoid unwanted stress on the day of the move.
If it’s a new building or a refit, specify all the outlets and connections you want – don’t leave it to the builder to assume as it will cost more to make changes later.
Use a professional
If it’s just a couple of machines it could be a DIY job. But for most moves, it’s more involved than just disconnecting a few cables and reconnecting them. It’s too easy for everything to become confusing and become over complicated.
A good IT professional will have this process down to a fine art and will disconnect and reconnect your whole network efficiently and with minimal downtime.
If you’re thinking about a move to new premises and need help planning for it, we can help… get in touch.