Dos & Don'ts of an IT Relocation
Planning and executing an IT Relocation can be complex business, there is valuable IT equipment to relocate, servers to consider, migration of data and emails and all this has to be accomplished without any disruption to your business.
You'll need to carefully plan your IT Relocation in advance, and this means having a basic understanding of what you should and shouldn't be doing so that your IT equipment is set up without any hassles or disruption in the new office.
DO
Backup all your data (or make sure your backup is up-to-date) prior to the relocation.
DO
Hire an IT Relocation Company if you are moving more complex equipment such as servers or you are concerned about connectivity in the new office.
DO
Establish your IT requirements quickly in the new office and work out what additional cabling you need to install, as well as location and number of phone lines so that this can be all sorted prior to the move.
DO
Label all IT equipment and peripherals (i.e. which jack lead goes with which computer etc.) otherwise, everything will all look the same when you unpack at the other end!
DO
Undertake a full review of your IT equipment and business phones as moving office can prove an ideal opportunity to upgrade to new equipment and introduce more efficient communication processes.
DON'T
Leave ordering new phone lines and/or ISDN lines until the last minute. Telecom companies tend to have long lead times so establishing your requirements early will avoid any delays or disruption to business.
DON'T
Take old and redundant IT equipment with you to the new office. It will only clutter up the moving truck and the new office - recycle it and start afresh!
DON'T
Forget to see if the new office support wi-fi and structured cabling. If these are essential to the running of your business, you need to be sure they're possible.
DON'T
Assume that your internal IT Team can manage and handle the IT Relocation. Many of them do not have the time or expertize such a complex migration of equipment. They should, however, be involved in the planning as they will provide invaluable input.
DON'T
Move office without an IT Test Plan so that you can be 100 per cent sure all IT equipment is working correctly in the new office before staff arrive.
Use the IT Relocation Checklist to get your PCs and business phones relocated and working without a hitch in the new office.
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