Technology Considerations for an Office Move

Whether your business is moving to a new location or you’ve outgrown your current office space, a bad location or an increasingly cramped office space is never ideal. Moving to a new (better) location or simply a larger office space can often do wonders for the growth of a business, but there’s still a lot to take care of between shutting the doors on one location and opening them in the next — one of which: how to handle your technology in the move.

If moving to a new office space is on your company’s horizon, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a seamless technology move — in other words, you should consider how your technology will move from one space to another while maintaining function and minimizing downtime. Here are some things to consider before moving day arrives:

The Cloud

Make sure your data is updated and properly stored in the Cloud. While storing data in the Cloud allows for less congested local storage drives, it also ensures that your data is available should anything happen to the local drives in the move (or some other downtime event). Everything from accounting and financial records to CRM data and company files can be stored in the Cloud; the sky’s the limit on what you can store in the Cloud, so take advantage of it!

If you already use cloud-based services and are planning a move, consider having an IT professional clean up your Cloud space for an even smoother moving transition. Conversely, if your business is still storing data on paper, tapes, or just local drives, it’s time to consider upgrading to hybrid cloud storage solutions.

WiFi & Internet

Your company likely relies heavily on WiFi to function, which is why it will be the first thing you will want working in your new office space. To avoid issues on moving day, including prolonged downtime, contact your WiFi supplier to make sure your WiFi connection will be set up BEFORE you move into the new office.

Phone System

Don’t forget your contact system! During an office move, the phone system is another very important business element that should be working at all times. If you will have any expected phone changes or interruptions, notify clients and potential customers with a quick email and a social media post. Clients and customers will still expect someone to answer the phone throughout the moving process, so do whatever you can to maintain that line of communication!

Cabling

Cabling is another important aspect that should be planned for ahead of moving day. Figuring out the cabling for servers, switches, internet, phones, and workstations becomes much more difficult to determine once everything and everyone is in the new office space.  

Plan Ahead with Moving Day

Making a plan for moving day, including the order you will move everything and how, will save you and your team valuable time. Consider what should go in the new office first — for example, desks need to be there before computers arrive — and what should be part of second and third waves of moving. Making a plan for when computers, furniture, and office equipment show up in the new office space will ultimately help your office move go more smoothly.  

Stay Connected on Moving Day

Moving an office is a process — and never an easy one, at that — but careful planning will ensure that you’re always connected to your clients and customers and that all of your data is safe, secure, and ready as you move on to the next chapter of business.