You’ve found a new office space and are excited for the move but have a million things to do to prepare. When you’re relocating to a new office or opening one for the first time there several logistics to manage to ensure things go smoothly. One of the biggest to orchestrate is the moving of your IT infrastructure.
Computers, routers, printer, phones, and all their connectors all need to be dismantled and reassembled correctly so you can hit the ground running on day 1 at the new place.
Securely moving all that data and hardware can be a daunting task. Having a good game plan to follow during an office relocation makes a big difference in the success of the IT move and setup.
Our Moving Experts at ManagedIT have successfully completed more than 100 office IT moves and setups at new offices. We’ve helped companies from other countries set up a local branch office in Singapore and handled all aspects of their IT move from VOIP setup to procuring an internet access provider.
Today, we’re sharing some of our best tips to make IT office moves go smoothly. First, let’s look at some costs associated with office relocation.
How Much Does It Cost to Move an Office?
Costs for moving an office vary according to the area and the size of your current space. For example, Cost Helper estimates the costs for packing and moving a 3,000 square foot office at between $1,500 to $9,000. Another estimate from Bedrock Realty estimates about $6 per square foot for direct relocation costs.
Both of those estimates, however don’t include indirect relocation costs, which can include:
- Staff time for the move and lost productivity during the disruption
- Downtime during the move and any missed sales due to that
- Updating your office business cards, printed materials, and stationary items
- Announcing your move to customers
An organized office move can reduce downtime and associated costs.
By following some of our ManagedIT tried and true IT moving tips, you can minimize (or eliminate) downtime, disruption, and the associated costs.
Move Like Pro with These 6 IT Moving Tips
One of the reasons that companies call on ManagedIT to handle moving their IT during office relocations is the peace of mind it gives them. We treat every customer’s technology infrastructure as if it were our own and employ the utmost security and professionalism during the move.
Here are a few tips to consider when relocating your IT network and devices to a new office.
Make a Site Plan for the New Office
You may think you can just generally know where to put everything when you get to a new office, but that’s a recipe for confusion and a longer period of downtime. It’s smart to visit the new office site and map out the floorplan and be sure to include power outlets.
Then decide where all work stations, phones, printers, routers, etc.. are going to reside and where it best makes sense for your office workflow. Draw this out on your floorplan map. You may find you need to install a new power outlet or install some shelving in order for your setup to fit the new space perfectly.
Having a map of where everything is going, your IT infrastructure and furniture, saves considerable time and headache and facilitates a fast move-in.
Streamline and Upgrade Where Necessary
If you have some old printers or computers you rarely use, there’s no reason to cart them over to your new office to just continue collecting dust.
Preparing for an office relocation is a great time to upgrade any needed computers or devices and streamline to remove tech that isn’t being used any longer, so when you get to the new office your technology is at its most efficient.
Make an Office Move Checklist
There are multiple details included with an office move, more than just getting your things from point A to point B. Create a checklist of all items that need to be done in advance of the move, the week of, and the day of the move, and timeframe them all. Make sure to assign the staff member responsible for each item so no one thinks someone else is handling something.
Here’s an example of a few of the items to include:
- Moving utilities, phone service, electricity, etc..
- Creating an inventory of office equipment
- Disposing of any items not being moved to the new space
- Obtaining packing boxes
- Scheduling moving company for equipment and IT
- Sending moving notices to customer
- Checking in equipment at the new office
Inventory All Devices and Hardware
The best way to ensure not a single power cord or laptop gets lost during the move is to make a complete inventory of all your IT assets, down to every phone handset and connector.
Use this inventory to check off when you’ve mapped an asset to the new floorplan, when you’re packing each item, and when each item is installed at the new office.
Create a Moving Communication Plan
A master communication plan can make your whole move go more smoothly, both in the days leading up to the move and especially the day of the move. Include staff and vendors that are assisting with the move.
Decide which staff are going to be on deck that day to assist with the move and who is going to be “on call” to come in if needed. Create a text group so everyone can communicate quickly and effectively to answer questions or give direction.
Secure and Backup All Data
Be sure you have a good backup and recovery plan in place and back up everything before your move. You might think that just a quick drive across town would be fairly safe, but you never know when a device or computer may get dropped or damaged during a move.
Having a fresh back up of all computers, servers, and mobile devices will protect you should anything get damaged during transit.
Looking for Help with Your IT During an Office Move?
The best tip we can give you is to have a professional take care of moving your office technology. ManagedIT has a team of moving pros that can disconnect, transport, and reconnect your equipment perfectly so you can get back to business.
If you’re relocating or setting up a new office, contact us for a free estimate at +65 6748 8776 or through our contact form.
ManagedIT.SG is an IT Support, IT Solutioning and Managed IT Service Provider specializing in serving Small Businesses in Singapore. Call us at +65 6748 8776 and let us manage your Small Business IT today!