Amidst the chaos of office design, packing, logistics, and ultimately moving into a new office space, don’t forget to plan for IT. Mac Aid, as your IT provider can play a pivotal role in this process, but we can’t do it alone. To help us make it a smooth process and minimize downtime during an office move, consider these planning steps.
Start Early and Communicate
The key to a successful office move is to start planning well in advance. This gives us ample time to prepare and execute a seamless move. 90 days would be ideal, but loop us in as soon as you are deciding to move, even if your new office isn’t definite yet. You would be surprised how many Mac Aid clients phone us for help with their office move on the day of the move, or even afterwards.
Assess the New Office’s Infrastructure
Before moving, assess the infrastructure of your new office space to ensure it meets the technical requirements of your IT environment. This may involve checking power outlets, network cabling, and the availability of high-speed internet connections. If any upgrades or installations are needed, arrange for them well in advance.
Connect the internet!
Allow plenty of time to establish an internet connection at the new site. Be alert to the fact that you may have ongoing contractual agreements with your current internet service provider or hefty relocation fees. If you are connecting with the same provider at your new site, they may be flexible, but some types of internet connection may still have expensive relocation fees. All of this applies to telephone systems too.
Is your wifi holding you back?
Many Mac Aid clients have wifi setups in their offices that have organically grown over the years, as their dependance on them has increased. Moving office is a great time to stop and assess your needs and do wifi properly for your new space. Your staff and visiting clients will thank you for implementing a good spec, modern wifi network. Depending on your workflow, a good wifi network could even replace ethernet in your new office.
Evaluate and Optimize
Even though you likely have a lot of detail and expense to consider for your move, it is also a sensible time to evaluate the performance of your IT infrastructure for the new office. Discuss your long-term IT strategies with Mac Aid to optimize and upgrade your IT systems for the new environment.
Backup Data and Systems
Data loss during an office move can be catastrophic. So this is another time so stop and consider whether your backup strategy is adequate. Your backup strategy should include both on-site and off-site backups to mitigate the risk of data loss during the transition.
Get the printer moved
If you have a large printer under contract with a provider, it may be stipulated that you have them do the move. Moving printers is a big task, and things can go wrong. Printers generally need recalibration after a move as well. If your printer provider does the move you will have the best chance of your printer arriving at the new office in good working condition.
Plan for Downtime
While we will be aiming to minimize downtime, it’s essential to plan for some disruption during the move. Communicate with your team and clients to manage expectations. Have contingency plans in place for critical functions that may be temporarily impacted.
Label all IT equipment
Label all computers and peripherals like mice, keyboards and monitors meticulously. All mice and keyboards look alike, so don’t make your moving day more chaotic by having to spend hours working out which mouse belonged to who. This will make it much easier to get things up and running in the new office.
Secure Your IT Equipment
During the move, your IT equipment is vulnerable to damage or theft. Ensure that your equipment is securely packed, transported, and protected. Use proper packing materials and consider insuring valuable items. Major IT items like servers and networking switches and the like may be best left to Mac Aid to move, given that they need to be uninstalled at your old office, and reinstalled at your new office, with minimal down time.
Update Contact Information
Don’t forget to update your contact information with your IT providers and vendors. This ensures that everyone knows how to reach you at your new location and that you receive essential updates and support.
Provide Training and Support
If your new office setup includes changes to the technology infrastructure, provide training and support to your employees. Ensure they are familiar with any new equipment or software to maximize productivity in the new space.
Moving your office can be a complex undertaking, and your IT infrastructure is a vital part of it. By starting early, communicating effectively, and following these planning steps, you can help Mac Aid as your IT provider help to ensure a smooth transition.
