Generally speaking, office relocations have become more complicated than they were a few years ago. Aside from the office equipment and furniture, you also need to relocate your IT infrastructure in the safest way possible, while minimizing disruptions to your daily operations. But due to the complexity of this job, it’s easy to commit mistakes and create headaches.
Thus, in order to avoid stress, below are a few tips for successfully moving your office’s IT infrastructure:
1. Create A Moving Team
When it comes to relocating an office, it’s important that you have a moving team in place who will be responsible for the whole process. This is especially true if you’ve divided the relocation into several parts, including the process of moving your office’s IT (Information Technology) infrastructure.
Also, make sure the team is composed of members who have the ability to manage your IT needs for the transition. By doing this, you can ensure that someone can be your point person in terms of moving your IT infrastructure.
2. Assess Your Office’s IT Infrastructure
Before the scheduled moving day, it’s best if you evaluate your IT infrastructure to make the process smoother. Not only that but you can also use this opportunity to improve your infrastructure as you relocate your office to a new location. But, in doing the assessment, you may need the services of a professional technology consultant to help you with the following:
- Putting together a detailed inventory of all your IT assets
- Evaluating your existing cable needs and find out if there’s a need to expand to meet the requirements of your new office space
- Comparing your existing IT infrastructure with the one in your new location
- Determining placement requirements for your IT needs, including connections, equipment, and peripherals
- Checking all IT upgrades and acquisitions
- Deciding the way you’ll handle any network downtime, including the implementation of strategies that’ll support your operations during the relocation
3. Plan The IT Relocation Project
Once you’re done with the assessment, it’s time to do the planning to streamline the relocation process. Make sure you have enough time to plan everything to avoid problems along the way. Typically, your planning should include the following:
- Budget: Be sure you have a budget in place to cover the costs of the relocation. This means you should consider the expenses concerning the decoration and space planning of the new facility, loss of productivity during the move, start-up costs for the maintenance, and many more.
- New facility’s structure and where your employees sit: It’s also essential to keep this factor in mind to ensure you can lay out your new IT infrastructure based on your new location’s structure. Doing so can avoid technology problems from disrupting your business operations while the move is ongoing.
- Cabling, disaster planning, and power issues at the new office: Don’t forget to consider these things to ensure your IT infrastructure will be relocated safely and without the attendance of unexpected problems. For example, you should make sure you have a plan in place to protect your IT system in case a disaster happens in your area.
- Permits required: Check if there are required permits before you can push through with your IT relocation project. This is to make sure all your efforts are legal and in compliance with certain policies and procedures in your area.
4. Hire A Moving Company
When moving your business’ IT infrastructure, it’s also a good idea to hire a reliable moving company to make the process more seamless. Regardless of whether these professionals are experts at relocating IT-related matters, you still need to have movers near Manhattan or wherever you are, at your side to make your office relocation less stressful. They can take care of the difficult aspects of the process, while you focus on your office’s IT infrastructure and how to successfully transport it to your new location.
However, if you can find a relocation service provider that also specialized in technology relocation, the better. Just make sure to coordinate everything before the movers nyc arrive to ensure a seamless process.
5. Prepare For The IT Relocation Day
The most challenging stage of an office relocation is the moving day. That being said, it’s important that everything is ready to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transition. If you’re planning to upgrade your IT infrastructure, be sure to purchase and install the necessary equipment before the move. That way, it’ll be easy for the business to set up which is crucial for reducing potential downtime.
Also, when it comes to the data from workstations and servers, don’t forget to have them backed up before the relocation. Make sure to label all the equipment and cables for easy installation and to ease confusion in the office. This means that everything should be ready to be assembled during the relocation day to minimize loss of productivity while your IT system is being transferred. And if you need help in doing this, you can work with an experienced moving company NYC which has the necessary tools and equipment to make the transfer as less daunting as possible.
Conclusion
No matter how big or small your business is, moving your office’s IT infrastructure can be a huge undertaking. It requires a lot of planning and coordination to ensure the success of the moving process. Hence, by keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to successfully pull off your IT relocation project from start to finish.
