For the past few months, I have been work on a Headquarters relocation project. I am focusing on the Information Technology portion of the transition. As you may know an office move can be a complex undertaking. While you might think it is a simple process, the work of moving an office can be riddled with challenges and additional considerations that you might not think about—especially if it is your first move.
Before we get to the list, there here are several higher level considerations that you should keep in mind to ensure that an office move goes smoothly. Take time to understand the overall plan. It is important that someone takes charge to develop an overall plan with deadlines, schedule and a chart of accountability. Understanding who the key players will be in the transition will do much to reduce communication barriers that will arise during the course of action. The information Technology portion is just one component to that plan. Alignment must be maintained all around. A person with strong project management process skills/experience will help smooth the process. Here are some key IT considerations for an office move:
Assess your current IT infrastructure
Before you begin planning your office move, it’s important to assess your current IT infrastructure. This includes identifying your existing hardware and software inventories, assessing your network infrastructure, and determining your current connectivity options. One must ensure the inventory records are updated. If there is any any equipment past its useful life, a plan for disposal should be considered. This might cut down on the time and amount of transport costs. In your research, you need to learn what vendors are required. Consider what are the needs for server room set up at the new location? You need to research whether broadband or fiber needs to be laid in more remote areas to ensure your office meets the same connectivity speeds. This might also require learning the typology and wiring of the IP phones and PCS.
Plan your new IT infrastructure
Once you’ve assessed your current IT infrastructure, you can begin planning your new IT infrastructure. Take time to diagram your wifi access points and network cabling needs. This includes determining your new hardware and software needs, assessing your new network infrastructure, and identifying new connectivity options. At this point, you should determine if some systems can be moved into cloud or need to backed up appropriately.
Coordinate with your phone and internet service provider
Your phone/internet service provider (ISP) will play a critical role in your office move. Engage them early in the discussions so they can align with your expected move date. They will advise if you have the bandwidth and connectivity options you need at your new location. They will need to know if you will move all the phone lines and if you need additional analog lines at the new location. Alternatively, you may consider transitioning to a cloud-based phone system, which can be easier to relocate. These might include vendors such as Ring Central or even Google Voice.
Backup and data security:
Data loss and security breaches are a major risk during office moves. Make sure to back up your data and implement appropriate security measures to protect your data during the move.
Select a moving company that keeps technology safe and secure
Make sure the moving company understands the sensitive nature of the items requiring transportation. With hundred of thousands or even millions of dollars in equipment, you want to be sure nothing goes awry. It is certainly not like loading your bed onto a uHaul!
Plan Your Downtime Schedule
The Staff will need to be informed when to expect downtime or understand methods to access systems and files remotely using a VPN. If systems are moved to cloud based systems, the ISP can advise what your options are. However, staff should understand the expected timeframe when they will need to work from home or if the reconfigurations will be completed off schedule to avoid staff disruptions.
Work with an technical and project management professionals
This is crucial unless you have a technology background. If you are project managing a move, an IT professional on the team can help you plan and execute your office move, ensuring that your IT infrastructure is set up correctly at your new location and systematically shut down at the former. If you do not have a IT Team, an IT vendor with project management expertise should be consulted. They can also provide support during the move and help you address any issues that arise.
Finally, the most important aspect is developing and maintaining a project plan. It is essential to know the big picture and plan your roadmap to success, so you can be agile and make adjustments along the way. Otherwise you risk everyone scrambling to fix challenges and get lost in the minutiae of details–someone must always remain focused on the big picture and bring the team together periodically to reduce working in silos. By keeping these IT considerations in mind, you can help ensure that your office move goes smoothly and that your IT infrastructure is up and running at your new location.
