You’ve picked out the new building, you’ve told all your employees and clients, and now it’s time for the fun part — actually moving offices! This process involves a lot of moving parts, but with thorough preparation and the right partners, you can make sure your IT office move goes smoothly, protecting your technology, your data, and your time.
To help, we’ve created an office & server relocation checklist to help you manage the process with ease. As you’re preparing for an office move, read through these 4 steps to make sure your bases are covered.
IT Office Relocation Checklist
1. Make Arrangements in Advance
Chances are good you work with third parties for networking, telecommunications, and equipment. Make sure you let these partners know about the move and that they are prepared to assist where necessary. Make these calls at least 90 days before the move-out date and be prepared to provide the address of your new location. Kinetix can handle this communication and coordination on your behalf for all IT-related third-party vendors.
2. Get the Site Ready
Visit the site ahead of time to check out what you’re working with. You should be on the lookout for the number of data ports & power outlets available and start planning locations for your devices, Wi-Fi access points, workstations, and any additional cabling.
From here inspect the MPOE (minimum point of entry) and network closet. Is there a secure rack for your equipment available? Does the data cabling meet modern standards?
Finally, consider the effect the new location might have on your equipment. Ensure the building meets requirements for cooling, physical security, and electrical capabilities.
3. Evaluate Your Equipment
Your business is moving up in the world — shouldn’t your equipment be doing the same? An IT office move is a great time to consider an upgrade, or at least a “spring cleaning.”
Take a thorough inventory of all your assets and make changes as needed. You can sell some unneeded devices, migrate remaining on-prem services to the cloud, get new equipment, or even just use this time to organize what you already have.
This is also when you should reevaluate your internet services. Do you need a higher capacity to match your organization’s growth? Is now the time to downsize to match a headcount decrease in this new location? Consider this now so you can install any required hardware during or before the move. You don’t want to be stuck in a new office with no internet connection!
4. Test the New Network
Work with your IT and internet provider while you’re in the new office to make sure everything’s working correctly. Check that phones, servers, networks, email systems, websites, and other equipment are working before you send them on their way so that you have them there to troubleshoot in case anything goes wrong.
Partner With Kinetix for Office Relocation Assistance
If an office move is on the horizon, make sure you’ve got the pros in your corner. The Kinetix team excels in inventory management, security essentials, and IT support. So whether you already work with us or are looking for some IT assistance during an upcoming move, we’re here to help. Reach out today to learn more!
