Moving to a new office? Here’s your IT Checklist

Moving into a new office space can be both exciting and stressful. You’ll likely experience some surprises or setbacks that are simply unavoidable, but careful planning beforehand will help you avoid major missteps. Whether you’re an ‘IT team of one’ or have an IT consultant that will do most of the work for you, you must plan every detail of the transition far enough in advance that you never lose services. Remember that several vendors require long lead times for installation, so waiting until the last minute could be detrimental to your organization.

This checklist will help you coordinate your move seamlessly, saving you time and money while keeping your customers and employees happy.

Your IT Checklist

1. Plan ahead

Don’t leave anything to chance and give yourself months in advance to start planning your IT move.

  • Make a site visit to the new office location and review network connections, cabling options, and other physical requirements.
  • Contact all of your existing technology providers, internet service providers (ISPs), and carriers to let them know your expected move date and location.

2. Map your infrastructure requirements

Creating a network and infrastructure map helps you identify potential gaps at the new location. From assessing the number of power outlets and phone lines you need to evaluate the cooling and power needs for server rooms, if applicable, this map will give you a good starting point to cabling, power, and utilities as you move ahead.

3. Evaluate your communication and technology requirements

You wouldn’t drag outdated or unnecessary furniture to your new office. With that same mindset, consider your communications technology as you prepare for a fresh start in a new office. An outdated PBX can easily be replaced with a cost-effective cloud-based solution. In many cases, it makes sense to shift to a cloud or hybrid solution to eliminate aging infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve business processes.

4. Coordinate a site visit with your IT consultant

Now that requirements have been outlined plan a site visit with your IT consultant to make sure you’ve covered all of your bases. During this visit, you should:

  • Review your office configuration to make sure all workstations, power supplies, and cabling points are ideally located.
  • Determine ideal locations for hardware like routers, printers, video conferencing rooms, and other IT-heavy areas.
  • Verify server room requirements such as size, cooling, and security are met.

No IT Consultant? M5 can help!

At M5 Networking, we’ve been helping clients navigate the ever-changing technology landscape for nearly two decades. We can help you manage your communications and infrastructure as you move to your new location. Whether you’re planning your move or have already moved and need help improving the infrastructure, we’ve got you covered. Just give us a call and let us help you get the most out of your new office!