If you’ve ever managed your way through moving your company to a new location, you know there are hundreds of details that need attention. If you’re about to do so for the first time, your to-do list is likely miles long. There are square footage concerns, floor plans to develop, and workstations, furniture, and décor to plan. There’s the logistical puzzle of keeping your day-to-day operations operating as free from disruption as possible. And don’t get us started on the budgeting and planning meetings leading up to such a move!
Your list is already long, but there’s one massively important item that must be on it: IT support. There could hardly be a greater disaster than realizing only once your equipment and personnel are moved into your shiny new space that your IT infrastructure is incomplete or missing entirely. We’ll be honest: the most efficient way to handle the IT component of moving offices will depend on the nature and size of your business. Here are four areas to consider so that you can determine the best way forward with your move.
Consider Managed IT Support
If you’re leading a small- or mid-sized business, now may be the time to consider outsourcing all or part of your IT support. It may hurt to acknowledge it, but your small in-house IT group may simply not have the skills needed to plan a complex IT rollout in a new location. Even if they can do it, how confident are you that they’re on the bleeding edge of infrastructure deployment and that they’re following best practices? Reality is, their everyday work is far different than this. Perhaps it’s time to bring in experts who do just one thing: managed IT support.
Plan Ahead
Whether you’re using a managed IT support service or going it your own, planning ahead is crucial. Don’t wait until the month or week of the move to develop an IT deployment strategy. Start talking with your IT support as soon as your move is definite. They will inspect your new space and develop a comprehensive IT migration plan.
Early Access Is Key
You don’t want IT to be running around deploying equipment and infrastructure on move-in day. No, that’s a recipe for delay. Consider planning two “day ones” – your first one is early and private, limited to key leaders and IT (or your IT support group). This approach gives IT access to the new office space for deployment and setup, and it gives your key leaders a chance to acclimate to the space before bringing over the masses. Your second “day one” is the highly publicized move-in date. Everyone moves to the new space and steps into a fully functioning office. The IT functions are all in place, and people can get back to work as soon as they’ve unpacked their belongings.
Consider an IT Audit
If you’ve been in your current space for any length of time, you’re sure to have accumulated some tech that’s either out of date or no longer in use. It doesn’t make logistical or financial sense to transport that equipment to your new space. There is the time and effort needed to move it, and then you’ll have to find a place to put it in your new space.
Months before the move, task your IT group with performing an IT audit. They can identify and document the equipment that will move with you and the equipment that won’t. Now is the time to replace anything that’s out of date or on the verge of needing to be replaced anyway. Any new purchases can be deployed in the new location prior to the move, which will further simplify move-in day.
Move-in day will be here before you know it, and it’s crucial to have an IT migration plan in place. A managed IT support service can help make your move as smooth as possible. If you’re nervous about handling this all in-house, contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about IT support.