Sooner or later, every company is faced with a relocation. There are many reasons to move: expansion, a desire to change an area, city or country, or maybe just an opportunity for moving to a new business centre to be closer to your customers. But there are even more things you should take into account to make the move go smoothly. The final result and data safety will depend on how well the steps are planned. Of course, the best solution is to work with an experienced company that will take care of all the hassle, but it is important to know exactly what to be prepared for.
Whether you’re moving to a new office entirely, or opening another branch and integrating the new system into an existing one, there are a number of steps you’ll need to follow. The last thing you need is prolonged downtime or unplanned interruptions to business processes, so planning and preparation remain a significant step in the relocation process.
Once you’ve found the right office space, you’ll have to check it thoroughly to make sure it meets all your requirements. Also, it’ll be necessary to design an optimal network layout. It should ensure that all access points, routers, printers, devices, and the server room are in an ideal location. At the same time, it is important at this stage not to forget to:
Prepare a relocation plan, an equipment wiring diagram and a workplaces' layout.
Draw up a list of equipment and materials to be purchased for equipping the new office.
Carry out labelling and documentation of all IT equipment.
Make several backups of all company data systems.
Transition the team to remote work.
Carry out the dismantling of the equipment in the old office.
When all the plans are drawn up, the equipment marked and purchased, you can move on to the next steps:
Find and connect with a reliable Internet service provider, or better still, work with two at once so that you always have a “plan B”.
Transport the equipment to the new office.
Provide an internet connection on-site according to the location diagram.
Install server and network equipment and get it up and running.
Place all computers and equipment according to plan.
Set up networking equipment and telephony.
Before your staff are able to start work, you need to carry out the following steps:
Check that all systems are working properly.
Configure the software.
Connect all users and office equipment.
Get to work in a new office, with renewed energy and inspiration.
It is important to understand that each company has its own requirements and peculiarities, which may appear much later. Therefore, the best solution is to contact an experienced IT outsourcing company and order a “turnkey office relocation” service. For example, os.eco could help you with office relocation, either in Kiev or in another country.
You should prepare for the move several months in advance, to choose the right office space and get your equipment and team ready for such an important event.
A move to a new office is a great opportunity to do a deep cleaning and upgrade old equipment.
Back up your data to make sure you find all your digital assets after the move.
Remember to check the operation of all systems immediately after moving in. Make sure that the following items are working properly:
All servers are running smoothly.
Call forwarding works correctly.
All cloud applications work.
Your network and data are safe.
You have a stable Wi-Fi connection.
To ensure that your move goes flawlessly, you should be aware of some common mistakes and not repeat them.
Organising the move yourself
If you have a complex IT infrastructure, you can face a number of challenges, from missed deadlines to equipment malfunctions.
Insufficient knowledge of the new office
It can lead to the situation when the on-site mains are not able to cope with the load, the server room is not meeting a number of important requirements, and the local provider couldn’t guarantee you stable internet connection speed.
Equipment inspection save your time
Don't neglect to revise and thoroughly inspect elements of your IT infrastructure before and after the move.
Lack of labelling
Lack of labelling on computers, monitors, external drives, servers, network interfaces means that you’ll spend extra time checking and matching.
This is by no means a complete list of the mistakes companies make when moving their IT infrastructure. Each mistake results in a significant loss of time, energy, money, and reputation. Relocations don’t happen very often, so it’s better to be well-prepared for them or to entrust this work to professionals.
If you are just starting to plan your relocation to a new office and want it to go easily, you’re welcome to contact the os.eco team. Our experience will help you move without risks or losses, and our team’s skills will enable you to quickly solve any problems that arise in the process.
And most importantly, working with os.eco, you can be sure that you won’t miss anything: the office will fit all your requirements, the equipment will be connected, all information will be kept safe, and your staff will be happy to get to work.
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