Fandotech IT Business Solutions

5 IT Considerations When Planning an Office Move

Tweet

 

Moving? Don't forget to plan for moving your technology infrastructure. A mistake here could cost you days of business (or even longer!). This month we present five things to consider when planning an office move.

1. Take inventory. Make a list of all your IT assets. This list can be supplemented with additional notations about where the equipment is coming from and going to. Also, use the list to purge the "junk" you're not taking with you. Set up an eBay account to sell off the equipment you don't need and donate or discard the rest.
2. Diagram your network. Know how your current network fits together. Use this to plan your new infrastructure, taking care to note the differences between the old and new. Make sure you have all new equipment on-hand for the move so there are no hold-ups.
3. Make backups. You know this already, but it's worth reiterating. Make a Business Continuity plan, which should include backing up your current data before the move. Plan what to do if your technology doesn't work right away after the move (gnashing of the teeth isn't good enough for most businesses).
4. Consider fire suppression and cooling systems for your server room. You shouldn't use sprinklers in a server room, so make sure there's an alternate fire suppression method in place. A new office building may not receive it's Certificate of Occupancy if fire suppression of some kind isn't in place. Also, plan adequate cooling for the room. A server room running numerous servers can get quite warm and overwhelm the building's general air conditioning system.
5. Hire a professional IT firm to assist with the move. Sometimes you need help getting all these pieces in place. Bring in a professional organization that can help you plan your move and support you throughout the process, even if you already have an internal IT team.

Do you have any office move horror stories? We'd love to hear about it! We can all learn from others' mistakes. Comment below.