Odds are, your IT equipment is a major component of keeping everything in your organization running smoothly. That’s why the hustle and bustle of a corporate relocation can be so stressful. To get a smooth start at your new address, you’ll need to make sure that all of your data is appropriately stored and transferred—and that everything gets hooked up correctly.

Preparing for Your Corporate Relocation

There are many steps to follow for a streamlined corporate relocation. Managing your IT needs is just one piece of the puzzle. To keep these needs on track, it helps to start out with an inventory check. What equipment does your company currently own? Not every asset needs to make the move. Do you have certain items that are out of commission?

Your relocation process is a good time to trim down unnecessary supplies and recycle some old company electronics. But before they go, you’ll need to do a complete purge of any data on the devices. Then you can safely dispose of them at a recycling or donation center and get some more space for at your new site.

The next part of your inventory check is to think through any new equipment needs that might arise. If your company is in growth mode, now is probably the time to add more computers, printers, and office phones to your setup. For example, will your new location have additional conference rooms? Finding the appropriate projectors and hookups for these areas in advance will help you get going right away after your big move.

IT Department Moving Day Checklist

The days leading up to your official move-in date will undoubtedly be busy. So it’s important to make sure that your teams have already backed-up all of their data in advance. Covering your bases with both hardware storage and cloud-based systems can help give you peace of mind that nothing will be lost in the transition. If everything is saved properly, you shouldn’t have any problems getting off the ground on day one at the new address.

Assuming that the back-up plans have been completed, the actual moving day checklist will typically involve transporting your server, desktop computers, and business phone systems. Unlike the paper files and certain furniture pieces that can be moved whenever, it’s hard to transport these items in advance of the actual address change. Your team will likely be using them right up to the moving deadline.

To ensure that your communication equipment is handled appropriately, it’s a good idea to have a few specific “moving managers” for the de-installation and installation tasks. You can obviously let your team members manage their own basic office supplies, but any other equipment on their workspace should probably be handled by an expert. An IT professional (either a contractor or someone internal) can help simplify these steps and get everything packed in a secure way.

This is especially true for your business phone system. If you try to move this equipment yourself, it may void any warranties that still exist on your phone system. For that reason alone, it’s never really a good idea for a company to move entirely on their own. Plugging the phones into the wrong port or not properly powering off equipment might cause unrepairable damage. It’s better to partner with an experienced pro.

Plan Early and Stay Secure

Figuring out as many details as you can in advance will help you stay clear of headaches later on. Setting up internet is often priority number one. But after you get your computers, phone systems, and access control figured out, you’ll might still have other IT features to organize.

If your team ever needs assistance getting everything squared away, a contractor can help. For example, here at Enhanced Telecommunications and Data, we regularly work with clients on equipment consultations. When you have an expert you trust, it’s a lot easier to get the right tools for all of your day-to-day operations. From your company’s phone systems to your cloud hosting, we work to make sure you have the right technology for all of your communication needs. To learn more, check out our blog for other articles, or call (208) 947-3900.