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IT Relocation Checklist: Moving Your Cables, Data, Computers, and Servers to a New Location

Performing a well-organized, efficient, and cost-saving office move with as little disruption to your business operations as possible takes a great deal of skill, planning, and expertise. Arguably, the most important component of any office move is organizing, packing, transporting, and installing your IT infrastructure at your new office location. Whether you’re planning to bring all of your IT equipment with you or donating some of it to make room for newer devices, it’s important to have a stringent IT relocation plan in place before, during, and after moving day.

A starting point is to come up with a comprehensive IT relocation checklist that includes all of the items you intend to keep, discard, and donate. You should also include a separate to-do list as well so that you can keep track of all of the IT-related tasks that need to be completed during the moving process. Working with the professional office movers at SFI Group Limited can help ensure that everything goes according to plan and alleviate some of the stress of moving to a new location.

Stage One: Pre-Move IT Checklist

Stage one of your IT relocation involves the most planning. It sets the tone for how the rest of the move will play out. First, start off by creating a detailed list of all of your IT technology. Separate the list into different categories including what you’re taking, what stays at your current location, what you’re donating or disposing of, and what needs to be replaced or purchased.

This is probably the most time consuming and labourious aspect of preparing to relocate your entire IT infrastructure. It involves a lot of decision-making on your part, but it’ll be well worth it in the end. Computers, servers, wires, cables, telephones, and other devices should all be categorized accordingly. After you’ve made a list of all the items you’re keeping and so on, you should then separate those items based on their technological categories and label each box accordingly.

Next, make sure to schedule a site visit to your new office location with the head of your IT department. They’ll need time to map out the new IT infrastructure and recommend changes that need to be made. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to make the necessary changes and order or purchase new equipment. It’s recommended that you schedule site visits at least two to three months in advance to give potential carriers enough time to set up your technology and configure the space as needed.

Most importantly—and this can’t be emphasized enough—always make sure to back up all of your important data and make digital copies of all paperwork. Use multiple platforms to back up your data including online storage systems, external hard drives, and USB keys. That way, if one of these methods fails for whatever reason, at least you’ll have multiple backup systems in place. There’s nothing more devastating to a business than losing vital sensitive data.

Stage Two: Moving Day IT Checklist

By this point, your IT staff or carrier provider should have surveyed the entire office, organized and packed all of the necessary equipment, and delegated tasks to specific staff members. To ensure everything is moving along like a well-oiled machine, it helps to have a detailed blueprint of the new office so that your IT staff can map out where and how all of your electronic equipment will be installed.

The type, location, and the amount of the items to be installed depends on the specifications of your business and new office layout. Planning ahead, however, guarantees that all of the equipment is accounted for and installed in a timely manner. The goal is to limit the amount of disruptions to your operations and get your business back up and running as quickly as possible without compromising on quality installations.

During the site visits, you and the head of your IT department should have created a comprehensive list of all of the items needed and tasks to be completed on moving day. This includes:

If you don’t have a designated IT department just yet, the professional movers at SFI Group Limited are fully trained in packing, transporting, and installing IT infrastructure. We’ll work with you from the beginning planning stages of your commercial move and ensure proper installation of all of your furniture and IT equipment.

Stage Three: Post-Move IT Checklist

At SFI Group Limited, we work with a wide range of skilled and experienced technicians and IT specialists to ensure that all of your equipment is properly installed and in working order just in time for you to resume your business operations. We create custom post-move checklists based on the technological specifications of your business and new office location. All technical installations are checked multiple times for service quality, Internet connectivity, network speed, and most importantly, cybersecurity.

Data cables are professionally installed and monitored by our team of technicians. They also install all necessary software to your technological devices to keep your systems secure from hackers and free of viruses.

Network connections, phone lines, incoming and outgoing e-mails, servers, intranet, and extranet should all be aptly tested to reduce the risk of losing connectivity and security breaches.

Let Us Help You Plan Your IT Relocation in Toronto and the GTA

Without proper planning, there’s a lot that can go wrong during your office move—particularly when it comes to relocating your IT infrastructure. At SFI Group Limited, not only can we help you organized and manage every aspect of your commercial move from the planning stages to execution, but we also employ environmentally responsible moving practices so you can minimize your impact on the planet. The faster we get you moved and settled into your new place, the sooner you can focus on your business. Contact us today to learn more.


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