An Information Technology “IT” check list for businesses that are on the move. If you are moving your business to a new location, opening a new office or branch office then there are some important details related to your IT infrastructure that need to be addressed in advance to make for a smooth transition to your new location.

While each business has unique requirements, below is a general outline of common IT tasks and timeline requirements to consider when planning a move.

60 – 30 days before the move:

  • IT Move planning meeting; meet with your IT firm to identify all of your business IT related move needs and requirements
  • Data and Phone cabling; have your IT firm assess the requirements and provide recommended vendors
  • ISP vendor move or new vendor selection; lead time is a must with ISP’s. Most require a minimum of 30 to 60 days to move or install your data service
  • Plan IT Room / Closet / Cabinet; at a minimum of 60 days before the move have your IT firm address and plan the requirements for housing your IT assets.  Will you need a room, closet or cabinet at your new location to properly house and secure your critical server(s) and network equipment?  Is there special power, cooling or ventilation requirements?
  • Phone Vendor; have your IT firm contact your current phone vendor or help select a new phone vendor to address any special requirements needed to move your phone system

30 – 14 days before the move:

  • IT move readiness meeting; while your IT firm may not move the physical assets, it is important to meet with your IT firm to review their plan for bringing down your IT infrastructure at your current location and once moved, installing it at the new location
  • Large Printers / Copiers / Plotters; have your IT firm verify proper power and network jacks are available at the new location

14 – 7 days before the move:

  • (IT Firm) Verify data / phone cabling was completed correctly
  • (IT Firm) Verify IT room / closet / cabinet was completed correctly and is ready for move-in
  • (IT Firm) Verify ISP / internet is installed and ready
  • Confirm Phone vendor is ready for move day

We hope this has provided some insight for planning and scheduling tasks related to IT infrastructure during a move for small and medium size businesses (SMB’s).  Again, these are general guidelines and we encourage businesses thinking about relocating or opening a new office to involve their IT department or outsourced IT support company during the earliest stages of the planning process.