Growth in business is a great and exciting thing. Profits increase, steady workflow and job security for employees helps company morale. Inevitably however the space your business started in can become too small and suddenly you have logistics issues and find you have to move to a bigger location. Moving your corporate office to a new location can be a daunting task.

Relocating an office is about more than just packing up boxes, moving them across town or across the country, and then unpacking. When it comes to your information technology department, there are a lot of moving parts. IT infrastructure such as networks and cabling, internet connectivity, phone system, and business systems need to be taken into consideration. All of which requires substantial planning, preparation and time to implement before you are in your new space.

A well planned IT relocation project results in a seamless move that has as little an impact on the daily function of your company and the employees as possible, with no unscheduled downtime. Success is essentially invisible. Failure however is not.

Here are a few tips and big picture questions you should be asking:

1. Plan Ahead - Many companies feel they've covered the bases when the real estate deal is done and the move is scheduled for internal personnel. Its almost an after thought that .."Oh we need to get Internet at the new building". Business grade Internet takes 30 days or more to get ordered and installed at a new location. Moving your IT should be first priority rather than last.

Consider these questions....

Are we moving the network as is or do we want to take this opportunity to implement a network design that will better accommodate future growth?
Will the new location/staff require new infrastructure and new bandwidth requirements?
Is there sufficient structured data cabling ready and tested or do we need to provide that?

Are there adequate data ports at each workstation?

Is the new location wired for WIFI points that provide optimal coverage or do we need to provide that?
Are fiber service available at the new location we selected?
Do we keep our current phone system or take this opportunity to move to a more agile hosted VoIP solution?
What kind of schedule will be the least disruptive to all business units? What is a realistic time frame given the need to order voice and data circuits, install cabling etc.

2. Upgrade your IT - Moving or otherwise opening a new location is the best time to improve infrastructure and systems. Don't assume that means a bunch of out of pocket investment. Tech companies have come to learn that businesses need low up front costs to justify upgrades and have changed their pricing to reflect that.

3. Work with a telecom/IT consultant - A consultant will often have relationships with all your technology providers and can alleviate much of the stress when it comes to moving an existing office or even just opening a new one.

A consultant will help you free of charge to do:

Network Design and implementation
Move planning to minimize downtime and avoid mishaps
Carrier service pricing, procurement and paperwork
Network and telecom cabling installation
Carrier and network service and equipment installation management
Surveillance and security system pricing, procurement and installation management
Project management and vendor coordination and management

A consultant will guide you before, during and after your move to minimize disruptions to your daily operations. From establishing communication plans, timelines and budgets to supervising your move-related vendors and ensuring they deliver on time and within budget. Moving your corporate headquarters or just setting up a new office can be both exciting and stressful. Make sure you ask the right questions, create a plan with timeline and simply by working with a telecom consultant to make sure your new office set up goes smooth and business disruption is minimized.

Here are a few links to helpful resources in planning your move: