Undertaking an office relocation can be one of the most challenging processes faced by a business. Whether you’re moving to reach a different market, to cut costs, or because you’ve outgrown your existing space, an office relocation will present a number of unique challenges. The office relocation process is rendered particularly sensitive as it often entails the removal and transit of sensitive data bearing assets.
In this article, we outline five crucial steps to take to ensure a secure and successful office relocation.
1. Plan Early
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, and you should begin planning your office relocation many months in advance of the actual move date. Planning your relocation far in advance allows you to take inventory of all sensitive data assets, both physical and digital, and to make note of sensitive assets that may require special security measures.
When planning a secure office relocation, another question to consider in advance is who is going to oversee the operation, and are the team responsible for the move aware of their responsibilities? You will also want to consider what third party vendors you will be engaging to assist in the move, which brings us onto our next step.
2. Choose a Reliable IT Relocation Company
Managing a successful office relocation is a significant undertaking for any company, which is why it’s important to delegate technical and high-risk elements such as IT relocation to a specialist vendor. A specialist IT relocation company will be able to come into your existing workspace and help to decommission your IT equipment, carefully auditing each item and preparing it for transit. A reliable IT relocation vendor will ensure all items are tracked throughout their journey, and will finally help to assist in setting up the equipment at your new premises.
3. Prioritise Security
There will be many tasks and considerations for you to juggle in the course of your office relocation, but you should always be mindful to prioritise the security of your data bearing assets throughout the process. One of the great liabilities you hold as a company in 2019 is the data of your customers, clients and employees. Companies are accustomed to maintaining vigilant in the face of growing data and cybersecurity threats, but an office relocation presents new vulnerabilities that don’t exist day to day, with equipment out of place, and the entire workplace in a state of flux. Once again, ensure that the individuals or vendors responsible for the security of your data bearing assets take ownership for this task, and aware of the special importance of their role.
4. Create a Chain of Custody
Creating a chain of custody is imperative in any secure office relocation. This will enable you to audit, track and trace all assets involved in the relocation process. In the unfortunate but not unlikely event that a piece of equipment is misplaced in the process of moving offices, your chain of custody will enable you to refer to your records to see the last recorded location of the item, as well as the individual or party responsible for it.
5. Choose the Right Time to Move
Finally, make your office relocation easier on your company by moving during an off-peak time of year. Depending on the nature of your business, what constitutes ‘off-peak’ will vary from company to company. One thing you can be sure of, however, is that summer is generally the busiest period for moving companies, meaning it may be preferable to avoid moving in this period if at all possible. You may also want to consider the time of day of your move. Undertaking an ‘out of hours’ move can be beneficial as you are able to get the bulk of the move done with minimal disruption to day to day operations.
With over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, tier1 have assisted a vast number of different businesses in office relocations. As the UK’s most accredited ITAD supplier, we also possess the skills, accreditations and experience to handle our clients’ data with the care they deserve, and to dispose of these responsibility and securely.
Contact us today on 0161 777 1000 or visit https://www.tier1.com to find out how we can assist you in arranging a secure office relocation.
