Moving your business is something that takes careful planning and strategic organization. Your company depends on a smooth move, so you likely spent hours researching movers and developing a moving strategy. Yet, when it comes to transporting the tech in your office you need to consider the following:
- How will you keep the data on those computers secure?
- How will you prevent damage as you prepare to move?
- How can you ensure everything is set up and ready to go when you open your doors at your new location?
Purchase Appropriate Insurance
When moving tech, look closely at the insurance the moving company offers. If it is a per-pound insurance option, which is quite common, you may need additional insurance. Technology is worth far more than what it would get at a few cents per pound. You can purchase additional insurance to cover your technological investments through your insurance provider or from the moving company.
Consider a Backup
No matter how careful you are, something may be damaged in the move. While the insurance will cover damaged property, what happens to those irreplaceable files contained on the computer?
One way to ensure that your data is safe is to back up the most important data to the cloud. Even if the moving truck explodes into an inferno on the freeway on its way to your new location, your data will still be protected. Cloud computing provides a viable and often affordable option for storing your data for these types of catastrophes.
The Physical Move
Place one IT person in charge of the moving of the tech items, and ask the moving company and your other employees to report to that individual. This person can also figure out a system for packing the tech while keeping the cables and cords where they need to be so you can quickly set up at your new location. You may wish to bag all of the cables for a particular machine and tape them to the actual machine. If all of the machines use the same or similar cables, you can box the cables according to type, and simply fish out what you need from the box when you are setting up. Consult with the moving company as to the best way to keep these items organized during the move.
This moving company should load the computers and other pieces of technology either upright or flat, depending on how it was designed. These items should move as little as possible to avoid damaging the internal components. If you work with a moving company that has experience with moving tech, moving should be a breeze.
