The office role as a place to work has come under critical analysis in our current environment, focusing less on where work happens and more on worker productivity. Despite a largely dispersed workforce, many companies have found success with a remote work strategy and are capitalizing on change. Some companies may see a hybrid workforce as an opportunity to relocate to a smaller office footprint, potentially reducing real estate operating expenses and reallocating the savings to technology upgrades. Office relocations can open up many possibilities; however, a poorly executed move can cause substantial disruption. Below are key technology considerations to ensure a smooth office transition with as little disruption as possible.
According to Google Community Mobility Reports, which presents aggregated and anonymized data from Google Maps, workplace presence in New England is down about 35% from their baseline measurement in January 2020. With approximately 1/3 of workers still not back in the office, what is happening to all that idle office space? Instead of collecting dust, companies can consider moving to modern and more flexible workspaces. Moving presents an excellent opportunity to take a step back and think about upgrading and modernizing existing technology systems.
Throughout the lockdown, many companies realized the productivity increases that came with remote work, yet uncovered some limitations as well. Group activities like collaboration events and job interviews most certainly benefit from face-to-face interaction, indicating the need for a home base. The office space may no longer need to accommodate 100% employee capacity, but function as a smaller meeting hub for clients and employee interactions.
Once a decision is made to reduce the footprint and relocate an office, the next critical step is to find a trusted information technology (IT) managed service provider (MSP) to provide IT project consulting and help orchestrate the technology move. Whether it's corresponding with clients, maintaining core business applications, or ensuring monitors function properly, technology is what keeps a business up and running. Almost any downtime in this area can be costly and disruptive so partnering with the right MSP is key for a smooth transition.
According to the Project Management Institute 2021 Pulse of the Profession® report, roughly 25% of IT projects failed to meet goals, and over 35% exceeded budgets. With these high percentages, it's essential to consider Project Management support to ensure your technical project's success.
When deciding on the right IT consultant, it can be helpful to know some of the items that might appear on your move's project checklist. Here is a sample selection of questions our Project Management team asks when assisting a client in a significant office move:
WHERE
- Where are you moving to and when will you have access to the new space?
- Where is the data closet? Does it have power, temperature controls, racks, and a patch panel?
- Where is the telephone equipment and modem located in the building?
- Where is a secure space to store equipment?
WHEN
- When are you breaking down your current network? When are you moving the equipment?
- When do you need to be out of the old building?
- When will the internet & WAN services be delivered?
- When will phone service be delivered?
WHO
- Who is providing the data cabling and/or hanging your wireless access points?
- Who is providing internet at the new location?
- Who is your security provider? Who is providing physical access to the building? Who do we get the building keys from?
- Who is your phone & printer vendor? Who is the electrician?
WHAT
- What changes will you need to wireless access? Will you need less/more hardware? Will you need changes to your network?
- What type of bandwidth will you need? What is your new IP address range?
- What type of phone system will you need?
- What is the division of labor between vendors and the organization?
These are a few questions an experienced IT project manager will need answers for when mapping out a project charter for a successful office move. As you can see, there's a lot to consider and why it is necessary to seek out a reputable IT consultant for project management. The IT vendor is a key partner in any office move and will spearhead the operation from a technology standpoint, leaving you to concentrate on everything else.
If you are considering a critical technology project such as office relocation, secure cloud data migration, or custom software development, customers can please reach out to your account manager, and others please call us at 888.624.6737, or email us at info@systemsengineering.com.
