Moving office is one of the most stressful things a business can do. Whether you’re relocating or expanding there are many things to consider and plan for in advance. As both an Internet Service Provider and VoIP experts, Spitfire has been managing business office moves for many years, and has the knowledge and experience to make sure your move is as seamless and hassle-free as possible.
We spoke to Sandy Sinclair, a Project Manager at Spitfire since 2001 and asked what his 5 key considerations are when a business is moving office:
- What internet services are available at your new site and what is the lead time?
You need to establish what internet connection is best suited to your business needs and then review which wholesale providers can offer that service in the new location. Understanding who can provide your connection can not only speed up the installation process but also help improve resiliency and reduce costs.
Spitfire work with 6 different wholesale providers and can help you identify which providers are available (On-Net) at your new site helping speed up the install process and ensure you receive the most competitive cost with a resilient backup solution. We would also recommend you speak with the building manager/landlord to confirm which wholesale providers are already in the building.
- Does your new office have the right cabling?
You’ll need to find out if your new site has the correct cabling for your connections. If you are planning to use existing cabling you’ll need to check if the network points are in the correct locations. If you need to install new cabling you’ll need to decide whether you want converged or separate voice and data networks. If you decide on separate networks you’ll need to make sure there’s enough network points at each station. If your new office is being refurbished before you move in, you’ll need to know what cabling needs to remain and what needs to be replaced.
As part of our project plan Spitfire can include a project management site visit and if required arrange for detailed cable testing to be completed prior to the move to advice if the cabling onsite is sufficient to help the install run as smoothly as possible and there are no disastrous cabling surprises on install day. Where cabling is not sufficient we can work with a cabling company on your behalf to provide a working solution.
- Are you aware of the necessary procedures the new building management/Landlord will require you to follow when installing services into the building?
The most common reason for a delay when installing Fibre Ethernet is the need for a wayleave. A wayleave agreement is usually between the landlord/grantor and the wholesale provider installing the infrastructure and it is the responsibility of the tenant to speak with the landlord and understand what wayleave process is required. The quicker a wayleave is agreed by all parties, the faster the fibre circuit will be installed. It is also important to understand what procedure is in place for allowing engineers to gain access to the building. The engineer may need to access multiple rooms in a building and so the landlord should advice how best this can be managed.
At Spitfire we have a significant amount of experience in dealing with wayleaves. We can offer advice on how best to manage the wayleave process but the most prevalent advice we can give is to enquire about the Wayleave process and any procedures for engineers gaining access to the building with the landlord at the earliest possible stage and ideally build this into your lease agreement so that your landlord doesn’t charge extra or add unnecessary delays.
4.How are you going to ensure continuity of service during your move?
Will the business want to keep existing numbers or have new local numbers provided? Maybe both. What will happen to all inbound calls during the office move? Is there a second office to divert calls to? Maybe calls can divert to mobiles? Maybe to a voicemail explaining it is move day and their call will be returned at a later date?
Spitfire understand that many businesses cannot just afford to go radio silent for the day and we can help plan the continuity strategy during the office move by guiding or even taking control of the call diversions while agents are in the process of moving office. Where customers already have Spitfire services we can offer customer controlled divert management allowing the customer to manage where these numbers are diverting and at what times if they wish.
You may also want to take an audit of everywhere your office address is listed such as your website, social media accounts, marketing material, Google and even the Yellow Pages and look to amend this. If you have deliveries from suppliers or have regular visitors you’ll need to inform them as well.
- Consider your connectivity
It is vital when moving office that a business has a backup plan. Circuits should be scheduled for installation weeks before the office is due to ‘go live’ however even with this forward planning occasionally installations are delayed and there needs to be a plan B. You also need to build in time for testing your new connections on the LAN before moving your employees to the new office.
Too often we at Spitfire discuss office moves with customers and when we ask “what is the backup plan?” the response is “there is no backup plan!” If there are unexpected delays with connection you’ll need a backup plan to ensure your business stays connected and operational. Spitfire can help provide temporary and backup circuits on short term contracts to ensure the business always stays connected.
For immediate improvements to your connection, consider how you connect to your router. Are you connecting wirelessly? If so then how far are you from the router and do you have thick walls/floors between you and the router? If possible consider plugging your computer directly into the router for a more stable connection. What about the rest of the household?
For a longer term solution and to prevent going into negotiations with the family about when Netflix or game consoles can be used, consider a dedicated broadband or business grade 4G connection just for your work. A fast, reliable and stable internet connection is the backbone to your home working capabilities.
If you want to learn more about the tools to effective home working, then call us today or email us at enquiries@spitfire.co.uk.