Moving into a new office is exciting, but the IT side can quickly become the most stressful part of the project. Broadband that isn't live on day one, phones that can't be moved, Wi-Fi that drops out in the meeting room: these are the problems that turn a smooth move into a frustrating first week.
The good news is that most of these issues are avoidable with a bit of planning. This office IT setup checklist walks you through what to think about, roughly in the order you should think about it, whether you're a small business, a school annexe, a charity or a care provider opening a new site.
Start early: the timeline matters more than anything
The single biggest mistake we see is leaving IT until the last few weeks. Some things simply take time. A new business broadband or leased line connection can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months, depending on what's already available at the building and whether new cabling or groundworks are needed.
As a rule of thumb, start talking about connectivity as soon as you've agreed on the premises, ideally before you sign. It's worth asking the landlord or agent what connections already exist, as this can affect both cost and speed.
1. Internet connectivity
Everything else depends on a reliable connection, so get this right first.
- Check what's available at the address: full fibre, fibre to the cabinet, or a dedicated leased line.
- Think about how many people will be online at once and what they'll be doing. Video calls, cloud software and VoIP phones all need decent upload speed as well as download.
- Consider a backup connection, such as a second line or a 4G/5G failover router, if being offline would stop you working.
- Order early and get a confirmed installation date in writing.
2. Phones
If you're still on traditional landlines, a move is the ideal moment to switch. The UK's analogue and ISDN phone networks are being phased out, so moving to a VoIP (internet-based) phone system now saves you doing it later under pressure.
- Check whether you can keep your existing numbers. In most cases you can, but number porting needs planning.
- Decide what handsets you need: desk phones, softphone apps on laptops and mobiles, or a mix.
- Plan call routing, such as who answers which line, out-of-hours messages and voicemail.
- Remember that alarm systems, lift lines and card machines sometimes still rely on old analogue lines, so check these too.
3. Cabling and network infrastructure
Wi-Fi is convenient, but a well-cabled office is still more reliable for desks, printers, phones and wireless access points.
- Map out where desks, printers, screens and phones will go before any cabling is installed.
- Allow more network points than you think you'll need. Adding them later is disruptive and more expensive.
- Choose a sensible location for your comms cabinet: secure, ventilated and not in a cupboard full of cleaning supplies.
- Use a business-grade router, firewall and network switches rather than consumer kit.
- Label everything. Future you will be grateful.
4. Wi-Fi that actually works
One router in the corner rarely covers a whole office, especially in older buildings with thick walls.
- Use several business-grade wireless access points managed as one system, so staff move between rooms without dropping out.
- A simple site survey helps identify where access points should go.
- Create a separate guest network so visitors never share the same network as your business systems.
- If you handle sensitive data, as schools, charities and care providers often do, consider separating devices like CCTV or smart TVs onto their own network too.
5. Devices, Microsoft 365 and data
A move is a good time to review the tools people use every day.
- Audit your laptops and PCs. Are any too old to run current software securely?
- Make sure email, files and collaboration tools are properly set up in Microsoft 365, with sensible permissions on shared folders and Teams.
- If you still have a server in the office, ask whether it should move to the cloud, for example to Microsoft Azure or a hosted server, rather than being physically relocated.
- Plan printers, scanners and any specialist software early, as some need vendor involvement.
6. Security and backup
Security shouldn't be an afterthought, and new setups are the easiest time to build it in properly.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication for Microsoft 365 and other key accounts.
- Make sure every device has up-to-date antivirus and endpoint protection, and is set to receive updates automatically.
- Configure your firewall properly, not just left on factory settings.
- Set up reliable cloud backup for your data, including Microsoft 365, and test that you can restore it.
- Think about physical security too: who has access to the comms cabinet and how devices are locked away.
- Consider whether Cyber Essentials certification would help, particularly if you bid for contracts or work with public bodies.
7. Move day and the first week
- Have a clear plan for disconnecting, moving and reconnecting equipment.
- Test internet, phones, Wi-Fi, printers and key software before staff arrive.
- Have someone on hand on day one to deal with the inevitable small issues.
- Update your address with suppliers, and make sure emergency services location data for your phone numbers is correct.
Why one provider makes life easier
You can of course manage separate suppliers for broadband, phones, cabling, Wi-Fi and IT support. But when something doesn't work, it's easy to end up in the middle of everyone saying it's someone else's problem. Using one provider to coordinate the whole project means one point of contact, one plan and one team responsible for making it all work together.
Need a hand with your office move?
Cloud 4 Sure helps businesses, schools, charities and care providers across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent plan and deliver their office IT, from connectivity and VoIP phones to networks, Microsoft 365 and security. If you're moving or opening new premises, get in touch for a friendly chat or book a free IT health check, and we'll help you build a plan that works from day one.