Having to change office or plant location is an inevitable part of growth and a problem most of us want to have. But that doesn't make it less of a headache. Companies often plan the move of people and furniture but fail to fully consider the implications of moving their Information Technology (IT) systems and processes. The result can be costly business interruption and employee and customer dissatisfaction.

On the other hand, a well thought out IT relocation plan can actually improve business productivity, ease the addition of new services and improve employee and customer retention. Which would you prefer?

Take the case of RSS Solutions Inc. (RSS), for example. RSS needed more space to accommodate the planned increase in staff. As an existing client of Data Perceptions, RSS involved us very early in the relocation process, before a new site was selected.

"We rely heavily on remote access to our office systems," says President and CEO, Michael P. Cox. "We have sales people working all over North America and needed to ensure that all of our staff could continue to remain productive throughout the move process."

Data Perceptions and RSS's move consultant worked together to plan data and voice cabling requirements, furniture requirements and an improved server room configuration. We also worked closely with RSS's Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure that there was no interruption in service.

Our staff had previously inventoried and documented RSS's network infrastructure. This document provided the basis for planning the move of servers and systems. Prior to moving any equipment, complete backups were made of all critical data to ensure that data could be retrieved if a hardware failure occurred during the move. On moving day, business interruption was minimized and server services were restored within a couple of hours. This allowed remote sales people and developers to gain access to critical business services such as email via their VPN (Virtual Private Networking). Workstations were setup and connectivity was verified. When employees arrived on Monday morning, Data Perceptions staff was onsite to train staff on any changes to the environment and ensure that all services were available. This process would lay the groundwork for the easy addition of new employees, new IT services, and improved productivity.

This is one example of how careful planning and a well managed IT move can not only ensure business continuity but also lead to business enhancements. The key to the process is effective management of risks with consideration to business requirements and appropriate budget. Options should be evaluated and weighed against acceptable periods of service outages. Solutions ranging from parallel equipment, 3rd party hosted solutions, to rapid movement of equipment can be considered.

All of these issues surround the planning for and the move itself; however, the real test of a successful relocation is what happens after everyone is at the new location. The employees need to be properly trained and oriented in their new environment to ensure that they can return to or exceed their previous productivity.

Certain employees have a bigger stake in selecting a good team to help a company relocate.

"Our experience is and studies have shown that two thirds of those responsible for their company's relocations either lose their job or get demoted after the move.", J.J. Barnicke Commercial Real Estate Agent, Darren Shaw.

Selecting the right team for your office relocation can have a large impact on the future of your business. These people range from internal staff champions, real estate agents, furniture consultants to your IT consultants. These people can help ensure a smooth process that considers employees, customers, suppliers and facilities.

Scott Murphy is a Consultant at Data Perceptions. Scott has helped several companies, including RSS Solutions Inc, with successful office relocations ranging from across town to across North America.