Moving offices without a plan is how businesses end up with no internet, no phones and no access to their files on day one. Use this checklist to keep your technology running through the move, or hand the whole thing to our Brisbane and Melbourne team.
A desk move is straightforward. Moving your servers, network and phone system without disconnecting your business for weeks is not. Internet connections can take two to four weeks to activate at a new address, phone numbers need to be ported before your old line is cut off, and a server that is unplugged and packed the wrong way can take days to bring back online. Most of the pain in an office move comes from technology decisions made too late, not too early.
This checklist covers everything you need to plan an office IT and phone system relocation from the first site visit to your first full day back online. If you would rather hand it to a team that has done this before, Databox Solutions manages the whole relocation as a single project, including your IT infrastructure and phone system, so you are not juggling three different vendors on moving day.
We see the same avoidable problems on nearly every relocation that is not planned in advance.
Business NBN connections typically take two to four weeks to activate, and Enterprise Ethernet or fibre can take longer. If the order goes in the week of the move, your new office opens with no connection at all.
Porting a phone number to a new provider or address is not instant. If the port is not lodged early, calls to your main line can drop out or ring dead for days.
Servers and network switches are sensitive to how they are packed, transported and reconnected. Without proper handling, a move can turn a working server into a warranty claim.
Once a server is unplugged, you have lost your last easy chance to back it up. If something is damaged in transit and there is no recent backup, that data may be gone for good.
VoIP phone systems need the service address updated for Triple Zero (000) calls whenever you move. It is a legal requirement in Australia, and one of the most commonly forgotten steps.
Wi-Fi, printers, phone extensions and shared drives all need to be tested before your team walks in on the first day. Finding the faults after everyone arrives means lost productivity on day one.
Work through these five phases in order. The earlier items matter most, connectivity and number porting have the longest lead times of anything on this list.
Download a printable copy of this checklist to work through with your team, or share it with your office manager and landlord ahead of the move.
Prefer to hand the whole checklist to someone else? Here is what that looks like.
We review your new office’s power, cabling and connectivity requirements before you sign the lease, so there are no surprises later.
We build a project plan and timeline around your actual move date, working backwards from the tasks with the longest lead times.
We lodge your number porting request and order your new internet connection early, so neither one delays your move.
Our technicians disconnect, transport and reinstall your servers, network equipment and phone system as a single job.
Every phone extension, workstation and network connection is tested and working before your team walks in.
We are on call for your first day back, so if anything needs a final tweak, it gets fixed straight away.
If any of these sound like your situation, start planning your move now.
Your current lease is ending and you need your new office connected and operational the day the old one ends.
You have outgrown your current space and need a new office set up to support more staff, more devices and more calls.
You are moving to a smaller footprint and need your network, phone system and server setup redesigned to match.
Your data handling needs to stay compliant through the move, with no gaps in security or availability of client records.
One team for the whole relocation, not three separate vendors to coordinate.
Your data handling and project quality are covered by independently audited standards, not just a promise.
Technicians on the ground for site visits, equipment moves and day-one support. No offshore call centres.
We manage your IT infrastructure and phone system relocation together, so nothing falls through the gap between providers.
We lodge and track the porting of your existing phone numbers, so your main line follows you to the new office.
You get a clear, fixed quote for the relocation before work starts. No hourly surprises once the truck is loaded.
Your backups, configuration and call data stay in Australian hands throughout the move, in line with the Australian Privacy Act.
Start at least 8 to 12 weeks before your move date. Internet connections and phone number porting have the longest lead times of anything in the move, and Business NBN alone can take two to four weeks to activate. Starting late is the single biggest cause of a slow, disruptive relocation.
Yes. We lodge and track the porting request for your existing numbers so your main line, and any direct extensions, follow you to the new address without a gap in service. We recommend starting this process at least six weeks before the move.
We manage both as one project. Your servers, network equipment, workstations and phone system are relocated, reinstalled and tested together, so you are dealing with a single team instead of coordinating an IT provider and a phone provider separately.
This is exactly why the internet order needs to go in 8 to 12 weeks out. If a delay does happen, we can arrange a temporary 4G or 5G backup connection to keep your team online while the permanent connection completes.
Yes, if you use a VoIP phone system. Australian regulations require your registered service address to be updated whenever you move, so emergency services are sent to the right location if someone dials Triple Zero. We handle this update as part of every relocation we manage.
Pair your office relocation with these for complete coverage.
