Moving offices often requires that you need to move many pieces of expensive electronic equipment. From servers to PBX systems, you could be tasked with having to box and transport highly specialized tools -- some of which may cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace. Here are some tips for completing this move while protecting your company's most important physical assets.
Take Complete Off-Site Backups Before Moving
Your data is probably far more valuable than the actual physical media upon which it is stored. Even when your equipment is moved professionally, there are still some risks involved. As long as you store backups off-site -- such as on a cloud server -- you'll be able to recover it quickly. Before your company is scheduled to move, take complete backups and make sure that they are appropriately validated.
Notify Your Moving Company Beforehand
Your moving company should receive a complete inventory of any electronic items that need to be moved with care. Electronic devices aren't like other types of furniture or tools -- because most of them use magnetic media, they also need to be kept isolated from things that could damage their data. Any magnetized item could potentially cause damage.
Make Sure Cords Are Included and Clearly Labeled
Before handing off your items to the professionals, label all the cords and keep them with each item of equipment. By doing the take down yourself (even if you're not going to be boxing things), you'll find it much easier to set things up again once they've reached their new destination. You may also want to take some pictures of your equipment, so you're certain you know how it's setup and what condition it was in.
Avoid Placing Electronics in Non-Climate Controlled Storage
Electronic devices can almost universally be damaged by extreme temperature fluctuations. Electronics with screens may be susceptible to both hot and cold, while other types of electronics are usually damaged by heat. To avoid problems, none of your electronic devices should be stored outside of a climate and temperature controlled unit.
Get Extra Insurance for More Expensive Items
Insuring each item individually can be a good idea if you have particularly expensive equipment -- or if you need to insure the value of your data and your business operations as well. Insurance should be available through your moving service, and possibly under your own business insurance policies.
When it comes to electronics, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By making sure that your moving service is aware of your needs -- and prepping everything as much as possible beforehand -- you should be able to get everything moved easily and safely. Ed's Moving & Storage specializes in the moving of specialized and expensive business equipment -- for a quote, call today.