Relocating your office is hard work. Keeping your business running smoothly whilst searching for a new location, negotiating your new lease, seeking legal advice, arranging the new fitout, arranging any services you require and of course the move itself can become stressful.
But it is possible to make it easier.
Managing your telecommunications doesn’t have to be a headache. Follow these three simple steps and you won’t be reaching for the Aspirin.
1. Plan carefully
Discuss potential locations with your telecommunications supplier to ensure the services you need will be available at the new office. For example, some buildings may have had fibre optic cable installed for very high speed services whilst others may have problems getting DSL or even the required number of phone lines.
Once you have chosen your site, give your telecommunications supplier as much notice as possible as to the timing of your move. The notice required will depend upon the services you need. Whilst you may find that your new office has inactive phone lines in place that can be activated very quickly this is not always the case - and some services take much longer to arrange (e.g. premium grade DSL services can take a number of weeks to install).
Tell your telecommunications provider your preferred moved date as soon as you can to make sure that it is not going to be problematic. A weekend move may be ideal for you and the team, but this may make it difficult to get access to the required resources (e.g. field technicians). Friday afternoon is often a good time to switch your services.
Don’t presume you can keep your telephone numbers. If you are moving to an area that is serviced by a different telephone exchange you may have to change your numbers. You can arrange to have your calls diverted or redirected (this can include an announcement that the number has changed) from your old lines to your new lines however the cost of diverting any reasonable volume of calls can stack up over time. If you need to change your numbers you should update your stationary and website to coincide with your move and notify potential callers (staff, customers and suppliers) that your numbers have changed.
*Hint: 1300 numbers are national, can be quite economical and raise the profile of your business. They can also save you a fortune on new stationary – simply change the answer point of your 1300 number to your new office when you move.
2. Give clear instructions
Are you going to use the move as an opportunity to consolidate your services with a single supplier? This often simplifies the move, however, you should clearly state your intentions, ensuring that your requirements and expectations are clear. In some cases (e.g. with voice services) it may make things easier to transfer your services to the new supplier BEFORE you move so that can manage the process more effectively.
Are there specific features that you expect at the new office? Perhaps you want line hunt on a suite of analogue lines or a combination of caller ID presentation and itemized billing on an ISDN (digital) service. Many such features are optional and some must be selected at the time of ordering your services, so take the time to discuss such needs with your telecommunications supplier.
3. Sweat the small stuff
In any relocation, the detail is important. Be aware of the services that you have, what you want and how you are expecting everything to work in the new location. Don’t rush the paperwork. Ensure that any service numbers listed on the forms are correct and include all the information that you think may be relevant. Wrong or incomplete numbers can add hours or even days to your relocation and may result in unnecessary costs.
However, none of this will work without clear, open and honest communication. At
Telarus you have access to an Account Manager and, as required, a Solutions
Engineer. They will take the time to understand your business and are
committed to making things work. Your Account Manager and Solutions Engineer
will work closely with the rest of our team to make sure that all of your engineering,
logistical, scheduling and budgetary questions are answered quickly and honestly.
Relocating your business is hard enough; take our advice and make the telecommunications transition a smooth one.