Planning The Move

You need to plan a practically seamless movement of your IT systems across from one site to another. It may be possible to temporarily organise an additional JANET connection in order to cover the removal and re-installation of your core networked systems.

You may decide to install all new technology in your new build in which case you must set aside enough time for installation and set up (this can be a considerable undertaking if there are several hundreds of PCs). Don't forget that installation of existing equipment also has a large resource overhead.

There are a number of professional removal companies available who can help with the removal of technological equipment, library stock, chemicals and other material. Make sure you leave enough time to research the help available that can best suit your requirements. An example of the type of specialist removal you may encounter in your own institution is the Matthew Boulton College experience. They needed to remove a 5-colour Heidelberg press and reinstall it in their new building and this could only be done by specialists. This type of activity can be difficult to schedule in alongside other removals especially when you are relying on the availability of specialists so you need to plan as well in advance as possible.

It may sound obvious but plan the move so that furniture and equipment arrive in a reasonable order - desks before PCs, library shelves before library books and so on.

Remember to factor in any staff development considerations into your planning in order to ensure that staff are as confident as possible in the use of any new equipment and are also familiar with the new space. Spending time on this with staff will help ease the transition of all users to the new space. As mentioned previously, take care with the timing of staff development activity in order to get the best possible outcome.