Whether you’re an office of 10 or an office of 100, relocating to a new corporate space is complex. Aside from your human resources, (your people!) technology equipment is one of the most valuable assets your company has. If one person’s computer is lost or broken during a commercial move, that person can’t work – and that could cost you. Even worse, if laptops or servers get stolen during a move, that could expose sensitive data that could cost you customers or even lawsuits. That’s why packing and moving electronics is a delicate topic – and one where Eagle Transfer excels. Our technology relocation experts offer these five tips before you get packing.
1. Have employees keep their laptops with them. If your staff is outfitted with laptops, they’re already used to packing them up safely to tote them to and from the office. Instruct them to bring their laptops and peripherals (cables, chargers, mice, wireless keyboards and sketch pads) home – as they would any other day – during the move. This makes fewer items for your IT team (or our movers) to handle.
2. Backup data. Whether your team uses laptops or desktop workstations, every employee should backup their data to a network drive, corporate cloud, or an external hard drive. Having data backups can maintain business continuity in the event of a loss.
3. Wrap electronics. Box them. Label them. Monitors, computers, desktop scanners and other electronics should be wrapped in bubble wrap or soft packing like blankets and towels. Pro tip: Never use packing chips or Styrofoam chips which can break and get into small vents/fans – and they can carry static electricity. To be extra secure, you may want to tape over vents/fans during transit to prevent dust particles from getting in. Box the electronics as securely as possible, filling empty gaps with bubble wrap. Be sure to mark these boxes as “fragile” but don’t write “computers” or “electronics.” Don’t advertise to would-be thieves which boxes are the most valuable! If you have specialized electronic equipment (laboratory equipment, for example) – Eagle Transfer can build custom boxes to ensure that these items are treated with the utmost care.
4. Remove batteries and cartridges. Remotes, wireless mice, portable projectors… remove any batteries before packing them. Batteries can overheat or leak and can damage electronics in transit. Laser printers have toner cartridges that should be removed and packed separately prior to the move. Be sure to keep track of where the batteries and toner cartridges are packed so that move-in day goes smoothly.
5. Color code cables. Before disassembling the electronics, especially computers with multiple monitors or servers with numerous cables – color code the cables with stickers before you unplug them. Just put a colored sticker on the cord, and put the same colored sticker where it plugs in to the device. Unpacking and assembly will go much more smoothly when you remove the guesswork!
The best protection you can offer your office equipment is to have it moved by a professional commercial mover. Since 1974, Eagle Transfer’s experienced team has moved more than 3 million personal computers, making us seasoned technology relocation experts.
