Moving to a new office can be a stressful time for any business, regardless of size.
Whilst you may be looking forward to having more space and the opportunity to work more efficiently, there is considerable pressure to ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible with minimal disruption to business operations.
Managing your broadband and telephone systems is often one of the most challenging aspects of moving office, and therefore it is important to consider your options as early as possible.
We’ve highlighted what we consider the top 3 areas to consider when moving to a new office:
1. Broadband speed and reliability
For any business, choosing the right broadband package is very important. With so much business and communication now conducted via the internet and cloud systems, the strength and reliability of your broadband is key to the proficient running of your business.
You should first consider your data requirements so that you can be confident the package you choose will comfortably meet your needs both now and as your business grows. You can check your existing speeds at SpeedTest to review how well this meets your current requirements and decide if this is sufficient or if you would like to upgrade to faster speeds to enable you to increase your productivity.
When choosing a supplier, you should compare all options based on speed, reliability and cost, but don’t make your decision purely on cost. Ideally, look for a partner who can offer a choice of network offerings rather than just their preferred broadband provider as not all providers can guarantee the same level of coverage in every location.
2. Mobile Coverage
According to a recent survey commissioned by CommScope, 73% of office workers in the UK suffer from poor indoor mobile phone coverage, with 44% revealing that they need to go outdoors to access 4G data services or to make a phone call! Problems with mobile coverage are not just down to the mobile phone operators.
Building design, the location of masts, built up environments and the topography of our landscapes can all affect mobile phone signals in any area. It is therefore important to consider these factors when moving to a new office. Some businesses find trendy offices in some unique spaces, but these can be the worst places to receive a good mobile signal. A good mobile signal checker is Signal Checker, and this will help you check which mobile providers will potentially offer the best coverage in the location of your new office.
You should also check with your provider about WiFi calling that can be used as a back-up in “not” spot areas. Wi-Fi calling is when you can use your smartphone to make and receive mobile phone calls through a Wi-Fi network, instead of a traditional cellular connection. You’ll need good broadband for WiFi calling to work well.
For the best solution, and to avoid wasting time and money, you should work with a partner that can help you compare several mobile carriers and tariffs to find the plan that works best for your business.
3. Do you need to keep your existing landline numbers?
If you’re not moving far and staying within the same telephone exchange, you might be able to keep your existing phone number, but if you’re moving outside of the same telephone exchange, you may need to look at changing your telephone system if keeping the same number is important. However, taking the opportunity to upgrade to a SIP or Hosted IP Phone System is no bad thing and could bring a number of benefits to your business.
A SIP or VoIP system refers to phones that use the internet, rather than traditional telephone lines to deliver your phone service. The key benefits of these systems are that they enable businesses to cut their communication costs whilst providing a reliable and high-quality communication experience.
A hosted phone system is also an internet-based phone system, but the actual phone system is based at a data centre rather than at your company’s premises. This frees up the cost of the need to maintain or upgrade your system as this is all managed by your provider. As well as providing low cost calls and bundled tariffs for your business, hosted phone systems also offer a huge range of call management features.
Look for a partner who can recommend the most suitable phone system for your business based on your requirements now and in the future.
Remember that internet and phone services can take time to set-up and since you won’t want to be left to operate without either, even for a short period of time, it’s important that you plan these services well in advance of your office move to avoid potential disruptions.
Find out more information about Fixed Line and Telephony services from FCC