The Client
A London-based professional services firm with 60 staff across two floors of a Holborn office building. They were relocating to larger premises approximately two miles away in the City of London. Lease end on the existing building was firm — there was no flexibility on timing.
The firm's IT environment included approximately 65 workstations, 6 server racks, a structured cabling installation, 8 meeting rooms each with AV and video conferencing equipment, a reception area with display screens and a VOIP phone system serving 60 extensions.
The Challenge
The relocation needed to be completed between close of business on Friday and start of business Monday — a 60-hour window. The new office had been fitted with basic electrical and data cabling, but no IT infrastructure had been installed. Every element of the existing IT environment needed to be carefully decommissioned, transported, and reinstalled from scratch at the new site.
The client's IT manager was responsible for server configuration and cloud connectivity. Complianta was engaged to handle all physical IT infrastructure — disconnection, packing, transport, installation and testing.
Pre-Move Planning (Two Weeks Before)
Two weeks before move day, Complianta's project lead visited both sites. At the existing office, we conducted a full IT asset audit — every workstation, peripheral, server, switch, access point, cable run and AV unit was catalogued. Each item was photographed in situ and assigned a destination location at the new site.
At the new site, we reviewed the existing infrastructure and produced a rack layout, desk allocation plan and network cabinet design. Any gaps — additional patch cables, new rack units, cable management equipment — were ordered and delivered ahead of move day.
Why planning matters more than speed
The most common cause of a weekend office move overrunning is a lack of preparation. When our team arrives on site, every item should already be labelled, every destination already mapped, and every piece of equipment needed at the new site already there. Speed on move day comes from thorough preparation, not rushing.
Friday Evening: Decommissioning the Old Site
Our team of eight engineers arrived at 6pm Friday. We worked methodically through the office floor by floor:
- Workstations disconnected and labelled — each machine bagged with its keyboard, mouse, power cable and labelled for its new desk position
- Monitor arms, docking stations and under-desk cable management removed and packed
- Meeting room AV equipment disconnected, wrapped and crated, labelled by room
- Network switches and patch panels removed and logged — critical infrastructure with careful handling
- Server racks partially decommissioned in coordination with the client's IT manager — physical servers removed, racked in transit cradles
- VOIP handsets bagged and labelled by extension number
By 11pm Friday, the old office was fully decommissioned and all equipment was staged in the ground floor reception, ready for the removal company's arrival at midnight.
Saturday: Transport and New Site Setup
The removal company transported equipment across London overnight. Complianta's team was at the new site from 7am Saturday. As equipment arrived, our engineers began installation in parallel across the two floors:
- Network cabinet assembled and switches racked — patch panel installed and tested
- Wireless access points installed and configured
- Servers racked, cabled and handed over to the client's IT team for configuration
- Desk installations across 60 workstations — monitors, docking stations, cable management and peripherals for each position
- Meeting room AV systems reinstalled — screens, soundbars, conferencing cameras and HDMI presentation systems
- VOIP handsets installed at each desk and tested for dial tone
Sunday: Testing, Snagging and Sign-Off
By Sunday afternoon, all physical installation was complete. We spent Sunday evening working through a full testing checklist:
- Every workstation powered on and confirmed connecting to the network
- Every meeting room AV system tested — display, conferencing camera and presentation switching
- VOIP system tested — internal calls, external calls and voicemail
- Printer and MFD registration confirmed on the network
- Wi-Fi coverage walked and verified across both floors
- All snagging items identified and resolved
The client's IT manager confirmed all systems operational at 9pm Sunday. The business was fully operational when staff arrived Monday morning.
What Was Left at the Old Site
A small number of items — ageing workstations and peripherals that the client chose not to relocate — were left for certified disposal. Complianta collected these items during the Friday decommission and processed them through our IT disposal service, issuing Data Destruction Certificates for all devices containing storage media.
Lessons and Principles for Any Office IT Move
- Engage your IT relocation partner early. The earlier we are involved, the more thoroughly we can plan and the less likely the move is to overrun.
- Label everything before move day. A label on every cable, every peripheral, every rack unit saves hours at the new site.
- Plan for snagging time. Even the best-planned move will have items that need attention. Build this into your timeline.
- Don't forget disposal. End-of-life equipment that won't be moved still needs to be handled correctly — WEEE compliant and with data destruction certificates.
- Communicate with staff. Make sure employees know what to expect on Monday morning and who to contact if their workstation has an issue.
Planning an Office Move?
The earlier Complianta is involved, the smoother your move will be. Get in touch to discuss your relocation — no obligation.