Vermont Bar Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2 Vermont Bar Journal, Winter 2017, Vol. 43, No. 4 | Page 18

by Mike Servidio, TCI Technology Consultants, Inc. TECH TIPS Moving Mistakes Moving your Office anytime soon?  DON’T Until you read the This Tech-Tip first; Moving is always a big pain for those involved, but it doesn’t have to be a hor- rific, expensive experience. The number one complaint from someone who’s expe- rienced a “bad” move is: ”I didn’t know I needed to…” flowed closely by “I com- pletely forgot that…” In other words, it’s what you don’t do that makes the move a disaster. To make your move easy and effortless, here are the 4 most common mistakes to avoid: Mistake #1 – Not using a checklist This may seem like a no-brainer to those who manage projects, but project manage- ment my not be a forte of someone placed in charge of your move (like yourself or an office admin). Even those who use a list typ- ically fail to make the list detailed enough. Mistake #2 – Trying to save money by moving your own computer network Don’t ask your staff to disconnect, move and reconnect computers, phones and oth- er devices just to save a few bucks.  You’ll frustrate them and end up with phones ringing at the wrong extension, lost cables, and workstations that get dropped ren- dering them useless. You don’t want to let the movers do this job either; they may be great at moving furniture, but a network is a lot more sophisticated and sensitive. Be smart and hire an IT pro to pack and setup. Mistake #3 – Not Hiring your IT firm to review your new location for IT readiness Don’t ask your IT firm to help setup your network at your new location the day of the move, or even a week before the move.  Most of the time the new location does not have all the connections for all your work- stations or devices and your staff will be frustrated at the inability to work till it is fixed. Have your IT company do a site visit to the new location and have them make any recommendation for changes and they should provide a budget for the changes.  Not all IT people have the background in dealing with facility management and deal- ing with a move, so make sure you ask if they have experience and references. Mistake #4 – Not Giving Your Phone, In- ternet and Cable Vendors Enough Advance Notice 80% of unexpected communications, blackouts and cost overruns on network moves are caused by failure to properly plan voice, data and electrical installation in advance. Just because the prior tenant had computers and telephones is no guarantee that the cabling is suitable for your phone and computer network. Advance planning will help you avoid emergency rush fees or band aid fixes to make things work. Internet and telephone connections re- quire as much as six weeks advance no- tice to be installed, tested and ready the day you move in.  And if you are building a new office, don’t leave it up to the build- er to decide how many power outlets, net- work and phone connections you will need. Remember, changes and additions after the walls are up are at your expense. With print- ers, scanners, faxes, security cameras, sen- sors and other technologies connecting di- rectly to the network these days, the rule of thumb of one electrical outlet, one phone and one network connecting per employee is woefully outdated. BATTLE OF WITS! Last contest, Thomas Simon outwitted us all with his “taking so long” leaf pile caption. Members are invited to bring forth their truly dizzying intellect and join the battle of wits! We want to hear from you –take a few moments to ponder and submit! Montpelier cartoon artist (and lawyer) Kathy Fechter has once again graciously provided us the above cartoon for our fierce competition. Sub- mit your proposed caption to the above ‘snowmen’ cartoon to [email protected]. The deadline to submit your caption is March 1, 2018 18 THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • WINTER 2017 www.vtbar.org