TWENTY-five years ago, moving an insurance agency was mainly a matter of planning for sufficient physical labor. Technology rarely needed to be considered. When we moved our agency in 1980, the only technology issue we faced was unplugging our electric typewriters.

Today most agencies are highly automated, which makes moving an entirely different proposition–as we recently discovered. Last November, we purchased a new office building. We moved on June 25th. In between, we didn't have a single day of rest. If you are contemplating a move, some of what we learned could help you.

Planning for the move should begin at the time of the purchase offer, not sometime down the road. Transferring technology to a new location can be as simple as plug-and-play–if it is carefully planned. With sufficient forethought, workflow also can be enhanced.

First, determine the best place to put your computer system hub. Keep in mind the need for physical access and maintenance, as well as total wiring requirements. Of course, you also must determine the amount of space it will need, and you probably will want to consider its appearance. Plan for at least 12 duplex outlets on a separate electrical circuit in the server's immediate area. We allowed for only eight and used them up within the first week. Power strips and additional UPS ports help, but wall power is more convenient. Plan enough hub space not only for your agency's present needs but also for expansion. Install an easy-access conduit (plastic pipe) in which you'll be able to route wires years from now from the ceiling to the server and hub. Plan for more than one KVM (keyboard/monitor/ mouse), or plan to install a multiple KVM switch to enable a single KVM to control multiple server units. That will keep your central computer area neater and more open.

For workstations, I recommend four duplex outlets for general power and four more, on a separate circuit, for the computer and peripheral equipment. I recommend putting no more than four workstations on a power circuit. While this may create extra expense initially, it will pay off in dependability.

Double-wire all network terminal access points (workstations). The process is relatively inexpensive, and it allows for redundancy in the event of a cable failure and for expansion of network devices. Technology seems to proliferate, and running a wire later could take a lot of work, even in a dropped-ceiling environment.

If you plan to have an office music system, the central computer area makes a good place to install it. Outgoing “message on hold devices” should also be installed in this area.

A move creates an opportunity to consider switching to a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone system. Especially for multi-office agencies, VoIP systems provide great, affordable links. Many vendors will give you a trade-in on your old phone system. Buying a new system also means you don't have to disconnect, move, and reconnect the old one.

Determine at the outset where you will put network printers, group scanners and label makers, as well as individual workstations and telephone outlets. Cables for these devices should be wired into the walls if you are constructing a new office or renovating an existing one. The plan should have input from your technology coordinator and your phone vendor. New VoIP phone systems integrate with Microsoft Outlook, so the Outlook server and the hardware housing the VoIP system should be physically near each other.

If you are considering a new phone system for the office, begin evaluating your options immediately; do not wait until the month before the move. The vendor will need to understand your anticipated call work-flow, option menu choices, and number and physical placement of fax machines (these require their own network connections to analog phone lines). Switching phone systems will take you at least two months, including the demonstrations, consulting and installation scheduling. Be sure to remember to wire a double connection from your central computer hub to the building's utility area, where the phone company will bring in the phone line. (This is something we overlooked.)

After the sheetrock has been installed, test all network cable connections. You can buy a tone generator/ line tester at any “big box” building supply store for about $75, and the device is easy to use. Sometimes a sheetrock worker penetrates a wire with a sheetrock screw. Testing and re-running a replacement wire before the ceiling is installed–even if a wall needs to be cut–is far easier than trying to fix the problem after construction or remodeling is finished.

After you complete your initial plans for the layout of your equipment, review them with your employees. They may think of workflow issues that could necessitate a change in the plans. Encourage their input, because this is your best opportunity to maximize the efficiency of your new office.

Plan to have your Internet connection activated at least a month before the move. This will give you time to test the lines and ensure the connection's stability before you have to depend on it. A one-month lead also provides some flexibility, in case installation is delayed. Some Internet cable modem companies take as long as three weeks just to schedule a connection date. When you make an offer on a building, confirm that it has the same Internet access that your current location does. If not, plan for an alternative. We forgot to look into this matter when we made our offer but happily discovered the Internet access we had been using was available at our new office.

Begin moving old paper documents out of your office as soon as possible after you close on your new location. If you can move them to a storage area of the new office building, that's best. Regardless, get the paper out of your office, because that's one thing you can do in advance You'll be amazed at the volume of material you'll have to deal with. We went “paperless” four years ago and so had only three years' worth of documents to move. But it still took us two to three weeks in the middle of winter to get the paper out of the agency. Deal with this issue early so it won't detract from your focus on implementing technology effectively at the new location.

If you make a detailed plan of your technology needs at your new office and implement it effectively, your headaches on moving day will be limited to those same physical labor issues that relocating agencies faced 25 years ago. All you'll need to do is plug your equipment into those pre-planned wall jacks. (In your new, efficiently wired location, you also will be free of that tangle of cables that used to be under your desk.) Your technology coordinator will spend less time moving the system than you believed possible, and everything will work correctly within the first few hours. The key is integrated technology planning.

Edgar J. Higgins Jr., CPCU, is the owner of Progressive Management Consulting and the Thousand Islands Agency in Clayton, N.Y. Readers may contact him at ed@edhiggins.com.

Special Reports /

Automation: Pay attention to technology when moving your agency

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