Safety tips for moving IT equipment

Another relocation is just around the corner. Same as before, you must work on moving logistics, organize packing, and find reliable Ottawa movers. And packing and moving IT equipment is what concerns you the most? Don’t worry. We are bringing a small guide on the most crucial steps when moving such valuable content. Let’s take a look.

Find a reliable moving company to help you with moving IT equipment

The first and the most important stage of the move is to find reliable movers. You will find your long distance movers Ontario online in a matter of seconds. What is hard about this search is the browsing and comparing between companies. You must confirm your movers are legit, with all the licenses and permits to operate. Also, you should compare service, prices, and read moving feedback. You can find internal and external sources easily. Just make sure you call your movers when ready to confirm they have all the tools and equipment for the job.

But before you call them, inspect your home, your furniture, your belongings, and of course, IT equipment. Figure out how much stuff you have and note everything down on your checklist. This way you’ll know the complexity of the task and your movers will prepare better when you provide the much-needed info. After you evaluate the situation together, you can work on your budget and the moving price.

Prepare for packing

Before you can pack your IT equipment you must prepare it adequately. To begin with, you should take a photo of your setup. This way you won’t have any problems later in case you forget how it was in the first place. It happens to the best of us so to avoid it, simply take a few photos from different angles. Focus on cables, especially if you are not an IT person. The next step is to create a backup of all your systems and data. Moreover, create more than one to be sure you are covered. Use an external hard drive, a flash memory, or another laptop. In case your cargo is damaged in transport, you’ll have your backup with you.

The final step is to remove all the batteries and a power source. Once you are sure that you can start cleaning, you should do so. Use easy chemicals designed for cleaning IT equipment, brushes, a vacuum cleaner, a duster, etc. Stay away from water because it doesn’t work well with electronics. Once you have your photos, backup, and all equipment cleaned, you can start packing.

Small packing guide

Moving IT equipment will be fairly easy if you obtain the right packing supplies. Therefore, run to the nearest home depot or a hardware store and purchase the following packing materials:

• Cardboard boxes – Purchase better quality ones or invest more and obtain a few plastic bins. Those are reusable and the best choice out there. But again, you’ll be fine with carton boxes as well. As long as you purchase a stronger batch.
• Cushion – You should wrap your IT pieces individually using bubble wrap. Or you can use old cloth and shirts for this occasion. Just do not use blankets or any materials that can get inside those chips and circuits.
• Packing tape – Another packing material that must be impeccable. The stronger the tape, the better will hold everything together. Hence, purchase the best one you can find and apply several layers to your box.
• Labels – Boxes containing fragile and expensive items should be labeled in a proper way. Yes, all boxes should be labeled, but the ones containing your IT equipment, especially. Ensure you have a detailed label for each box so your movers know what they are dealing with. Your labels will help you when unpacking as well.

These are the mandatory packing supplies you should obtain. Also, you can use the original manufacturer’s boxes if you still have them. That would probably be the best solution.

Be careful when moving IT equipment

Now, you are packed and ready. But do you know how to handle those boxes? More importantly, how to load them into the moving truck? We can only say that you shouldn’t overstuff your boxes and carry them carefully to the moving vehicle. Do not flip, toss, or drop your box. Treat it like you are carrying a set of ceramic plates. And for the loading, you should find a safe spot inside the truck and ensure nothing can topple over while in transport. Also, never put any furniture or other heavier boxes on top of it. But if you enlisted a trusted moving team, they will do this part for you. Just make sure they are aware of the content of the box.

Are you moving a business?

In case you are moving a business, you can do everything we mentioned above, but on a larger scale. You will still take photos, make an inventory, clean everything, pack, and transport. The only difference is that this time around you’ll enlist a company specialized in office moving Ottawa. Moving so many IT pieces will surely require an experienced and knowledgeable hand. And what better way to do it than to have a dedicated moving team. So, if this is the case, browse for office movers and work on the moving logistics together.

Also, if you have more equipment than you can handle, you should inspect everything and figure out if you can get rid of it. Maybe you have outdated or excess pieces. Whatever the case is, you should downsize where possible and make moving IT equipment easier and cheaper. But if you still want to keep it all, you should consider renting one of the storage units Ottawa and stash everything there. When the time comes, you can go back and take out whatever you need.

Prepare to settle in

You already know that you should visit your new place at some point before the move. The goal is to inspect everything and test the environment. Make sure your Wi-Fi is running smoothly and that you have enough space for all your equipment and cables. Create an installation plan beforehand so you can settle in after moving easily and enjoy the whole process.

Now you know how moving IT equipment should look like. Hopefully, we provided enough info for you to organize better and have a successful relocation. Good luck and pack safely.