Running IT for a business with two or more sites

Start with how people work across sites

Before choosing technology, map how work actually flows between locations. Do staff at one site need files created at another? Do they share a phone system and transfer calls? Does one site hold the server, the accounting system or the stock database that the others depend on? Do managers move between sites and expect to sit down and work anywhere?

The answers decide the design. A business whose sites barely interact can treat each as a small independent office with shared cloud services. One whose sites constantly share data, systems and staff needs a more connected setup, with reliable links between locations and a plan for what happens if one site's internet goes down in the middle of a working day.

Connecting the sites

For many businesses, the simplest approach is to move shared data and applications to the cloud so each site only needs a good internet connection. Microsoft 365, cloud accounting and hosted line-of-business systems remove the need for sites to talk directly to each other at all, and staff can work the same way at any location or from home.

Where sites do need to connect, for example to reach an on-premises server, a secure tunnel between firewalls is the usual answer. Newer approaches, often called SD-WAN, manage multiple internet links and site connections centrally and route traffic over the best available path. Whichever method you use, each site should have a properly configured business firewall rather than the router supplied with the internet plan.

Internet resilience at each site

When work depends on cloud services, each site's internet connection becomes critical. Fibre is the default choice across most of New Zealand, but outages do happen, from a cable cut during roadworks to equipment failure at the exchange. For sites where downtime would stop the business, a backup connection, such as a wireless or satellite link, can take over automatically when the main line fails.

Regional and rural sites deserve extra thought. Fibre may not be available, and with the copper network being retired in many areas, older connections may need replacing. Options such as fixed wireless or satellite internet can work well, but they suit some workloads better than others, so check how each will handle video calls and large file transfers before committing.

Consistent devices and security

A common problem in multi-site businesses is that each location evolves its own way of doing things. One site has newer laptops, another runs old desktops; one uses multi-factor sign-in, another does not; one has a proper firewall, another uses whatever the internet provider supplied. These inconsistencies make support slower and leave security gaps attackers can exploit.

Set one standard for devices, software and security across every site, and manage it centrally. Device management tools can push the same settings to every laptop wherever it is. Firewalls and Wi-Fi can often be managed from a single dashboard. The aim is that a staff member could move between sites and find everything working the same way.

Phones and collaboration

Cloud phone systems suit multi-site businesses well. Every site and every staff member can be on one system, with calls transferred between locations, shared reception queues and a single main number. Microsoft Teams calling or a hosted VoIP system can replace separate phone setups at each site, simplifying billing and making it easier for customers to reach the right person.

For collaboration, shared Teams channels and SharePoint sites keep each site connected without everyone emailing attachments. Set up permissions thoughtfully so each site can see what it needs without exposing sensitive information unnecessarily, such as payroll files that only head office should open. Review those permissions whenever a site opens, closes or changes manager.

Support at every location

Remote support handles most IT requests regardless of where staff sit, but some problems need hands-on help: a failed switch, new cabling, a printer that will not cooperate or a network fault. Agree with your provider how each site will be supported in person, especially sites outside their main service area.

In some cases, a provider covers one location directly and arranges planned visits or works with a local contractor for others. Make sure this is written into your agreement, including expected response for onsite issues at each site. Also nominate a trusted person at each location who can be the provider's eyes and hands for simple tasks like restarting equipment or checking a cable.