Opening a second site or branch: the IT checklist

Decide what the new site actually needs

A second site can be anything from a two-person satellite office to a full branch with its own reception, warehouse or clinic rooms. List what staff there will do and which systems they need. A small sales office may need nothing more than laptops, Wi-Fi and internet. A branch that runs stock, appointments or manufacturing may need printers, scanners, label printers, cameras and a reliable link back to systems at the main office.

Ask whether anything at the first site only works because people are physically there, such as a shared drive on a local server, an on-premises accounting database, or a phone system box in the cupboard. These are the items that make a second site complicated. Moving them to the cloud before opening often turns a networking project into a simple matter of good internet at each location.

Connectivity and connecting the sites

Order internet for the new site early, and match its quality to how much the business will depend on it. A branch that cannot trade offline needs a backup connection, such as a second provider or a wireless or satellite service that takes over automatically. Fibre installation timeframes vary by building and area, so get a date confirmed before you announce an opening.

If staff at the new site must reach systems that still live at the main office, you need a secure link between the sites, typically a site-to-site VPN between business firewalls or a managed multi-site network. Use matching firewall equipment at both sites where possible so they can be managed together. If everything important is already in the cloud, each site may only need its own secure connection to the internet.

Same systems, same security

Staff at the new site should sign in with the same accounts, use the same devices and follow the same security rules as everyone else. That means managed laptops built the same way, the same multi-factor sign-in and email protection, and access to the same file libraries and applications. A branch run on a different set of rules tends to become the weak point that attackers find first.

Decide early how permissions are split. Some businesses want branch staff to see everything; others need a branch to see only its own customers, stock or files. Settle this in the planning stage so folders, groups and application roles can be set up correctly from the start, rather than fixed after someone notices they can open documents they should not.

Phones, printing and local equipment

A cloud phone system can usually serve a second site without new hardware, with a local number for the branch if customers expect one, and calls routed between sites as needed. Decide how incoming calls should flow, for example ringing the branch first and overflowing to the main office, and set up the emergency address correctly for each site.

Plan local equipment for the new space: a firewall, a network switch, wireless access points, a small uninterruptible power supply, a printer, and any cameras or door access the building needs. Data cabling should be installed during the fit-out. Keep the inventory for each site separate within the same register so you can see at a glance what is installed where.

Who looks after the new site

Hands-on support is often the forgotten part. If the new site is in an area your IT provider covers onsite, confirm visits are included and how quickly someone can attend. If it is further away, agree how remote support will work, which local contractor will handle physical tasks such as swapping a failed switch, and how the two coordinate. Name a sensible local contact at the site who can plug things in when asked.

Keep a small stock of spares at the branch, such as a spare laptop, a switch and some patch leads, so a remote technician can talk someone through a swap rather than waiting for a courier. Document the site's network, the internet provider's account details and the location of the comms cabinet in the same place as the main office records.

Opening week and after

Test everything before staff start: sign-ins, file access, printing, phones, applications and the backup connection if there is one. Have support available in the first week, because new sites always throw up small issues. After a month, review what worked and adjust permissions, call routing and equipment as needed. Ask branch staff directly what slows them down; they will often mention small things, such as a printer that is always offline, that never make it into a support request.

Fold the new site into your regular IT reporting so its devices, licences and security status are reviewed alongside the main office. If you expect to open a third site, write down the setup as a template now. The third branch is far quicker to open when the second one has already been documented. Include the equipment list, the internet order details, the firewall template and the phone routing, so the next opening becomes a repeat of a known recipe.