Why multiple sites are harder than one
Sites accumulate their own history. One location may be on ISDN into an old PBX, another on a couple of analogue lines, a third on something a previous manager arranged and nobody documented.
- Different legacy equipment and handset types per site
- Different broadband providers, speeds and contract end dates
- Different connected systems: alarms, EPOS, door entry, lift lines
- Different opening hours and call routing expectations
- Numbers held with more than one provider
A plan built from head office assumptions usually breaks at the third site. The variation is the project.
Start with a site-by-site audit
For each location, record the lines in use, the numbers on them, what's physically plugged in, the broadband service and who supports it. Ask the person who actually works there, not just the account paperwork — the paperwork is often out of date.
Two things usually fall out of this immediately: lines nobody can account for that can be ceased, and a site whose broadband needs upgrading before it can carry voice properly. Both are better known now than mid-migration.
Phase it — don't attempt one simultaneous cutover
There is no requirement to move every location on the same day, and good reason not to. Moving one site first gives you a tested pattern: how the routing should be built, how long the port takes, what the local checks need to cover.
Sequence the rest by risk. Simplest site first to prove the process, highest call volume site last with the most preparation. Sites can share the same system while being migrated on different dates, so internal calling still works across the estate.
Check connected equipment at every site
Alarms and payment terminals are the two items most often missed, and they vary by location even within the same business. A panel that supports IP signalling at one site may be an older model at another.
Our guides on alarm systems after the switch-off and card machines and EPOS cover what to ask your installer and provider. Run those questions per site rather than once centrally.
How we support multi-site migrations
We build the audit with you, agree the site order, and set up the call routing for the whole estate up front so numbers can be ported into it in stages. Each site gets its own cutover date and a check afterwards before the next one starts.
Have a look at our business phone systems page for how the system works across locations, or send us your site list and we'll come back with a sequence and a timeline.
Want this set up for you?
Plans start at £19 per user per month with UK calls included. See pricing or get a quote.