Most businesses can’t afford to be shut down while a major migration takes place, and this can present some challenges. This is no reason to avoid doing it, though. Sometimes, there are valid business reasons to move IT functions from one place to another, whether it’s one machine to another, one environment to another, or one network to another. The drivers for these migrations may include large-scale replacement or upgrades of aging IT Infrastructure Migration, relocation, mergers – any of a number of things.
To avoid business disruption during a migration, the project has to be planned properly, well-researched, and executed by experts.
The skill sets required for a successful migration within a live working environment are often not part of a company’s in-house IT staff, and as a consequence, companies often avoid projects of this nature and make do with a less-than-optimal IT Infrastructure Migration.
Here’s what an experienced IT consulting firm can do to keep a migration from becoming a disruption to your business:
IT Project Planning
An IT Infrastructure Migration could possibly make your company much more efficient and agile, integrating industry-best technological tools into your business processes.? An IT consultant can listen to your growth plans, evaluate your current infrastructure and determine what exactly needs to be done to achieve your goals.
Research & Experience
An IT Infrastructure Migration is likely to consist of hardware and software from a number of vendors, as well as ongoing services from still more vendors, such as internet access, telephony, mobile access, etc. Additionally, your IT Infrastructure Migration may become a hybrid environment for on-premises and cloud-based assets. All these things have to work together seamlessly, and it takes research and experience to know how to create (and maintain) a reliable network with these disparate elements.
Timing is Everything
Once the plan is in place and the necessary pieces are identified and sourced, then the migration itself needs to be scheduled and the work done in phases, with minimal disruption in mind. Different vendors have different lead times for products and services, and that enters into the mix. An IT consultant can also determine which parts of the migration can occur while your business is running and which (if any) would have to place after normal working hours.
The project has to be meticulously spelled out, with a detailed scope of work, with incremental milestones along the way. Define ways of dealing with the unexpected. Costs need to be tracked and kept in control. And most importantly, the job needs to be finished completely.
Clare Computer Solutions has years of managing complex IT projects, including major migrations. Don’t put off a migration that could benefit your company for years to come. Contact us today to get started!
