Consolidate Data Centers
Benefits from data center consolidation are not guaranteed. Effective planning is the key to capture consolidation benefits.
RETIRED CONTENT
Please note that the content on this page is retired. This content is not maintained and may contain information or links that are out of date.Ineffective data center consolidation planning leads to:
- Stalled project progression – expect project paralysis as the necessary projects cannot be properly prioritized.
- Erosion of financial benefits as unforeseen costs will put significant strain on the project budget.
- Failure to capture efficiency improvements as unknown interdependencies will cause consolidation issues after the move.
This blueprint enables you to:
- Forecast consolidation benefits that will garner executive buy-in and expedite project progression.
- Streamline the move-day process by documenting a step-by-step move-day script.
- Effectively document necessary requirements for the consolidation and ensure that consolidation gaps and risks are mitigated or eliminated before the move day.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn’t enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our Project Workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a road map in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Establish an Effective Discovery Phase
The Purpose
- Create an end-to-end project prioritization workbook that will help the data center consolidation project stay on track.
- Establish a clear understanding of your current environment and effectively inventory all of the necessary components of the consolidation project. Establish move bundle proprieties to streamline the day of the move.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Create an inventory of consolidation projects and objectively prioritize each project.
- Identify the dependencies of your current data center environment and establish an efficient bundle move order. The bundle move order will allow you to execute the consolidation in logical pieces rather than attempt to move the entire data center in one step.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Prioritize each piece of the consolidation project and turn one massive project into digestible pieces. |
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| 1.2 | Kick-start the discovery phase and establish a clear understanding of the current environment. |
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| 1.3 | Establish move order for bundles to streamline the execution process. |
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Module 2: Conduct a Thorough Consolidation Analysis
The Purpose
- Build a strong business case for the data center consolidation project through a comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis.
- Incorporate business requirements from the start of your planning process by engaging with the business early and often.
- Select the appropriate external support by establishing a repeatable process to evaluate vendor statements of work (SOWs).
Key Benefits Achieved
- Compare the TCOs between the current state and the consolidated environment to clearly demonstrate the value of the consolidation project.
- Avoid friction and unforeseen requirements from the business by building in business requirements during the consolidation planning phase.
- Hire the appropriate vendor to support you during the move through a systematic review process.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Build a strong business case for the consolidation project by comparing and contrasting the difference in ownership costs between the current state and the consolidated state. |
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| 2.2 | Clearly understand business requirements at the start of the consolidation project and avoid sudden changes later on. |
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| 2.3 | Review best practices of how to select the appropriate vendor to support you during the move. |
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Module 3: Prepare for the Day of the Move
The Purpose
- Create a flowchart for your move-day plan and identify gaps and risks for each step in the move.
- Establish an overall communication strategy so that all stakeholders are aware and engaged during move day.
- Implement a clear change management process to ensure that changes are controlled during the move.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Mitigate or eliminate gaps and risks from your move-day procedures before you execute. Achieve this through a tabletop exercise that allows your entire team to walk through the move-day process.
- Keep the consolidation team and executives on the same page through a comprehensive communication strategy that tailors information provided to each group.
- Avoid unforeseen changes that can derail the consolidation project by implementing strict change management processes.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Create a detailed move-day script by leveraging a tabletop planning exercise. |
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| 3.2 | Leverage the results of the tabletop exercise and formalize the move-day script through a project planning and monitoring tool. |
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| 3.3 | Streamline the communication process between stakeholders by developing a comprehensive communication strategy. |
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