Here are some of the common myths concerning moving technology infrastructure:

• “Our current people work with Technology everyday and they can handle the move”
• “We can just turn the equipment off, move it, and turn it back on and we will be fine”
• “It’s just hardware – how hard can it be?”

The truth is that moving technology is fraught with risk.  The most significant risks are the disruptions to critical operations during the move of equipment, applications, and staff. Other risks include cost overruns, scheduling issues, delays and loss of business revenue and impact to customers.  When a company is planning a move, the key questions that should be asked are:

• What are your most critical systems and what would it mean if they were not available for an hour, a day or a week?
• What is the financial impact of those systems being unavailable?
• What is the customer impact of those systems being unavailable?
• What is the legal/organizational impact of those systems being unavailable?

Organizations typically do not have the internal knowledge and experience to plan, coordinate and manage a successful technology move.  A lack of documentation, limited inventory of equipment and software, limited documentation of interdependence between systems, and lack of planning all contribute to the challenges of a move.  Because a transition is an infrequent event, it also requires unique and specific skills.  How well positioned are you for your next move?