This is the first part in a series of posts to help you understand the elements for a successful business move focusing on the information technology (IT) components.
Moving your business is not like moving your home, although many have made this mistake.Perhaps you’ve been searching for a sample checklist or Microsoft Project Plan to help with examples to get you get started?
Survive or Thrive?
Can you accomplish a business move on your own? The answer depends on a few factors including your experience with prior moves, your availability to manage a move and do your regular job, and your organization’s tolerance for mistakes that cost money, time, and reputation. It’s safe to say that a self-managed move could present real risks to your career should the move go badly.
Understand the Move Scope
Documenting the move scope is the beginning of an important process to minimize the risk to your business. At a minimum, you should include these elements:
- Has the move date been decided?
- Has the destination been chosen?
- Do you know your budget?
- Do you know who is responsible for which elements?
- Have you prepared a move plan?
- Have you prepared a risk and contingency plan?
- Have you socialized the impacts of downtime to your business?
- Do you have a move timeline established?
- Have you identified all long-lead items including telecommunications circuits (voice and data)?
- Do you need a forward operating base at the destination prior to the move?
It’s important to document both what you know about the move and what you don’t know. This will be an ongoing process as you learn more about the elements of a successful move.
The next post will cover the Anatomy of a Move and illustrate the phases for important activities.