In a perfectly executed move, you’d approach it sequentially, and you’d only do each task once with perfection. It might look something like this:
1. Gather the Master Inventory.
2. Gather the Application Inventory.
3. Decide how many move events will be required.
4. Build the Master Timeline.
5. Sequence the Batting Order.
6. Build the Stakeholder Communications Matrix.
7. Rehearse the playbook to reveal the contingencies required.
8. Decide the Go/No-Go Criteria.
Now examine this linear process. Which items can be executed in parallel? How many items require revision and tuning as you learn more? Is there a better way? Perhaps.
Quite a bit depends on your internal culture and what I call the organizational coefficient of drag. This is the amount of energy required to gain momentum on a new project within your firm. If your data center move playbook construction must follow all established rules for a new project, then it’s likely your organizational coefficient of drag will extract a high price in terms of time and resources to even get started.
That’s not to say formal project management procedures such as project charters and methodologies aren’t important. If you are lucky, you’ll find a champion to accelerate through those formal requirements.
However, many internally led moves don’t accelerate; they get bogged down right at the beginning. Before any meaningful work on the move playbook construction begins, aim to overcome the organizational coefficient of drag.
Caution: Address this issue immediately, speaking truth to power if necessary, to avoid this common startup issue