​IT personnel are very familiar with computer rooms, data centers, call centers and network operations centers (NOCs).  However, typically only a few IT personnel are charged with the responsibility of actually selecting or assessing such a facility.   This may become necessary due to company growth, acquisition of another company or to ensure that a provider’s facility is adequate to provide services to their customers.  Following a thoughtful approach to performing a site assessment will minimize the risks of having mission-critical systems operate out of a sub-standard facility.  In order to perform a thorough, quality assessment of a technical facility, there are a few key things to consider:

1. Prepare for Site Visits

• Identify point of contact at each facility and have all their contact information
• Obtain clearance to enter each facility ahead of time
• Collect all known records of each site including floor plans, rack layouts, known equipment inventory, etc.
  

2. Conduct the Site Assessment

• Perform a physical inspection of the surrounding area and take photographs
• Conduct an electrical and mechanical inspection including the generator, fiber and power access and egress facilities, chillers, etc.
• Document the physical security protocol, devices and obtain any local procedures or documents pertaining to securing site access
• Inside the facility, sketch the layout of the facility and storage areas, identify fiber and cable entry and exit locations, and perform physical inventory of all equipment, cooling units etc.
  

3. Develop Site Report

• Notate overall risks and gaps including inventory gaps, security gaps, local area risks (theft, parking facilities etc.), maintenance records, etc.
• Summarize external assessment of facility, access and egress, site security and road conditions
• Summarize mechanical/electrical rooms including generators, chillers, cables, cleanliness of area, maintenance records etc.
• Summarize internal facility including equipment layout, obvious structural issues, cabling and fiber runs, environmental conditions (humidity, temperature), security and facility access etc.

Using such a structured approach will ensure that your site assessments are well orchestrated with your site assessors producing the same thorough, quality of end results with minimal need for last-minute decision-making.  What other tips would you suggest to ensure a smooth site assessment?

A comprehensive PMO Framework is critical to guide a project successfully through its lifecycle, from beginning to end.  A PMO Framework we have used with clients has 4 project phases: Concept, Initiation, Delivery and Close. 

Having a clear project methodology, processes, and tools and templates enable project managers to guide their teams through the project phases.  An easy and frequently used PM tool is their Checklist.  They can refer to this tool many times during the day to make sure they are doing all the critical work needed during the project phase in which they find themselves.

Key project activities during the first phase of a project, Concept Phase, are listed in our Project Management Checklist below.

Concept Phase:

• Confirm Project Scope
• Create Project Scope Statement
• Identify Key Project Team Roles
• Identify & Confirm Project Customer(s)
• Identify & Confirm Stakeholder(s)
• Assemble the Project Steering Committee
• Develop High-Level Project Timeline
• Draft Document to Present to Steering Committee / Project Governance Process for Go/No-Go Decision

 
Although the Concept Phase involves a lot of work, it is worth spending the time and effort and is critical to setting your project up for success.

Are there any other activities you recommend in the first phase of a project?

Key IT projects fail more often then they succeed.  The top factors of project failure relate to leadership, project vision, organizational communication, distrust of change, and feelings of non-involvement.  In short, people issues.  Organizational Change Management (OCM) is a critical success factor for large enterprise-wide initiatives.  OCM is a framework to manage the effect and perception of changes brought about by the initiative to organizational roles and responsibilities.  In other words, OCM address the human side of change.
 
Organizational Change Management has to be managed as effectively as the project itself.  We prescribe a dedicated change team for critical projects that have high impact. The change team should ideally include the following roles:

• Change Leader – Act as the overall program manager of the change effort
• Change Manager(s) – Manage change for individual functional areas
• Change Analyst(s) – Prepare, schedule and distribute change communications
• Subject Matter Experts – Possess specific tool and framework expertise and help train employees

 
OCM for a project must be fully integrated into the overall project governance so that project managers can take appropriate action regardless of whether issues are related to the deployment of technology or to ensuring employees are aware of and supporting the change effort.
 
A dedicated change team:

• Increases the probability of project success
• Manages the people side of change
• Provides a single point of accountability & responsibility
• Complements project efforts

 
How do you perform the functions of OCM in your projects?