As the need for faster and more powerful systems continues to increase as does the desire to access data regardless of where you are around the globe, companies are finding that in order to keep pace they are having to regularly reorganize their IT infrastructure.
IT departments work hard to ensure a fast and seamless deployment every time upgrades are required, but there are steps that all IT personnel can take to make the process as easy as possible for everyone in the company.
Why Reorganize?
There are many reasons why businesses decide to reorganize their IT infrastructure. In today’s business world competition is fierce and the desire to meet the ever increasing needs of customers is greater than ever. As hardware ages, new replacements are required and with the world going mobile entire systems need to be adapted or even replaced to accommodate the increased demand for access to data from anywhere.
These new adaptations often require a full reorganization of how the IT infrastructure operates and can require a full overhaul of all systems. While these changes can disrupt business, there are many steps IT departments can take to minimize the impact to the business while the upgrade and reorganization is taking place.
Upgrade without Interruption
When your company is ready to reorganize the infrastructure and expand its capabilities, IT departments must prepare for the upgrades properly in order to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
Plan Your Reorganization
Before you being any infrastructure upgrades or reorganizations, plan out each step carefully so you know exactly what needs to be done before you even begin. A sound plan of action can help you accomplish your goals much more quickly and ensure that there aren’t any unforeseen problems as you move to the new hardware.
Inform Employees
Employees don’t like surprises and while working they expect to have access to all the services they need to get the job done. An unexpected interruption of service can cause added stress and headaches to employees – and of course to managers – and can even cause the business to fail to meet expectations. Take the time to inform each and every employee about the reorganization and upgrades so they are prepared if the unexpected does happen.
Use Off Hours to Make the Switch
Nobody likes to work late, but when you are reorganizing your IT infrastructure late nights are often mandatory. Using the off hours of your business to make the switches is a much easier way to seamlessly convert systems over to new infrastructure and technology because most workers won’t be using these systems at those hours. You can simply bring the old systems down after everyone has gone home then bring the new systems up so that the next day everyone is using the new infrastructure without ever knowing anything happened.
Train Employees
New infrastructure often requires a new way of doing things. Before you make the switch to your new systems, schedule each and every employee for training on these systems. This will help limit the shock of switching to a new system and new way of doing things. After the reorganization and upgrades are complete, offer additional training and extra help to employees as they get used to the new systems in a real world environment.
Don’t Stress
Assuming you have followed the other points in this article, there should be little need for stress. Remember, even in the best plans problems will arise, especially when you are talking about the complex IT systems that power businesses today. You have informed your employees about the changes, so any hiccup of service won’t come as a surprise. Work through each problem with your team carefully so you understand what went wrong and then work to fix it as quickly as possible so the business can continue without interruption.
Following all the steps above can help you prepare your team in IT as well as the rest of the company’s employees for the upcoming changes. It will also allowing you to formulate the perfect strategy for the reorganization that causes the least amount of service interruptions possible while bringing some of the latest technologies to your business so you can continue to compete in the future.
