The Trauma of System Change

It's very easy for any discussion of telecom change and relocation to turn into a catalog of fear factors, events that might happen — or that might not happen — with disastrous results.  All projects contain knowns and unknowns and even unknown unknowns, as categorized by a former U.S. Secretary of Defense. This article organizes many of the factors involved in system change and relocation and offers them for your examination and consideration. 

Why? Because, as a former client, GM J.B. Summer of the Stayton Food Coop, told us, "In business, there's no such thing as a good surprise."  Whether you attempt the project by yourself, use a vendor, or retain a consultant, there's no reason why the factors and choices involved should remain a mystery, or why you shouldn't be at least be marginally prepared for them. 

Since Teleconvergence isn't wedded to any particular technology, vendor, system, or solution, we have the latitude to sidestep many of the issues, but of course not all of them.  Our clients are kept aware of changes, and have ample opportunity to react to gotchas, unforeseeable results of otherwise sound decisions. Gotchas always happen; it's how one deals with them that determines the success of a project.
 

The Three Possible Scenarios

There are three possible mutually-exclusive scenarios, only one of which will ultimately pertain to you. You'll have have to decide which, and some of the variables may in fact prejudice your decision, but ultimately you'll have to contend with only one of them. Here are the three candidates:

1. System change without relocation
2. Relocation without system change (or without major configuration change)
3. Relocation with system change

Each of these scenarios contains different factors, variables, considerations, and, of course, gotchas.  Many of the considerations are common, but not all, and this article presents separate overviews of each of the three scenarios so that you don't have to isolate any of the factors and determine which applies to you.  You may have to read two of the sections if, for example, you're relocating, and aren't sure whether or not to change systems.  In that case, there are different positives and negatives and implications associated with each scenario and so you should really read both of them to better understand the offsetting variables. 

What if you don't want to deal with this much detail?  Isn't this why you're considering using a consultant in the first place?  The truth is, it's still your company, your responsibility, and you're the only one with the authority to make the final decision.  Trusting a reassuring vendor means you're buying into that vendor's product and evolution plans despite the fact that there is a zero possibility that those plans will mirror yours, or that any vendor is going where you expect to take your company. In other words, it's still your decision, and you still have to make your decision based on something.

Teleconvergence will ask the necessary questions and present your options in understandable form, but you'll still be required to make the appropriate intermediate decisions along the way.  That's still your responsibility. It's our responsibility to assimilate the information and to clearly and fairly present it to you.  That's why we characterize our client relationships as one of shared responsibility with the client retaining the authority. Fair enough?

Here are the discussions of your three options. If you'd rather not read them right now because you want your consultant to handle the details, or at least to predigest your alternatives for you, that's entirely understandable.  As long as you realize that sooner or later you'll have to become involved.  At this point, assuming you have to make a decision, the most obvious one is to either keep reading (below or elsewhere on the site) or else call someone.  If it's the latter, our phone number is at the bottom of every page.

Click on the link below that applies to your situation, or that most probably corresponds to your ultimate decision.

1. System Change Without Relocation

2. Relocation Without System Change (or without major configuration change)

3. Relocation With System Change

When you're done, please either return to Changing Systems? Relocating? to click on one of the green slide-downs or else make your selection from the sitemap to the left.