Collaborating for a seamless data center migration

The client’s business was growing and it needed to expand its data center capacity, address an aging infrastructure, and improve availability. So it launched a complex, multiyear, billion-dollar program to build a new center for its core business-transaction systems and relocate its disaster recovery out of a co-location with a lease about to expire. The client’s plan called for the migration of more than 1,000 mission-critical applications and the participation of more than 200 employees across IT and the business.

With a project of this size and scope, this global company needed to limit potential risks to the program while ensuring a timely, safe, and efficient migration.

KPMG LLP (KPMG) helped the client structure and organize the 4-year data center transformation program to significantly reduce the risk to its business, make informed decisions about how to allocate resources, and bring its new data center online as planned.

We also conducted periodic reviews with the client to identify and analyze risks, prioritize mitigation actions, and keep the program moving ahead as planned. The data center build-out was successful and the migration was completed on schedule and with minimal business impact.

The company can now rely on a robust data center to serve the needs of its business for years to come.

This global organization engaged KPMG to provide an initial assessment of its data center migration program—including structure, governance, strategy, and migration approach—and assist in standing up the Program Management Office (PMO) for this $1b / 4 year transformation. KPMG then periodically assessed the health of the program work streams, and made recommendations to remediate higher risks. Our involvement :

• guided the client through a thorough set of self-assessment activities and developing a consensus about the findings and recommendations
• used KPMG’s database of leading practices and assessment results to identify and analyze gaps in the program
• identified risks and developed a prioritized action plan to enable the client to mitigate the risks
• designed and implemented an organizational structure and governance for the program
• provided experienced subject matter professionals to provide deep insights into areas such as security, migration, facilities, disaster recovery, and hosting.

Rely on objective standards

Leverage objective, measurable criteria that describe leading practices for what a well-run, large-scale data center transformation program looks like. Such a set of criteria is a powerful tool to help identify gaps, remove subjectivity, and prioritize mitigation actions in areas such as financial management, program management, operations, data recovery, application remediation, and migration.

Use risk-based analysis

Clearly identifying risks to the program, their potential impact, and the likelihood that they will materialize helps prioritize the investment of resources, time, and budget. Make decisions about what problems to address at what point in the transformation program, using a thoughtful, phased approach. Do the right things at the right time, and address the more likely and impactful risks first.

Collaborative approach

A team working hand in hand towards a common goal is key to success. Agreeing on a set of guiding principles early on, and measuring the program using objective criteria, diminishes the impact of subjectivity and shifts the focus towards finding solutions and achieving the goal – not finger-pointing.

Using the right people

Bring in subject matter experts to provide deep experience and insights in critical areas and at critical times for planning, execution, and periodic reviews throughout the project. They can help identify potential risks and address plans to mitigate those risks.