CoreTech approach and methodology bring stellar results to Technology Migration Project

There is a right way and a wrong way to perform a technology migration. The wrong way disregards the end-user community, leaving them to flounder in an unfamiliar environment and cope with unexpected downtime and disruptions. The right way is to consider all of the implications of such a large-scale project, not just the technical ones.

A leading pharmaceutical company in South Jersey recognized the broad impact of its proposed migration to a standard desktop environment. Rather than leave this important project to guesswork, the Company contracted with CoreTech Consulting Group, Inc. to handle the migration from start to finish. CoreTech’s proven migration methodology provided the foundation for the successful deployment of the Company’s workstations across multiple locations. CoreTech implements a tactical migration with a focus on long-term strategy. In addition, the firm had already demonstrated its commitment to client satisfaction in the Company’s networking and help desk areas.

Looking Beyond the Merely Technical
The first step was a planning workshop. This provided a forum for the Company’s management to present their ideas and objectives for the migration. From this vital input, CoreTech’s team gained valuable insight into the Company’s business drivers, as well as its technical goals.

The cornerstone of the CoreTech migration methodology is the belief that corporations must recognize migrations as a business event, not merely as a technology upgrade. The firm has developed a systematic, consistently successful approach that eliminates surprises, reduces costs and preserves functionality. By sitting down to get a full understanding of the Company’s corporate objectives for the migration, CoreTech’s consultants could develop an accurate Vision/Scope Statement to serve as the project’s guide.

From this initial planning meeting, CoreTech continued forward through the steps of its migration methodology — from building a customized migration database and communication/marketing plan to writing a formal project plan and designing and preparing for the migration itself.

CoreTech Advantages
One of the most valuable benefits of having CoreTech lead the migration effort was the firm’s continuous communication with management and users. Rather than leave the Company’s end-users in the dark, CoreTech had a clear strategy for keeping them apprised of changes occurring in their familiar work environment. The communication campaign answered common user questions, such as "Who is affected by the new technology tools being implemented?", "What is the reason for the change?", "What are the advantages for these recipients?", "What is the impact?" and "When will implementation occur?" This reduced the level of anxiety and discomfort users experienced when it came time for deployment. Regular management reporting helped assure Company executives that the migration was proceeding as planned.

CoreTech also extended personal attention to the Company’s top executives and assigned priority to their workstations. "Most senior-level executives and their direct support staff had one-on-one training on the new desktops to ensure they’d have no interruptions in their ability to conduct important business," explained Susan Frey, Director of Migration Services for CoreTech Consulting

Group. This attitude applied to all of the Company’s end-users. "CoreTech strives, in any migration engagement, to minimize disruption," Frey added.

This approach to IT consulting separates CoreTech from its competitors. From the company’s inception, CoreTech’s founders recognized the importance of considering the specific Technical, Organizational, Process and People implications inherent to any client engagement. They call this the TOPP Discipline^SM and it rests at the heart of the CoreTech vision. The advantages of the TOPP approach were evident from start to finish during the Company’s desktop migration.

For example, during the project’s pilot phase, the Company’s Director of Information Technology found that she couldn’t print in the manner she was accustomed to. In executing the migration, the CoreTech consultants couldn’t simply capture and carry over the printer settings. Rather, they’d have to print a document from three applications on every workstation, determine the specific printer settings and reset them on each new desktop manually. This would add approximately 15 minutes of time and expense per workstation, but the director felt it was important that users be able to print the same way as before without having to fuss with computer settings themselves. CoreTech agreed and accommodated this late-stage request without missing a beat.

"This level of responsiveness and adaptability is standard for CoreTech," said Frey. "It is often these seemingly innocuous issues that can blossom into larger headaches later." By looking at the Technical, Organizational, Process and People implications of every task, CoreTech can anticipate and rectify these matters before they become seriously problematic.

Putting the Customer’s Interests First
CoreTech maintains its dedication to client satisfaction all the way down to the tiniest detail. At the pharmaceutical company, CoreTech installers were indoctrinated not to touch anything on users’ desks. They left the facility looking as if they’d never been there, going so far as to bring their own garbage bags to remove their own trash at the end of each work day. This obsessive commitment to meeting clients’ every need — even going far past their expectations — is ingrained in the CoreTech approach. The consultants listen closely to what customers say, respect their wishes and and follow instructions to the letter.

At the conclusion of the migration, CoreTech and the Company sat down to review the project and discuss what lessons had been learned through the experience. This practice ensures that CoreTech staff, in addition to maintaining their technical currency, are constantly adding to their skills as customer service professionals and business leaders.

According to the Company, the migration performed by CoreTech was viewed by its end users as their "first successful IT project." CoreTech delivered results on time and did so without loss of functionality or loss of productivity for the client. Moreover, the user community was pleased with the way the project was carried out and the training and support they received.

As a result, the Company has engaged CoreTech for a significant amount of follow-on business, including an MS Exchange migration, staffing the Company’s Y2K lab, setting up and staffing its interoperability lab, continuing its previous network and help desk work, and providing applications development expertise.

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