10. Take your time. Remote-site implementations must be well-thought-out. Take time to gather requirements and usage statistics from current systems and infrastructure. Factor in technology enhancements and loads--VoIP, for example.
11. Plan, review, plan, monitor, plan, project, plan, execute and plan some more. The IT landscape is constantly changing with shifting business and technology decisions. Keep abreast of them.
Richard J. Brown is an independent systems consultant and owner of Business Applications Ltd., a technology consultancy and provider of Web hosting and e-mail services. He has worked with and managed corporate systems groups for more than 25 years in the high-tech, finance and manufacturing fields. Write to him at [email protected].
Because remote branches are an extension of your organization's infrastructure, you must have solid IT practices in place to effectively manage and support them. Systemic problems only get worse when extrapolated to remote sites. On the upside, economies of scale and benefits of standardization apply when corporate systems expand to include branch offices.
Before making implementation plans, conduct a careful analysis and needs assessment with your business units. In some instances, you'll need to augment or alter your corporate systems approach. Because communications facilities and human resources are major cost factors, you'll achieve the greatest efficiencies by facilitating the work of support staff, whether central, on-site or contracted. Standardize hardware, software platforms and tools; adopt solid corporate policies and standard operating procedures; and give your IT staff and internal customers a clear understanding of their roles and functions.
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