And if PC hardware is standardized, hot spares can be maintained and swapped out by support staff to minimize turnaround times. Stock can be maintained at each remote site or centrally. Standardizing on a limited number of software configurations means disk-imaging software can be used to revert back to a working configuration quickly. A rollback can even be performed remotely overnight to avoid shipping costs and potential equipment damage.
In the same vein, if you have components that take a long time to order or install, an on-site spare should be kept ready. Also consider maintaining an "IT First Aid Kit" that contains common repair stock, such as power supplies.
[Lesson learned] Sometimes, the pieces absolutely, positively won't be there overnight. A nationwide company subscribed to the "ship it overnight" philosophy to route hot-spare PCs to replace troublesome remote machines. In one instance, three different shipments were made before the internal customer received a working replacement. Despite careful and appropriate packing by the IT team, PCs arrived damaged--in one case, manhandled to the point that most of the internal cards had worked loose from the motherboard! It took four working days before the user was back online. Consider keeping spares at each remote location, physical security and budget permitting.
In our survey, when we asked readers to rank remote-branch management tools in order of importance, documentation came in dead last out of 12 areas. That's unfortunate, because it's so easy--and inexpensive--to produce documentation, especially compared with the difficulty and cost of learning about a remote site. For example, central-office personnel may have never set foot in the branch they're supporting. Detailed information about the site, including reference materials, photos, diagrams, floor plans, communications outlets, wiring details and equipment lists, is invaluable. Products like Netviz can help organize and assemble this information, but it requires some effort.
Next to creating policy and procedure documentation, the most important component is information dissemination and company buy-in. In terms of remote branches, you must have ardent support, or it's a losing battle. To win this support, ensure that branches are given the same attention as local corporate departments.
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