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Project Scope
A world leader in IT Project Management and deployment, working with a US government entity to upgrade their existing Novell server environment to a Windows environment as well as upgrade their existing Windows servers. This required the rack and stack of new servers, Tape Libraries and Uninterruptable Power Supplies, the migration of user data from old Novel and Windows servers to new Windows servers through the use of VMware and the installation Netback Up software. In addition it would be required to follow a government approved destruction and disposal process of the old server equipment at the conclusion of each customer site deployment. This work was done on a national basis at sites with a user population ranging from 3 to over 400 users.
Resource Details
The large Federal Integrator needed to deploy server upgrades to over 280 locations throughout the United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Guam. In order to meet this requirement it realized that to keep costs down, it was unrealistic to fly its engineers to each site. In order to accomplish the task the IT firm needed a partner who could perform on-site deployment and migration services. The implementation approach would need to use repeatable processes that could be performed by trained, experienced and government cleared engineers. Personnel with the proper skill sets would be required to be on site on weekly basis to work within a set timeline and perform daily task that were to take place on each day of a site deployment. Each site would require that the new server equipment is installed in either and existing rack or new rack, VMware installed, attached to the government domain, data migrated, cutover completed, Net back up software installed and government legacy server(s) disposed of during a five business day period. Active project management and support would be required to resolve issues immediately in order to avoid project delays and potential cost over runs. Project Management experience with government Earned Value Management (EVM) models and reporting were essential to the overall success of the government project.
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The Response
QualTech developed a deployment solution that utilized its vast deployment experience, its Project Management approach and the use of it’s over 3000 distributed technicians in order to accomplish the goals set forth by its customer. After determining that steps required to perform a successful server deployment and data migration QualTech assembled a highly experience project management team along with field technicians who possessed the appropriate skills, experience and the necessary government clearances to meet the specific needs of the customers deployment and data migration project. After determining the level of expertise needed to follow the migration instructions, QualTech paired its engineers in specific regions of the country providing the ability to reduce travel cost for the customer. Prior to full deployment QualTech began the project with a project planning phase as well as a pilot phase providing an opportunity to do a successive “lessons learned” process to assure smooth deployments and data migrations from the beginning or the full deployment timeline.
The Result
Both the client and the government customer were and are extremely pleased with QualTech’s performance on this project and its ability to assist the client and the customer with smooth deployments and a shortened deployment timeline. QualTech’s project management and deployment approach incorporated the experience necessary to meet and exceed the requirements of this ever changing project. Structured processes and procedures in addition to a single point- of-accountability approach provided exceptional results, reducing travel cost by 62% while remaining flexible in meeting customer driven schedule changes. In addition, the blend of a dedicated field team and an experienced project management provided top notch performance across the project while meeting all customer goals, deployment and data migration goals and insuring the overall project obtained the necessary cost reductions necessary to meet the customers cost goals.
The Technology
- Novell
- Microsoft® Windows
- VMWare/NetBackUP
- Quest Software
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