Finding the real problem can be hard, and it is not always what it seems at first. That is the case in this Case Study: Issue Identification During a Data Centre Installation written by Antony della Porta, an established professional in delivering strategic business change and an advisor for programme and project recovery with critical systems thinking approach.
So, download it for free, and learn how small issues can lead to real problems.
The Goal of the Case Study
The situation explained in this case study is about an issue that could have potentially held up and delayed the programme. In fact, the goal of this case study is to explain the difference between an issue and an actual problem, and how a small issue can lead to even bigger problems. It will show you that you always need to look at the big picture, and start thinking outside the box.
Overview of the Case Study
A data centre was being installed in a repurposed building, taking the whole lower floor. A corridor split the floor into two halves: one side was the main Telco systems, two thirds of the other half for co-location and the last part for the UMI.
The initial concern was about where to bore a hole through the two walls to take the cables across the other room. This seemed to be the problem, but in fact the real problem was with the original network design. The supplier’s inbound network switch/router was housed in another room which required way too many cables to go through the walls.
Was the Problem Solved?
Yes, it was. The real problem in this case study was the architectural design and layout of the whole network. How was it solved? Download this case study to find the resolution of the problem.
Keep in mind that issues come out of the blue, and you need to sort them as quickly as possible. This means that sometimes you need to relocate resources from their planned schedule to be able to fix the issues. You had to react even though there was no planned activity in place.
Final Thoughts
At times it may seem like some smaller issues are the real problem, but bigger ones can arise if not noticed on time. The same could have happened in this particular situation, but fortunately the problem was identified on time.
So, did you find this case study interesting? If you have any similar cases, feel free to share them with us.