DE 
As IT executives or those responsible for the strategic development of IT, you know how important it is to stay one step ahead of technological progress and to ensure smooth operations in your company. Today, I would like to talk about why the involvement of external experts is extremely useful, especially in migration projects, and what such projects have to do with an airport in Berlin and a train station in Stuttgart.
We are all familiar with BER Airport or Stuttgart 21 as symbols of major projects that are getting out of hand. From a completely objective point of view, one difficulty with such projects is that many of those involved and decision-makers carry out such a project once “per professional life”. Certainly, the planners and engineers can draw on experience, but usually not at the necessary scale. One solution would be a “federal agency for major projects.” A nationwide team of experts in major project management at this level could build up a wealth of experience and use this experience and processes tested in Hamburg, for example, to better manage projects in Bavaria. The idea becomes even more beautiful at the European level.
Unfortunately, we do not have this hypothetical agency, however, in IT you can benefit from experienced teams for “complex cases” and should take advantage of this opportunity. IT projects also often fail because companies have similar weaknesses to our federal system: People want to do things with their own resources, there is a certain moat mentality, people don’t want to become dependent, and the like.
To these concerns, I clearly say that the technical and organizational part of transformation is not strategic knowledge for a company – apart from the IT company. What is strategically important is the knowledge of the goal, what does the company want to achieve with the transformation? The transformation itself is a means to an end and the know-how and process can be easily bought in. What are the advantages?
Migration is the technical part of a transformation and is basically the most optimal form of data and application logistics possible
Proven frameworks and processes
Specialized companies that focus on technical transformations have a wealth of experience in delivering similar projects. They have developed proven frameworks and processes that ensure a smooth transition. These companies conduct comprehensive audits up front to identify potential issues and develop detailed runbooks for execution to reduce the risk of unforeseen complications and minimize downtime.
Lessons learned from past experience
Experienced organizations have been through numerous technical migrations and therefore face a wide range of challenges. This wealth of experience means that they have already made and learned from the mistakes that a company undertaking such a project for the first time may encounter. By leveraging their expertise, your company can avoid the pitfalls that can lead to delays, added costs and frustration.
Flexibility for unusual timing and hours
Technical changeovers often require work outside of regular business hours to minimize disruption to day-to-day operations. This often involves complicated approval processes with internal resources against a backdrop of company agreements and working time regulations. Specialized companies understand the unique requirements of these projects and have the resources to accommodate unusual work schedules. They can keep appropriate personnel on standby to ensure your project runs on schedule, regardless of the time of day or night.
Access to a wide range of professionals
When you work with an experienced firm, you have access to a broad pool of professionals who specialize in different aspects of the technical transformation process. This is especially valuable in situations where unusual issues arise, as the company can quickly deploy the right expert to solve the problem. This level of expertise is difficult to achieve internally, which is why working with specialized companies is a wise investment.
In summary, hiring experts for technical changeovers gives IT managers the peace of mind that their projects will be completed efficiently, securely and with minimal disruption. By working with specialized companies, organizations can leverage proven frameworks, valuable experience, flexible resources and a broad range of subject matter experts to ensure the success of their technical migrations.
