10. Buildings and space

All equipment need to located somewhere but in addition, its effect on staff should be considered.

Office location

For example if a large, new photocopier is part of the change. Where will this be located in the office. How noisy is it and will this annoy or distract nearby staff. Will staff need to be moved around the office. What about paper storage.

So aside from the simple space requirement of locating equipment, its location may have a significant impact on staff and this needs to be part of the change management plan.

Custom site location

The equipment may need its own building or an extension to an existing one. For example a collection of new servers may need their own room.

Servers take a lot of power and generate a lot of heat. This may involve upgrading the heating and ventilation systems along with laying new power cables. This extra cost and effort should be part of the planning.

In addition, if laying new cable or vents are going to go through staff working areas, the impact of this on their environment and safety should be included.