Defining the Problem Statements

Defining the problems you are trying to solve with your server virtualization project also helps bring clarity to the vision and scope of the project. The problem statements should include both technical and business problems that you are experiencing within your company. By including both types of problems, you will ensure that all aspects of your business are considered during the planning and design phase.

Problem statements should include a description that identifies the problem in a quantitative manner. In this way, you will have more concrete criteria against which to measure the proposed solution and assess how the solution solves the stated problems. For example, instead of defining the problem as “Rack space is at a premium in the data center,” you should define a measurable component that the problem statement can be evaluated against, such as “Currently only 10 percent of the rack space in the data center is open and available for expansion hardware.” If the virtualization project increases the available rack space in the data center above 10 percent, you have addressed the problem. There is still one component missing to determine if you have really met expectations, however—a solution metric. In addition to stating the problem, you need to state a measurable target for the problem resolution. For this example, a measurable target could be defined as “Increase the open and available rack space in the data center to 25 percent of total rack space.”