In our last post, we talked about rehearsing your Data Center Move Plan — but rehearsing alone isn’t enough. The quality of your rehearsal determines whether you uncover hidden risks or walk blindly into disaster.

Unfortunately, well-run rehearsals have become a lost art. Despite their proven value in validating complex interactions across people, process, and technology, many organizations rush through them or skip them entirely.

Based on more than three decades of real-world experience with complex data center relocations, here are six essential lessons learned to help you avoid the most common rehearsal mistakes.

1) Use an Outside Facilitator

Internal leads often carry technical bias, personal bias, or assumptions about “how things should go.” An external facilitator keeps the conversation honest, challenges the strong personalities who might dominate the room, and exposes blind spots you might otherwise miss.

2) Prepare Scenarios in Advance

Unprepared rehearsals quickly devolve into chaos — and they frustrate senior technical staff.
Rule of Thumb: For every hour of rehearsal, invest four hours of prep work.
Well-designed scenarios make the rehearsal realistic, structured, and productive.

3) Carefully Select the Participants

Inviting everyone is like trying to boil the ocean — slow, messy, and unproductive.
Choose a balanced group with representation across:

• Key technical leads
• Business units
• Operational stakeholders
• Risk/security or compliance when necessary

You need focused expertise, not a crowd.

4) Divide the Rehearsal Into Manageable Sessions

Trying to tackle the entire move in one massive session guarantees burnout and confusion.
Break the rehearsal into multiple segments so the team can apply lessons learned progressively. Each session should build clarity and refine the plan.

5) Documentation Is More Than Just Taking Notes

Sloppy notes = sloppy execution.
A good rehearsal produces:

• Clear findings
• Actionable tasks
• Updated steps in the move sequence
• Assigned owners and timelines

Translate every insight into something your team can act on.

6) Do It Again — and Again

Holding a single rehearsal and declaring victory is one of the biggest mistakes organizations make.
Rehearsals must be repeated to uncover interdependencies, timing issues, and logistical complexities that only become visible after multiple run-throughs.
Repetition reduces risk — and boosts confidence.

The Bottom Line

Data center move rehearsals are not optional. They are an essential tool for eliminating risk, validating your Move Playbook, and ensuring your team executes with precision on move day.

Electronic Transport Corp. brings decades of experience helping organizations rehearse and refine the most complex data center move plans.
Contact us today for a No Obligation Consultation and let our specialists help you build a rehearsed, refined, and risk-free relocation strategy.