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Conducting a needs analysis is the first step in accurately determining a customer's requirements. Proper planning helps to avoid potential costly mistakes up front and lays the groundwork for an effective upgrade path in the future. A needs analysis starts with an interview. During the interview, ask the customer questions to help determine the problems he is facing, if he has ideas about how to solve the problems, and what his future plans are. Understanding customer needs is crucial to developing a positive long-term relationship. If the customer has experience with server technology, ask questions about intended solutions. If not, you may need to determine the answers to these questions yourself. Consider asking questions in the following categories:
Based on answers to these questions, you can make recommendations about which server components are required and which are optional. For example, if file and print is the projected role of the server, storage capacity and transfer rate are important selection factors. On the other hand, if the server is intended to be a database server, processor speed and memory must be considered. |
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