How to Avoid the Hidden Costs of Slow IT Infrastructure Deployments

Organizations invest in IT infrastructure with one expectation: results, delivered fast. But when deployments drag on, the fallout goes far beyond slipping timelines.

Slow rollouts can erode ROI, heighten operational risk, and strain already‑stretched IT teams. They also keep organizations from innovating at the speed today’s market demands—and the true cost of those delays often isn’t obvious until performance starts to suffer.

It’s no wonder that ninety-four percent of companies say they need third party help on data infrastructure, according to Hitachi Vantara’s 2025 State of Data Infrastructure Report. Whether it’s training staff, securing the environment, or executing strategic implementations, many organizations rely on a blend of technology, hiring, upskilling, and trusted partners to close critical gaps.

Operational & ROI Risks of Prolonged Deployment Timelines

When a new data center infrastructure solution does not go live as planned, the organization loses potential value over time. Benefits such as increased efficiency, operational cost reductions, or improved service levels are pushed further out, creating a compounding effect on ROI that is harder to recover later.

Longer deployment timelines also keep outdated systems running past their ideal lifecycle, which may introduce configuration issues, security concerns, or even unexpected downtime. According to Data Stack Hub, 58% of organizations reported at least one major cloud outage in the past 12 months, with many incidents linked to outdated or insufficiently scaled infrastructure.

Organizations additionally risk missing market opportunities when they cannot move fast enough to respond to customer expectations or competitive pressures. Extended project durations can lead to team fatigue, as employees become frustrated when expected improvements do not appear within the timeframe originally communicated.

Achieving a faster and more reliable deployment requires applying a more structured and disciplined approach. Successful organizations tend to follow methodologies that clearly define expected business outcomes, utilize consistent and repeatable processes, and maintain strong coordination across teams.

According to one study from Ryerson University, IT project complexity has a strong positive correlation with time and cost overruns. Expert Consulting, Implementation, and Operations Services through trusted partners such as Hitachi Vantara can also play an important role by anticipating obstacles that others may overlook, and ensuring the deployment is aligned to long‑term scalability needs.

BMW Group: Accelerating Time to Deployment

A strong example of the impact of a more organized approach is the BMW Group, which worked with Hitachi Vantara to modernize its storage environment. Their migration was completed faster than previous efforts, while minimizing disruption and ensuring reliability across mission‑critical systems. The improvements also helped reduce footprint, power usage, and operational complexity.

As one BMW manager commented, “thanks to the strength of Hitachi Vantara’s approach, the migration project was completed without any downtime or disruption to the production processes.” 

DenizBank: Modernizing Infrastructure to Reduce Risk and Improve Returns

DenizBank partnered with Hitachi Vantara to modernize its storage infrastructure as rapid business growth increased data volumes and operational complexity. The bank required a high‑performance, scalable, and easily managed platform to safeguard customer experience and reduce the high costs and risks associated with its legacy tape‑based backup process.

Hitachi Vantara’s professional services team assisted with the implementation and data migration to ensure a smooth transition. With the active-active solution, the bank can seamlessly failover in the event of a site outage with minimal impact to users and zero data loss.

After working with Hitachi Vantara, DenizBank also saw improved operational efficiency by shifting away from managing more than 1,200 physical backup tapes per year. This reduced administrative overhead, restored processes, and took the edge off of long‑term retention complexity. Over time, these changes will support sustained ROI by lowering running costs and preparing the bank for future scalability without additional infrastructure strain.

The Hitachi Vantara Advantage of Professional Services

Organizations aiming to avoid the negative effects of slow deployments can benefit from a few key practices. Partnering with experienced partners, such as Hitachi Vantara Professional Services, can streamline implementation, reduce friction and unlock the full value of your storage investment.

Optimize your IT infrastructure with Hitachi Vantara expertise. Learn how our professional services can enable your teams to boost operational efficiency, reduce risk, and speed time to value.