Running a business is hard at the best of times. Throw into the mix having to “do digital” in a time of rapid technological advancements and evolving business landscapes and it gets very daunting. Cloud migration is often at the forefront of a business’s digital agenda. But how can businesses successfully implement a cloud strategy across an organisation and bring the whole team on the journey? In this article, I’ll outline some of the key things to consider and clear some of the fog surrounding the cloud.
There are many reasons a company might want to migrate to the cloud, such as avoiding hardware renewals, improving flexibility, paving the way for future growth or even keeping at pace with the competition. Understanding these motivations is the key to a successful migration as there is no one size fits all approach.
Research from our Digital Transformation report found that over the last 24 months, 94% of businesses have accelerated their digital transformation efforts. Cloud migration isn’t a passing trend, but a strategic imperative for forward-thinking companies seeking to unlock new possibilities and drive unparalleled growth.
While an exciting endeavor for organisations, the process can seem daunting. The complexity of moving everything from physical datacentres to the cloud is not without its challenges. From planning pitfalls to technical complexities, companies must navigate various hurdles to ensure a smooth transition. By investing time in the planning stage, upskilling and retraining staff, and fostering stakeholder alignment, organisations can overcome these obstacles and pave the way for seamless cloud migration.
Assessing your needs
Rushing to implement a cloud solution without understanding the needs is like jumping in a car to go on holiday without knowing where you’re going. It’ll be a long journey and, while you may see some sights along the way, undoubtedly it will be pretty stressful and you could waste a lot of money before you find your ideal destination. Before embarking on a digital transformation journey, business leaders should take a moment to breathe and reflect. The assessment phase is your chance to lay a solid foundation for success.
Organisations should invest the time to understand the business drivers for moving to the cloud, what are the outcomes they want to achieve, specific problems they are hoping to fix. Having a clear, agreed time frame that needs to be achieved is also vital so that all parties involved know what is coming down the line and when to expect it. This will allow the time to support mitigating against any delays.
To put all of the pieces of the puzzle together, it’s important to undertake a Migration Readiness Assessment (MRA). An MRA helps organisations gain insights into how far along they are in their cloud journey, understand their current cloud-readiness, and build an action plan to close identified gaps. This assessment is like shining a light on every nook and cranny, from security to governance, to identify any weak spots that need strengthening.
In the planning stage, organisations must approach potential pitfalls with a positive and proactive mindset. Don’t rush the process; take your time to plan and strategize. As Gartner warns, “rushed processes” and “poor landing zones” are common culprits for failed cloud migrations. So, make sure to assess your existing infrastructure thoroughly, ensuring a smooth and successful transition to the cloud.
Empowering and educating
Just as a ship needs a skilled crew to sail smoothly, your organisation’s success in the cloud depends on your people. Neglecting their training and change management can lead to a storm of resistance, wasted resources, and a struggle to adapt. To overcome these hurdles, it’s time to unleash the power of a robust training and support program for your employees.
Comprehensive training and enablement programs empower organisations to equip their workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the new cloud environment. This enables employees to embrace change, effectively utilise cloud services, optimise workflows, drive productivity, and foster innovation. With their newfound expertise, employees become adept at navigating the cloud currents, propelling the organisation to new heights.
Stakeholder relationship
Ensuring staff are fully educated and on board is just half the battle – stakeholder alignment is paramount to the success of any cloud migration journey. The direction of digital transformation report found that the thing that causes digital transformation projects to fail is almost always human factors: misalignment of key stakeholders.
Set your ‘North Star’ together, not in siloes of the most senior stakeholders. You will make mistakes, but celebrate the successes together, and through strong communication and energizing movements, organisations can navigate the migration process with minimal impact on their stakeholder relationships.
In this era of the digital revolution, companies are recognising the transformative power of cloud migration. By planning, upskilling, and aligning with stakeholders, companies can navigate and remove the fog around the cloud migration process. The cloud is not just a destination; it is a catalyst for future success in the digital age.
