The 4 Steps You Need to Take for a Successful Cloud Migration
For most businesses that haven’t already done it, migrating to the cloud is inevitable. After all, there are several advantages to shifting applications to the cloud. This includes improving data access, IT flexibility, scalability, and security. The ability to save considerable money by refining processes also cannot be overlooked.
However, cloud migration is not something which can be rushed or done without the right procedures in place. Just one misstep could lead to a costly delay, or even result in the migration failing.
To ensure you don’t fall down the traps which have caught out other companies in the past, here are four steps you need to take for a successful cloud migration.
Step 1: Have the Right In-House Skills
Yes, you can receive external assistance with cloud migration. Nevertheless, your in-house employees must have the right cloud-based skills both during and after the migration. If they don’t possess these skills, it could result in the migration being stalled – or even outright failing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go out hunting for new talent to take on these new cloud responsibilities. Thanks to the power of cloud computing certifications and the hands-on experience they provide, your current employees can gain all the necessary knowledge and skills to handle your company’s cloud transformation.
Step 2: Don’t Throw Everything onto The Cloud
A common misconception is that you need to move all of your applications and documents onto the cloud. However, it’s not necessary to move your entire business onto the cloud. It is advised to leave unique code in-house, while more standard business apps – such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and email – are more suitable for the cloud.
Step 3: Don’t Replicate, Innovate
As you are restructuring your applications for the cloud, why not take the opportunity to innovate rather than replicate what you already have? By being able to refactor apps, so they have a cloud native design, you can embrace new designs and methodologies – the type that will ultimately benefit your business and customers.
Think about it: this is the ideal time to deliver on that new prototype when you couldn’t find the chance to do so in the past. This can then, ultimately, help you engage in new ways and boost customer service to a level you previously couldn’t attain.
Step 4: Put Together A Cohesive Strategy
Technology may only play a small role in the running of your business, but a cloud migration means you have to rethink many different aspects of how you operate. You have to take into account how it will alter your organizational structure, budgets, security, processes, data integration, and so on.
As for the migration itself, you have to make conscious decisions about what to move or keep in-house, know which platforms to abandon or stick with, and how to benefit from the cloud by refactoring applications. When doing this, try and avoid a migration which is too complex. As for your strategy, see if you can break up the migration into stages where you can tackle each one at a time.
