3 Stages of a Successful Cloud Shift

The ultimate result of moving to the cloud should be simplification of your work flow. Using the cloud should reduce security concerns, decrease reliance on aging hardware, increase collaboration, and make your data simpler to access wherever, however, and whenever you want it. The hard part is getting all your data and processes there in the beginning. Effectively migrating to the cloud relies on a three-stage process.

Stage 1 – Identification

Before you move anything anywhere, you need to define exactly which applications and processes will be moved to the cloud. You need to identify exactly how the cloud will support your organization in meeting its goals. You also need to determine which cloud infrastructure will best meet the business’s needs, while minimizing risks. Check out this article to learn more about public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions.

Stage 2 – Migration

This is the meat of the moving process. It’s the formal stage when applications are shifted to the cloud in a disciplined way, which takes expertise. Organizations need a fundamental understanding of the apps being moved, what functions they support, and what they deliver to users and customers. As migration is happening, testing of functionality should too. Monitor, troubleshoot, and validate the services you get from your cloud provider to avoid unexpected data use charges.

Stage  3 – Management

At the final stage of cloud shift, you need to address how the cloud is integrated into day-to-day operations and corporate culture. Instead of a step-by-step waterfall approach, focus on agility and quick wins. To avoid your users being overwhelmed by the change and feeling disrupted (eventually resisting the learning curve), set small goals that are achievable. The best applications make your work simpler, but new tech can be intimidating at first. Ensure your people have the resources and support they need to integrate the new methods as simply as possible.

Migrating applications to the cloud can lead to improved business performance by cutting the strings that traditional computing placed on business agility and mobility. Corporate Technologies Group can help ensure the success of your cloud shift. From planning and migration to post-shift management. We’ll help you simplify the way your data flow and give you the freedom to focus on growth.

Learn more about the benefits of Cloud-based Software by downloading our white paper below.