Stalled Cloud Migrations: Look at the People, Not the Tech

Although the cloud has many benefits, migrating to the cloud can get stalled. To avoid this issue, it is important for organizations to make cloud migration a people problem, look within for answers, and enlist the help of a third-party vendor, writes Jacob Picart, cloud solutions architect, InterVision.

Many organizations are aware of the benefits of moving their data assets to the cloud, such as enhancing security and stability, cutting costs and improving flexibility. The public cloud infrastructure is expected to grow 35%Opens a new window this year alone and reach $623.3 billion worldwide by 2023.

The evolution and rise of the cloud have kickstarted a wave of innovation, enhanced cybersecurity and redistributed big chunks of an organization’s IT budget from low-value work to high-value initiatives that affect customers. It is no secret, however, that shifting an organization’s workloads and datasets to the cloud comes with the risk of failure. There are varying statistics, but anywhere from 44% to 57% of cloud migrations failOpens a new window , making it necessary to have the best plan and people in place.

Migrating to the cloud allows organizations to reach new levels of success for their customers. However, if not handled with a full cultural shift as a key focus, the cloud will only create frustration and costly challenges. To avoid this issue, any IT project, especially cloud migrationsOpens a new window , should focus on three key areas: the people, process, and technology.

Learn More: Why CIOs Shouldn’t Race to Move all Data to the Public Cloud

Make Cloud Migration a People Problem

In most cases, an organization’s most important workloads and datasets are being moved during a cloud migration, creating a complex and critical process that requires significant planning. Cloud migrations must be a people problem first. Answer the why, what, and how of the cloud before moving any workloads. This approach is helpful with any organizational change, not just cloud migration.

When searching for the why of cloud targets, you will find both the short-term and long-term strategies. Why is the cloud a perfect fit to help fulfill your company’s goals? The what will focus on the question of what changes need to be made so the organization can make a successful jump to the cloud. Finally, the how will help identify the best way to go about the changes that need to be completed.

Look Within for Answers

A secret to success is that all of these answers can be found within the organization, which should result in an obligatory cultural shift. The IT team will, of course, need to head the cloud migration process and realign when they see fit. This process and technology can be very different from an on-premise environment. So, many professionals may experience some growing pains and reluctance. 

The cloud migration will divide employees into three groups: 

• Those who have no issues with adopting and evolving
• Those who see the need to adapt and evolve but will take some time to get there, and
• Those who will need to be pushed every step of the way. 

It is important to know from the beginning which group each employee lies in and that your IT processes will need to evolve so your organization will find success in the cloud. After you have a thorough process planned out that accommodates the entire business, including employees and encourages full optimization in the cloud, the talks of a specific technology or needed tools can begin.

Learn More: Spring Cleaning: Tidying up Unauthorized Access in Multi-Cloud Configurations

Enlist the Help of a Third-Party Vendor

Any type of change for an organization can be lengthy and difficult. Migrating to the cloud can feel like an impossible burden to carry, which is why so many businesses look to a third-party vendor for help. This third-party vendor can point out any skill gaps in the process and planning and give valuable advice from past experiences. 

It is essential to pick a vendor with validated expertise working with your current infrastructure and the cloud environment you are set out to end up in. If an organization’s IT team and third-party vendor are not on the same page, their cloud migration will be doomed from the beginning.

Just like any business venture, cloud migrations often have bumps in the road. If people are the priority throughout the process, however, the organization is likely to experience the cloud’s many benefits. During cloud migration, a successful strategy will include extensive planning, buy-in from every department, especially leadership, and helpful advice from peers and experts who are seasoned in dealing with this technology.

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