So you’ve decided you want to utilise the cloud for your business, you’re confident it’s going to make a positive difference, and now all you need to do is implement the changes and evaluate them. How do you go about it and how can you tell if migrating to the cloud has provided you with everything you wanted from it?
Implementation
First thing’s first, getting the job done. If you’re not technical, hopefully, you’ve got someone overseeing the project for you, but you do still need a level of input into how it’s going to work. Are you going to rip off the metaphorical plaster and get it all done in one go, or are you going to be a bit more methodical and move data across piece by piece?
More than just a phase
If you’re going to take the slower approach and move your system a bit at a time, this allows the person carrying out all the technical stuff the time and space to test as they go. This reduces the overall risk of downtime, or data getting lost or broken in transit. The downside to this way of doing things is that until everything is moved across you’ll find yourself using two systems at once. This isn’t usually a problem as such, but it can get a bit tedious.
All together now
Doing the whole thing at once might seem like a bold, higher risk approach but also it can give you solid completion dates, and a very definite endpoint.
Whichever route you go down, having completion date targets in your implementation plan is important. It helps keep things moving, as well as giving you benchmarks to see how things are going – especially if you aren’t technical yourself.
How to evaluate the success of moving to the cloud
If you have clear goals at the start but don’t pay any attention to them at the end of the process, you’re never going to be sure if making the move was worth it. This could affect your decisions moving forward if you don’t have any data to base them on.
That’s why turning your original wish list, or the set of goals or reasons for making the move to the cloud into key performance indicators (KPIs) is a must.
Useful data to collect for you might include KPIs covering staff experience, performance, and ongoing infrastructure costs. The most common reason for businesses choosing to adopt the cloud is actually to cut costs, so that’s potentially the most important thing to look at.
Evaluation actually starts before you make the transition to the cloud. By taking measurements or collecting data in the key areas you want to monitor improvement, you’ll have benchmarks to compare with once your transition to the cloud is complete.
How soon is too soon?
After any major infrastructure change, it takes time for the team to get used to a new way of working, and to fix any little teething problems. With this in mind, reviewing how successful the migration has been after only a couple of weeks may leave you feeling a bit demoralised with the result.
Consider popping a note into your diary for 6 months’ time to use your KPIs and take a look at your KPIs and see how things are going. You might even want to do it again after a year, to evaluate the longer-term performance.
Are you looking for someone to manage your move to the cloud? That’s one of the things we do best. Book a call and we can have a chat about what you’re looking to achieve, what you need, and how we can help you get there.
