You may already be aware of the many benefits of moving to the cloud for your business. Many businesses these days are already in the cloud or considering a move, but you might be concerned about migrating your business to the cloud.
So what’s involved in this, and how can you overcome the challenges? Here’s a guide to make the move as smooth as possible.
Potential difficulties
The biggest challenge when moving to the cloud is often for the IT department. Many issues can arise during the move, and it’s important to ensure your IT staff is up for the job.
One of the most common issues is that your employees don’t have the right tools or processes to make the move go smoothly. You will need the right supplies, and sometimes IT departments lack these. The transition period can be hectic, but the IT department has to keep the company running, so find out exactly what they need and make sure they have it.
Lack of strategy can also be an issue. Creating a strategy is a great challenge, and it can be very complicated depending on the size of your company. It’s, therefore, important to sit down with your team well in advance to start planning for this.
A lack of skills can also be an issue. IT employees may not have the skills they need, perhaps because of a lack of training. This is remedied by ensuring they get the training they need well in advance.
One of the biggest issues is misunderstanding the cloud. You might have misconceptions about it yourself. For example, you might not know exactly what the cloud is or how it works, or you may still think that the cloud is insecure, when the opposite is true. Overcoming this comes down to careful research and training.
How to enjoy a smoother move to the cloud
The first thing to do is to make sure your IT staff receive regular training so they have the skills they need to arrange the transition. However, if you do not have an IT department, your move to the cloud will probably be a lot easier.
The most important thing to remember is to take your time. Don’t create a mad rush because that’s how things go wrong. Instead, make sure that everyone has the time they need to plan for the moveānot just your IT staff, but your other employees. They should know well in advance about the changes and the potential disruption they may experience.
Research the cloud providers as well. When it comes to cloud hosting for business-critical applications, you don’t want to risk choosing a provider that does not have a great reputation. Choose a provider that offers something like the IBM iSeries to provide security, convenience, and lower costs.
And don’t overspend. One of the biggest problems can be overspending, so make sure you plan your budget very carefully. Speak to various providers about moving to their cloud services, and plan exactly how much it will cost.
You should also sell the benefits of the cloud to your staff. One of the main issues you will face is a reluctance to change, and your employees may be very happy with how things are now. Make sure they know about the benefits they will experience, which could involve more flexible working, and get them on board.
Enjoy a successful move to the cloud
If you are planning a move to the cloud, be aware of the potential difficulties you might face along the way. The move itself is not always straightforward, but with a bit of careful planning, you can make the process go a lot smoother. And with all the benefits of moving into the cloud, it’s not something you want to miss out on.