Moving your data and IT operations to the cloud is not an easy task and the process will be different for every business. Sometimes the best laid plans don’t work out in practice, so you’ll need to be able to adapt if necessary. If you can’t tweak your plan to get around unexpected problems then you could be heading for cloud migration failure.
Cloud migration failure is not uncommon. One survey showed problems in as many as 50% of cases. It’s not instant either, and the more complex the operation, the longer it can take: as much as 3 to 6 months in a bad scenario. That can be taxing on resources and budgets, as well as disrupting the smooth operation of your normal business, so flexibility is essential.
Allot Responsibility for Your Cloud Migration Carefully
In a large project with potentially serious adverse outcomes, it’s best to give sole responsibility to one, or just a few, people. The more hands that are on a project, the more hurdles that the administrator has to go over in order to complete cloud migration without incident. You should be able to get the migration project done without having to run every little decision by the chain of command. If you start off with a good plan, you’re halfway there. Too many people tweaking it as it goes along could derail your plan.
Evaluate and Test
Because it’s not as straightforward as you might think before you start, you should anticipate problems and evaluate the migration process as you go along. Testing is essential, so you can catch issues sooner rather than later. It only takes a couple of critical applications to develop problems for the wheels to come off. If you do run into difficulties, having the flexibility to work around them or develop alternatives is key to the transition. It can be helpful to build some leeway into your budget, in the expectation that issues may crop up.
Adaptability is Strength
The capacity to be flexible is an asset in any business. It’s part of a productive business ethos to be accepting of the fact that problems happen and IT problems are par for the course if you make major changes. There’s no point in assigning blame. It might be frustrating to hit a wall, but directing your energy towards resolving it is a positive response. In cloud migration, if you hit barriers then consider it part of the process of setting up your cloud computing system optimally in the long run.
Because cloud migration failure is a real risk it’s sometimes best to bring in professional help, rather than opting for a DIY job. IT experts versed in cloud migration will have the knowledge and experience to think laterally, which will be key to adapting your ideal plan into a workable reality.
If you need assistance with a cloud migration project then Quikteks can help. Our skilled technicians can work alongside your IT staff to guarantee that your cloud project goes off without a hitch. To learn more, reach out to us at (973) 882-4644.