So, you’ve made the decision to move from on premise to cloud. Cloud is positioned to cut costs, improve efficiencies and enhance bottom line benefits. But the pursuit of happiness can be thwarted without an experienced partner who understands that cloud implementations differ from on premise deployments.
Surveys show most customers aren’t happy with what they get from their software purchase by the time the go-live event comes around. In some cases it’s due to not defining clear goals at the outset, resulting in misalignment between business requirements and the technology capabilities. In other cases, it’s selecting a partner without the tools, resources, and experience needed for success.
Cloud deployments require a partner with an experienced technical and functional consulting team who has successfully deployed cloud-based technology and demonstrated results. Customer satisfaction is as important as business process improvement. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Cloud deployment is faster than on-premise, but it’s not as fast as you think. It’s important to set realistic expectations around the time it takes to implement cloud systems. Yes, there are more agile methodologies and you can implement more quickly than on premise, but it’s critical to not sacrifice quality for the sake of speed. Take your time doing the upfront work to make sure you’re making the best use of available resources and that service requirements are met.
Identify available resources to ensure IT is used at its most effective level. We recognize that customers have core responsibilities in addition to upgrading software. But we also know that having the right resources available at the right time throughout the project supports a more streamlined, deployment, helping to take the project from concept to live infrastructure on schedule. Planning shouldn’t end at go-live, either. IT managers need to consider what their environment will be doing one, two, or even three years from now to ensure it can effectively scale in the future.
Educate end users that cloud deployment isn’t the same as buying a product on Amazon. Users inside the business units may grow frustrated when their new software isn’t immediately available. Communicate early and often throughout the project to foster shared understanding and minimize expectations of two-day delivery. There are hundreds of decisions that have to be made by the project team to ensure the business has the right system and technology resources to meet current and future business needs. Helping end users understand this will help maintain enthusiasm throughout the project lifecycle.
Pick the right partner. Customers should look at a range of vendors – not just big name brands, but niche players that specialize in the application and cloud deployment. You’ll have added benefit that consultants are knowledgeable of the application, business processes and how other organizations have achieved a successful go-live. Do due diligence and speak with customer references, ask about the number of certified consultants, and who will be working on your project.
Customers need to put the best, brightest and most experienced resources together who understand today’s requirements and future goals. Many customers are running software that’s a decade old and in that time IT has changed, business processes have evolved and new technologies are entering the enterprise. If you’re considering cloud, take opportunity to review all business processes and identify areas for improvement.
Selecting the right software and deployment is just half the battle; the right partnership and business knowledge is the ultimate determination of a successful implementation.
Cloud coverage in your forecast? Talk to the experts at Avaap and let us show you how we can get you to the cloud in the most secure, reliable and predictable manner possible.