Too many technology (and non-technology) leaders have made the bold statement that they are “going to the cloud.” That’s great. Are you sure you really know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there? Have you looked at the size of the cloud-solutions marketplace lately? Estimates put it at $290 billion for 2018. Are you hoping luck will bring the right solutions together to answer your organization’s needs?
In an earlier article, we posed some questions about why successfully using cloud to deliver technology capabilities is so difficult. We’ve broken down our approach to cloud into a series of building blocks that form the foundation for your cloud success. The first building block of your move towards cloud helps you establish a holistic perspective of your path forward before moving to a cloud delivery model. Here, we’re going to explore a key component of the first cloud building block: your actionable strategy.
It is imperative that your organization clearly articulate its cloud aspirations and outcomes in a coherent strategy that can be acted upon in a meaningful timeframe. This strategy will form the basis for decision-making guidance around the types of solutions you consider viable for your business or operational needs. An actionable strategy delineates how solutions should be designed to support and extend your business/mission capabilities. It needs to provide focus in a marketplace packed with products and solutions that may not work within your environment and according to your requirements.
Most importantly, a clearly delineated strategy will make it obvious when you begin to stray outside of the boundaries that you’ve established. If you read between the lines (or explicitly include the guidance), it will tell you where not to go. This will help you continue to maintain direction and control over your move to the cloud. Ultimately, a cloud transition should provide services without adding risk to your business or operation and those services should be cost and performance effective.
Want to know more? Contact Patrick Kuo, Vice President, Solution Strategy at [email protected] for more information related to this market-leading capability.