Fixing a Cloud Journey – How You Can Still Rock It in Cloud

Fresh from recent conversations with customers, I'm sharing my reflections on some of the engaging discussions. There have been some key takeaways and similarities between many of the conversations.

Everyone’s in cloud - but who’s really rocking it?

The resounding message that has echoed through many recent conversations is this: almost everyone has taken the plunge into the cloud, but not everyone's quite "rocking it" just yet. And that's perfectly fine, by the way.

Many have made the shift to the cloud, but they haven't quite tweaked their operations to squeeze out every drop of its potential. That means the promised value is still hanging in the balance, waiting to be seized.

For many, doubts might have crept in, as the value proposition isn’t quite there, it hasn’t been understood or realised. And so many organisations now ask: Was the value prop a lie? We’re not seeing this as more flexible, we’re not seeing it as cheaper - in fact, it’s more expensive now we’re in the cloud.

These are fair questions to ask, but let's get one thing straight - this isn't a reflection on the cloud itself. It's a mirror held up to the organisations and their partners in the cloud journey. It’s likely they’re the not-so-successful part of the equation.

Many organisations now ask: Was the value prop a lie? We’re not seeing this as more flexible, we’re not seeing it as cheaper - in fact, it’s more expensive now we’re in the cloud.

Looking to fix a cloud journey?

So, as the initial cloud migration wave settles, the question arises: how do we take this foundation and use it as a launchpad for the next wave? Or put simply - how do we fix our cloud journey?

We understand that striving for the perfect cloud journey is really hard. In fact, perfection is pretty much impossible. Many organisations come to us with a cloud journey that's stumbling, delayed or even a little bit broken - and that's perfectly alright. The key is shifting from merely aiming for a cloud destination to embracing a genuinely transformational cloud journey.

We often see customers struggling to embark on their second wave of cloud change. There is a gap between what they expected from the first wave of their cloud journey, and their ability to actually achieve what they want with cloud.

Their imagined destination – a highly secure, cost-effective, flexible and agile environment - is still possible. But it relies on a well executed cloud journey with successful waves of change that lead to a smooth daily experience of using the cloud to drive accelerated business growth. 

How to cure Day 2 digital transformation challenges

Check this guide to understand why – despite years of progress with digital transformation – IT ops are struggling to deliver at the speed product teams need.

You’ll get for insight on:

• Symptoms and causes of Day 2 digital transformation pain
• Ways to get rid of the pain
• How 6 organisations are dealing with it

Read the guide

The 3 excellence plays

And we break down the three areas of excellence that businesses should strive for to improve their cloud journey:

Security

To step up cloud security operations, organisations need to understand it’s as much about the people and processes as it is the technology. And the security landscape in cloud is vastly different, so if you try to keep your old ways of working, you’ll be unable to detect major threads and unable to act properly if disaster should strike.

So for sure, absolutely integrate those cutting-edge threat detection technologies, but investing in employee training and awareness programs or putting the correct governance in place can be vital in setting the right path to security excellence.

FinOps

If you were at the event, you might’ve caught my session on doing more with less in cloud - which was really all about FinOps, where I shared key learnings and battle scars from our work with leading global brands including Finnair and Volkswagen. 

But way beyond merely cutting costs, FinOps is a catalyst for businesses to drive growth and do more with less. It helps you get granular allocation and predictive buy optimisation throughout your organisation.

And while transitioning from CapEx to OpEx can be a minefield, having a strategic FinOps partner can help successfully navigate this shift, allowing businesses to adapt swiftly and embrace the flexibility of OpEx models while optimising cost management.

Operations

Streamlining cloud operations involves adopting and embedding cloud best practices, leveraging tools and automation, and embracing DevOps practices. For example, leveraging something like the PES Automation Platform can really streamline operations. And this can involve a major cultural change in an organisation, ideally managed by a CCoE - which we’ve had vast experience in guiding.

We've got the battle scars

So, as we continue on this cloud journey, remember that the adventure is just as significant as the destination. And that’s where we can help, with vast experience and battle scars from these kinds of journeys.

We know that with a strategic focus on security, FinOps, and operational excellence, organisations can bridge the gap between cloud aspirations and reality. If you're finding your cloud journey a bit tricky, don't hesitate to reach out - you can contact me directly or use the form below.