Planning Your Cloud Strategy: 6 Questions CIOs Must Ask

For organizations looking to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud, it’s essential to have a carefully thought-out strategy that achieves your desired business objectives. Achieving success in such a transition requires a comprehensive approach and taking into account various factors. However, determining which elements need consideration can be difficult for even seasoned CIOs and tech personnel. To help you build an effective plan for the adoption of cloud technology, here are six key questions that your CIOs should consider when crafting a cloud strategy:

What Objectives Are You Looking To Achieve?

When formulating your cloud strategy, your primary objective should be to optimize cloud technology for your business. Every cloud strategy is unique and will require customization to best fit the needs of your organization. Consider the scalability of the cloud model, budget objectives, the strengths and weaknesses of cloud-based applications, as well as any current operational challenges that cloud computing may be able to address. It's also important to ensure that you have an agile cloud infrastructure so you can make adjustments as needed. With a clear understanding of cloud technology and application assets, you can develop a cloud strategy to achieve maximum efficiency in today's digital landscape while reaping cost savings and other benefits in the long term.

Which Applications Should Be Moved Off-Site And Which Should Stay In-House?

When creating a cloud strategy for an organization, it is important to ask the question of which applications should be moved off-site and which should stay in-house. Moving certain applications offsite can provide cost savings, greater scalability, better availability, and more flexibility; however, there are still cases where maintaining certain applications onsite makes sense. Considerations such as data sensitivity, risk management, and compliance requirements are all factors to take into account when deciding which applications should remain in-house and which way to shift cloud-wise. Ultimately, it’s important that organizations conduct a cloud assessment before making any definitive cloud strategy decisions to ensure the right infrastructure model is being pursued.

How Will The Switch Impact Existing Resources?

When transitioning to cloud computing, it is important to consider the impact on existing resources. A cloud strategy should be well-planned out and developed to ensure the most effective use of cloud resources. Involving all stakeholders in the planning process can help the organization assess the current resource landscape and plan for the best cloud solutions. Once a cloud strategy has been established, systematically executing it will make sure that existing resources are used efficiently and effectively with cloud solutions that leverage available tools and services. This allows organizations to build towards their cloud objectives without sacrificing performance or opportunities for growth.

Are related IT Activities Being Addressed Sufficiently?

When it comes to cloud strategy planning, every business must consider if related IT activities are being addressed sufficiently in order for the cloud to be successfully deployed. It is important for a cloud strategy to incorporate detailed procedures that directly affect IT activities such as service architecture, workloads, and data integration. Strategies should also address how cloud models can benefit related IT operations such as storage, networking, and automation. When all of these elements are appropriately considered and planned for a cloud strategy, businesses can rest assured that they are taking the necessary steps toward implementing cloud services with confidence.

How Able Is Your Organization To Handle The Switchover And Post-Implementation Maintenance Tasks?

When assessing your cloud strategy, organizations must ensure that their cloud infrastructure is capable of handling the switchover and post-implementation maintenance requirements. Because cloud infrastructures are new, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the ever-shifting environment and start with a forward-looking cloud architecture. With careful planning and implementation strategies, organizations can ensure continual system stability so that cloud migration does not affect company operations or customer experience. Additionally, cloud providers should be prepared for continuous monitoring and regular upgrades to keep up with changing technologies and security needs. By taking proactive steps to plan carefully during cloud transitions, an organization can make sure its cloud infrastructure is robust enough to handle any scenario.

How Can The Transition Be Managed With Minimal Disruption or Downtime?

Moving to cloud-based systems requires thoughtful planning and a solid cloud strategy. Before transitioning, organizations should assess the cloud environment they will use and determine if the cloud resources can accommodate their current workloads. Preparing an inventory of all existing applications, and services and how they interact is also important for managing the transition with minimal disruption or downtime. Organizations should also identify cloud platform capabilities including data replication options, user authentication support, and security features that need to be enabled. Doing proper research upfront will make your cloud migration smoother as well as decrease the chances of service interruptions due to unanticipated requirements during setup or deployment. If you plan effectively from the start, you can help ensure your cloud strategy is implemented without disruption or downtime.

Conclusion

While there are many factors to consider when planning your cloud strategy, the six questions we’ve outlined should give you a good starting point. By taking the time to answer these questions and plan accordingly, you can make sure that your organization makes the most of this important technology shift.