Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner
The cloud has undoubtedly transformed the way businesses function, offering unmatched scalability, flexibility, and innovation potential. However, as organizations venture into the cloud, they often face what is known as the migration bubble. This bubble signifies a temporary spike in costs, complexities, and challenges that can disrupt the cloud transition process. Fortunately, there are strategies to help you convert this bubble into a minor blip on your cloud migration journey.
In this blog, I will share effective tactics to shorten the bubble period, minimize or offset costs, and accelerate value delivery.
Reduce the Duration
While it may sound straightforward, minimizing the length of cloud migration is one of the most effective ways to navigate the migration bubble. Aim to progress as swiftly as possible through the expensive phase of managing your new cloud environment while still operating on-premises—but do so with careful planning. Here are some suggested steps:
Articulate the “Why”
Clearly expressing the vision and rationale behind the cloud migration is crucial to garnering support from all stakeholders. I’ve spoken to many AWS clients who were unsure of the reasons behind their changes or had not communicated those reasons effectively. Clarify why the transformation is essential, how it aligns with your organization’s strategic goals, and the potential benefits for both individuals and the collective. When employees comprehend the purpose of the transformation and can visualize the desired outcome, they are more likely to commit to the journey and tackle challenges head-on—all vital for speeding up the transition. Understanding the “why” helps set boundaries for your migration; it empowers your team to assess both current and proposed strategies by questioning, “Does this contribute to our objective of achieving the ‘why’?” If not, they should feel empowered to explore alternatives. This approach not only ensures a swift migration but also reinforces the delivery of your goals.
Foster a Sense of Urgency
Establishing firm deadlines instills a sense of urgency and significance around the transformation. This communicates that change is not just an abstract goal but a concrete and time-sensitive objective. Deadlines compel teams to prioritize their efforts, make timely decisions, and take action. The urgency created by a deadline helps to overcome complacency, ensuring that the transformation remains a primary focus for everyone involved. Like articulating the “why,” creating urgency also provides additional parameters by guiding employees toward activities that align with the timeline.
Empower All Team Members
A successful cloud transformation requires the active engagement and commitment of every individual within your organization. By including everyone in the transformation process, you cultivate a sense of ownership, collaboration, and alignment toward common goals. This collective effort brings diverse perspectives that drive innovation and success. Empowering individuals to take initiative is essential for achieving results. When discussing organizational changes, I always advise against relying solely on the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) for decision-making. As a leader, you cannot be everywhere or possess all the answers, and waiting for meetings to make decisions can delay progress. Instead, enlist everyone as change agents and empower them to take responsibility for the transformation. I delve further into fostering accountability and ownership in my blog post, Two-Pizza Teams Are Just the Start, Part 1: Accountability and Empowerment Are Key to High-Performing Agile Organizations.
Accelerate Training for Your Team
Reflecting on my experiences, I wish I had prioritized training for my teams sooner during our cloud migration. Training is a critical factor that distinguishes those who thrive and rapidly realize the benefits of the cloud from those who struggle or see minimal returns. By providing formal training early in the process, you equip your employees to tackle challenges and resolve issues swiftly. AWS offers an extensive array of training and certification programs; I recommend integrating these into your migration strategy. Moreover, ensure that your teams engage in active projects to apply their newly acquired skills, as otherwise, they risk becoming obsolete.
Leverage AWS MAP for Migration Acceleration
I strongly recommend utilizing the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP). This program features a comprehensive framework designed to fast-track your cloud migration journey. It provides a variety of tools, resources, tailored training approaches, and access to AWS Partners’ expertise. Furthermore, MAP offers financial incentives that can help mitigate migration costs, enabling you to achieve your migration objectives more efficiently.
Collaborate with Experienced Partners
Partnering with knowledgeable cloud migration specialists can significantly enhance your migration experience. These partners offer invaluable expertise, best practices, and specialized tools that help navigate the complexities of migration with greater efficiency. Leveraging their insights reduces risks, accelerates timelines, and boosts your success rate.
Engage Security and Compliance Teams Early
It is vital to secure the support and alignment of your security and compliance teams at the outset of migration. Their early involvement will prevent potential delays and issues that could impede your progress.
Minimize and Offset Costs
Migrating to the cloud presents numerous advantages, allowing for rapid experimentation without the heavy consequences of failure, and enabling the swift scaling of successful ideas. However, migrating also alters many traditional cost and licensing structures, necessitating a clear understanding of them. The cloud can free up existing assets that you can use to offset some of the migration expenses. I suggest focusing on three key areas:
Evaluate Current License Requirements
As you migrate your infrastructure, assess your existing software licensing agreements to understand the specific requirements tied to your on-premises setup. This assessment will help identify which licenses can be smoothly transitioned to the cloud and which may need reevaluation. As you review your licenses, consider which ones might become obsolete or can be replaced with more cost-effective cloud alternatives. Engage with your software vendors to discuss your migration plans and explore any licensing options or cloud-based alternatives they might offer. Some vendors have specialized licensing models designed for cloud deployments.
Utilize Data Center Buybacks and Divestment
During the migration process, organizations often have data center assets that will no longer be necessary. Selling or repurposing these assets can provide significant financial relief, contributing to offsetting migration expenses.
In conclusion, Chanci Turner emphasizes that while the cloud migration bubble can pose challenges, with the right strategies, it can be managed effectively. For more insights, consider visiting SHRM’s guide on launching an HR department. For an engaging read on automation in training and onboarding, check out this article on Amazon’s warehouse workers.