The extraordinarily rapid growth of cloud computing shows that the sky really is the limit when it comes to the cloud. But even if you’re ready to take the leap and reap the benefits of the cloud for your organisation, starting your cloud migration can be daunting and fraught with potential risks. We will break it down into a practical step-by-step process and help you plan for a successful cloud migration.
Cloud is no passing fad
A 2024 report found that a staggering 90% of large enterprises have adopted multi-cloud infrastructure, while 76% of mid-sized organisations operate with a multi-cloud model. Did you know that even among small businesses, 60% have implemented multi-cloud infrastructure?
Additionally, more than half of organisations are addressing cloud spending by hiring new staff or upskilling their existing workforce to optimise their cloud expenditure more effectively.It’s clear that cloud technology is transforming the way businesses operate and offers numerous benefits, from increased agility to cost savings and enhanced security. While you may be ready to migrate to the cloud and tap into the advantages for your organisation, it can be challenging to know where to start when navigating the complexities of the cloud.
Look to the hyperscalers
This is where we look to the collective expertise gained by the hyperscalers or the leading cloud service providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. After completing countless large and varied migrations, they’ve gathered invaluable insights on the best practices in successful cloud migration.
For a more customised approach, start with a migration readiness assessment. Provided by cloud providers or trusted partners like Kinetic IT, these assessments help identify potential challenges and create a clear roadmap for your migration. By thoroughly evaluating your current infrastructure and capabilities, your organisation can prepare for a smooth transition to the cloud.
If you’re ready to dive in, Kinetic IT Solutions Architect Nathan Alberti has created a step-by-step guide to ensure your cloud migration is a success—from initial planning to ongoing optimisation in the cloud.
Before undertaking a migration readiness assessment, it’s worth addressing the essential steps and questions to kickstart your cloud migration planning.
Set the stage for success
1. Align your business objectives and IT strategy
Aligning your cloud migration strategy with your overarching business goals, such as improving operational efficiency, increasing agility, and enhancing security, is essential when embarking on a successful cloud migration journey. To achieve this alignment, identify your organisation’s key priorities and objectives, then map them to specific cloud capabilities and features. This will help you create a targeted migration plan that addresses your unique business needs and maximises the potential benefits of cloud adoption.
2. Get executive sponsorship and stakeholder buy-in
Securing executive support and involving key stakeholders are vital for a successful cloud migration. Identify decision-makers like C-level executives, IT leaders, and business managers. Communicate the strategic benefits of cloud migration, tailoring your message to highlight the advantages relevant to their roles. Gaining their buy-in fosters a smoother decision-making process and builds a collaborative environment.
These relationships will also prove valuable in navigating challenges that may arise during the migration, ensuring the project stays on track even when obstacles appear.
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3. Define your cloud migration success criteria
As Peter Drucker famously said, “What gets measured gets managed.” Establishing clear, measurable outcomes that reflect your organisation’s strategic objectives is essential for evaluating the success of your cloud migration project.
Work with your stakeholders to define key performance indicators (KPIs) that capture the desired outcomes, such as reduced IT costs, increased application performance, or enhanced data security. Ensure these KPIs are quantifiable and can be tracked throughout the cloud migration process, allowing you to measure progress and make data-driven decisions. Regularly review and adjust the success criteria, ensuring they remain relevant and aligned with your organisation’s evolving goals and priorities.
Evaluate the cloud landscape
4. Choose the right cloud provider
Carefully evaluate leading cloud providers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, by considering various success factors, including the range of features and services offered, pricing structures, compliance with industry standards and regulations, and the level of customer support and documentation available. You’ll also need to consider the provider’s global infrastructure, data centre locations, and any existing partnerships or integrations with your organisation’s technology stack.
5. Get to know the cloud service models
Familiarising yourself with cloud service models like Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is critical to aligning with your business needs. Many cloud migrations start with IaaS for legacy applications needing more control, with components gradually transitioning to PaaS to reduce overhead.
This flexible approach allows you to transform applications while meeting business goals and reducing risks during migration. You can also mix and match service models or adapt over time based on specific use cases.
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Develop a comprehensive cloud migration strategy
6. Assess your IT portfolio
Before building an effective cloud migration strategy, your organisation must assess your existing IT infrastructure, applications, and data to identify which resources should be included. This involves cataloguing your IT assets, understanding their dependencies, and evaluating their suitability for a successful cloud migration. Consider performance, security, and compliance requirements to help determine the best approach for each resource.
7. Select the appropriate migration approach
Cloud migration strategies include rehosting (lift-and-shift), refactoring to leverage cloud-native features, re-platforming by upgrading components without altering core architecture, or replacing applications entirely with cloud-based solutions. AWS’s 7 Rs framework is a valuable guide for evaluating these options. Rehosting allows for a quick migration, often ideal for organisations needing to exit their current hosting environment fast, while refactoring or re-platforming offers more robust long-term benefits. Carefully assess each strategy’s pros and cons to determine the most suitable approach for your organisation.
8. Prioritise migration candidates
Develop a prioritisation matrix based on business impact, technical complexity, and potential benefits to determine how resources should be migrated. Avoid starting with the most challenging resources, as early successes can help build confidence and momentum within the organisation.
Instead, focus on lower-risk, high-reward resources that can show the benefits of cloud migration and help refine your migration processes before tackling the hard stuff. This approach reduces risk and ensures a smoother, more successful cloud migration journey.
Build a skilled, multidisciplinary team
9. Assemble a dedicated cloud migration team
Create a diverse team of professionals with expertise in various areas, such as cloud architecture, security, networking, and project management. Since cloud technology encompasses all traditional disciplines, having a well-rounded team with a wide range of skills is crucial for a successful cloud migration project.
Additionally, consider including representatives from different business units to ensure their unique perspectives and requirements are addressed throughout the cloud migration process.
10. Invest in training and certifications
Provide access to training and certification programs to ensure your team is equipped for cloud migration. Cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer free resources, including online courses and hands-on labs. Encourage your team to pursue certifications to validate their skills and incorporate cloud training into their professional development.
Promoting continuous learning keeps your project on track, supports career growth, and aligns your team’s expertise with industry trends and best practices.
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Implement a phased cloud migration approach
11. Conduct a proof of concept (PoC)
To ensure the feasibility of your cloud migration strategy, start by executing a PoC with a small, low-risk workload. This initial step allows you to test your chosen migration approach, tools, and processes in a controlled environment. You can validate your assumptions, identify potential challenges, and evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy before fully committing to the migration.
The lessons learned during the PoC phase provide invaluable insights that help shape your overall migration plan, enabling you to adjust and improve, avoid potential pitfalls, and ensure a smoother migration process.
12. Planning and executing pilot migrations
After completing the PoC, continue migrating a few non-critical workloads to the cloud. This pilot phase provides your team valuable hands-on experience, helping them identify potential issues and refine your cloud migration strategy.
Use the insights and feedback from these first migrations to optimise your processes and address any challenges before moving on to more complex or business-critical workloads.
13. Scaling up the migration
As your team gains more proficiency and confidence in the migration process, gradually increase the scale and complexity of migrated workloads. Continuously refine your approach based on lessons learned from previous phases, adapting to any new challenges or requirements that may emerge.
This iterative, phased approach helps mitigate risks, ensures better control over the migration process, and ultimately leads to a more seamless cloud migration journey.
Ensuring ongoing success
14. Establish a cloud governance framework
Implementing a solid governance framework that will help manage risks, ensure compliance, and maintain control over your cloud environment is crucial. A good governance framework should cover cost management, security, resource organisation, and access control.
Your organisation should leverage tools provided by cloud providers or third-party solutions to streamline governance tasks and ensure consistency across your cloud resources.
15. Embrace a culture of continuous improvement
Cloud migration is the first step in your digital transformation journey, not the ultimate destination. Once you have migrated, focus on continuous improvement by monitoring, optimising, and updating your cloud environment. Adopt a proactive approach to identify and resolve issues, drive efficiency, and reduce costs.
Encourage innovation within your team by exploring new cloud features, services, and best practices. This mindset will help you maximise the benefits of cloud adoption and maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Working with a partner to achieve a successful cloud migration
Working with a cloud migration partner like Kinetic IT not only helps to minimise risk and overcome potential challenges but also allows you to tap into a wide range of value-added services, such as customised architecture design, security and compliance consulting, and application modernisation. All this is critical to achieving a successful cloud migration and reaching your digital transformation goals.
By choosing the right partner, you can unlock the full potential of the cloud and achieve your digital transformation goals.
Our case study section of Kinetic IT’s website highlights real-world examples of how they deliver tailored technology solutions, such as cloud migration and service integration. These stories showcase clients’ challenges and the successful outcomes achieved through our expertise.
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