Spring Cleaning with Cloud Applications at any Time of Year
Think for a minute about the incredible transformation Cloud is bringing to your business. Everything is changing. Cloud-enabled applications and processes are directly affecting the ways we do business and communicate. In fact, it’s fair to say that the cloud has an impact on almost every aspect of your company.
Most disruptive technologies take one of two forms. They either offer a new approach to performing a task or they are trendy. Cloud-based applications are beyond trendy and certainly are offering a new approach. The advantage of new, streamlined, transparent and controlled processes is often overlooked in making the decision to move to the cloud. Learn more about Cloud 360 Assessment.
The proliferation of the cloud continues to change the way we do business and the ways we interact and communicate. Let’s look at some process-related advantages of upgrading to the cloud.
What are the key decision points for making a move to the cloud?
The move to cloud computing is about access to data and the ways you manage technology and deliver the benefits of the technology to the end-user. We understand the obvious reasons to upgrade to cloud from on-premise solutions: you can be up and running more quickly, there is complete flexibility for growth, the TCO can be reduced and your applications are fully accessible from anywhere among other advantages.
There is another advantage that can be lost in the excitement and disorder of a cloud project.
When a company approaches a cloud project as an IT-centric success metric, the impact on people and potential advantages to processes can be left by the wayside. If top executives only see the bottom line, it can lead to underfunded and under-planned projects. The cloud IS easier to implement in many ways, yet the change management effort is also increased at the same time. A smartly planned project will anticipate these changes and use the functions of cloud-enabled processes to best advantage.
Moving to the cloud will bring you immediate benefits of industry best practices, automation, visibility and accountability in your key business processes.
Most processes start out as manual, reactive and tactical. Often there is limited visibility and very little upstream and downstream accountability. The next stage of process maturity includes standardization and better record-keeping but can still be slow with limited visibility throughout the process.
The most mature processes automate steps wherever possible, have accountability, are strategic and are also respectful of people’s time. At the highest level, a process is not just something that has to be done, it is a strategic tool that helps move your business forward by giving you the information, visibility and means to make better decisions.
Cloud applications model the leading practices in the industry.
Let’s look at cloud processes and mature processes more closely. You’ll probably agree that a good process should be transparent; that means that the process can be monitored at the key steps in the process. Processes also should preserve the upstream and downstream validity of data and results. A spreadsheet that allows anyone to change any cell at any time for any reason does NOT support valid results!
Cloud processes are typically modeled on mature industry-leading practices. Many of the difficulties we find on projects are driven by limits or controls that are in place in cloud applications. These are red flags that need to be examined from the viewpoint of “Why can’t we follow best practices?”. Sometimes there is a special case that requires deviation but often it is a habit, custom, or a process that grew out of other limitations in data or software capability. Read more about Oracle Cloud Migration Solution
Use your cloud upgrade project to make your processes more controlled and more mature. Whether during the implementation or starting on Day 2, your team should be looking at ways to leverage the features and functions of the cloud to improve your business.
The cloud supports process maturity:
- Transparent (Cloud)
- Repeatable (Cloud)
- Publicly known and understood (Cloud)
- Based on leading practices including security (Cloud)
- Strategic tool (Cloud)
Original blog source: https://www.jadeglobal.com/blog/spring-cleaning-cloud-applications-any-time-year
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