The Doppler Effect
The Summer of 2016 should be called the Summer of the Cloud . Today , cloud projects are as commonplace as backyard barbecues , and it ’ s clear that we ’ ve moved from the planning stages to full-on execution .
Unfortunately , as more companies make the move , we ’ re starting to see a recurring pattern of failures . While some are minor , like cost overruns , others are major mistakes that cannot be easily undone .
So why are these projects failing ? We ’ ll spend some time in this edition of The Doppler filling in those details , but there are a few highlights we can reflect upon now . At CTP , we see cloud projects fail for a few reasons :
1 ) The business case was either ignored , incomplete or not properly socialized : Let ’ s not forget why we are doing this , or someone from your friendly Finance team is going to come around asking difficult questions ! If your leadership team does not have a quick and unified response , you could find Finance hitting the pause button on your behalf .
2 ) You went around the CISO : Whether intentionally or not , we often get urgent phone calls from prospective clients who were actively migrating applications to the cloud , when the office of the CISO gets wind of it for the first time . Naturally , what happens next is not good ! Engaging the office of the CISO is completely necessary . By working with them from the very beginning , you can show that not only is it safe to move to the cloud , it may actually be safer than your current security posture . When the CISO joins the cloud team , they very often become advocates .
3 ) You did not fully consider the organizational change required : Even in scenarios where there is a “ top down ” mandate emanating from your Board of Directors or CEO , not getting everyone excited ( to the extent possible ) is wrought with future frustration . Do not underestimate how fear , uncertainty and doubt about the future can unnecessarily cause friction in the system . Please consider using all functions ( HR , Readiness , Internal Marcomms , etc .) to keep everyone focused on a unified vision .
In The Cloud Adoption Blueprint - 10 Best Practices for Cloud Success , we share the critical steps to take to ensure your cloud program is destined to succeed . We also introduce the concept of the Cloud Business Office , a hub that provides the ongoing management of your public and private cloud environments . The Cloud Business Office provides much needed clarity and accountability during your journey to the cloud and ensures your project starts and stays on track .
Failure is instructive -- we learn as much from our failures as from our successes . We ’ ve seen the common cloud failures ( and helped fix them ), so you don ’ t have to . We hope that after reading this edition of The Doppler , you ’ ll be empowered to make the right decisions during your next cloud project .
David Linthicum SVP , Cloud Technology Partners
SUMMER 2016 | THE DOPPLER | 1