4 best practices for a successful cloud migration

In this decade, the challenge of workplace modernization is becoming increasingly multi-faceted, and it’s begun to extend far beyond the “workplace” itself. The objective today is to create a nimble, adaptable IT infrastructure that can be tailored to fit people’s modern-day expectations. This means they need access from everywhere, at all times, using any device. In other words, they need the cloud.

But here’s the rub: Cloud migration can be a highly complex process for even the most sophisticated IT organizations, rife with pitfalls to avoid. When you move your business to the cloud, you need to be confident in both your process and its outcomes – and far too often, cloud initiatives don’t deliver the results they appear to promise. The challenges involve complex and intertwined applications, a lack of visibility and of course, difficulty with the cost involved.

It’s important to go into the cloud migration process knowing what to expect. If you have a baseline set of expectations carved out in advance, it’s far easier to see your project through to the end successfully.

To that end, let’s take a look at four best practices for a successful cloud migration.

Plan effectively in advance

Effective planning for cloud migration should begin with taking a close look at your baseline data management situation. What’s the state of your infrastructure today? What are the strengths of your current systems and workflows, and what are the weaknesses you’re trying to shore up? Once you’ve sized everything up, you can make clear-headed decisions about how to prioritize different aspects of the cloud journey.

Establish your key KPIs

What are your criteria for a successful cloud migration? You might be looking to slash your organization’s overhead IT costs. It might be a matter of simplifying workflows and increasing people’s productivity. Or maybe, you just want to make your business more nimble and scalable. Whatever you’re looking to achieve, make it clear and measurable, and track your progress as you go. This will help you decide whether you need to make changes midway through the process.

Prioritize security

With data breach incidents on the rise for organizations everywhere, you can never be too careful when it comes to security. You need to make it a priority to keep your data, your devices, and your users secure every step of the way. This includes before the cloud migration, during, and after. As you go, look for data-driven analytical insights that can help you resolve potential issues in your on-premises, multi-cloud, or hybrid cloud environment.

Always be optimizing

As you continue navigating the cloud migration process and optimizing as you go, you should always be looking for ways you can make improvements. Keep an eye on the benchmarks you’ve set for the process, and if you spot any anomalies along the way, you can quickly take steps to remediate them and streamline your work. Especially when you’re migrating to the cloud with limited resources at your disposal, you never want to settle for a less-than-ideal process.

As you embark on the cloud migration journey with your business, you can always count on Microsoft and Zones to lend capable support. Microsoft works tirelessly to create intelligent IT solutions that will help you succeed – including Microsoft Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows Server, and more. And at Zones, we are an authorized Microsoft Licensing Solutions Partner and a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider. That means we’re ready to get you up and running with all the Microsoft cloud solutions you need.

To explore this possibility further, reach out to a Zones Account Manager today.

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