Common Mistakes to Avoid When Migrating to the Cloud

As remote work grows and business operations consist of more data than ever before, migrating to the cloud is no longer just an option. Indeed, cloud solutions are a must for modern businesses. That being said, a cloud solution is only as successful as its implementation. And below are some common mistakes to avoid when migrating to the cloud.

Making a change all at once

It might be tempting to move all your processes to the cloud right away, but resist that urge as much as possible. A survey by HR Dive found that a third of employees find the transition to remote work overwhelming, a feeling that can increase when you include the added challenge of navigating new tech. Shifting to the cloud requires significant training from your employees; you’ll not only have to account for whether they’re ready, but whether your daily operations can shoulder this additional training time. Before you migrate to the cloud, make sure to conduct a thorough analysis of which apps and services you need to migrate. If you’re looking to migrate most or all of your operations on the cloud, consider doing it piecemeal instead. In order to foster sustainable change, migrate to the cloud slowly and allow your employees to get a feel for the new system.

Forgetting to budget accordingly

Although many cloud platforms offer free memberships, the data capacity and application used for such accounts isn’t anywhere near as comprehensive as a small business would need. The Startup notes that one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding cloud computing is its cost: if you’re shifting infrastructure that isn’t already designed for high redundancy, be ready to have your cloud solutions rack up high costs. Just like any other investment, your firm needs to budget accordingly before migrating to the cloud. Thankfully, cloud solutions tend to come in scalable packages. This means that migrating your cloud piecemeal can also help you figure out just how much your cloud subscription will actually cost you.

Neglecting cybersecurity protocol

The class-action lawsuit filed against grocery chain Hy-Vee (where a breach led to compromised payment card data) speaks to just how crucial cybersecurity is when it comes to consumer trust and brand reputation. Most cloud platforms come with their own encryption and security protocol. However, there’s no harm in adding additional measures for extra safety. In fact, it is more important than ever to implement offensive and defensive approaches, so that businesses have the maximum protection against cyber threats, according to cybersecurity strategists from Maryville University. As organizations deal with more data year by year, cybersecurity negligence can truly hurt your reputation. After all, the digital landscape is ever-changing and filled with new threats everyday.

Using the cloud just for storage

Data storage is one of the main uses of cloud computing, but by no means is it the only one. While cloud storage is a great way to keep your business scalable and secure, it doesn’t necessarily give you an advantage since cloud storage is now a key component for most businesses. Our post on the Cloud Center of Excellence highlights that one of the biggest advantages to cloud computing is the ability for your team to deploy workloads quickly and keep operations nimble. Keeping operations stable might be a strong priority right now, but a true test of success is seeing whether your business can actually use this global health crisis as an opportunity to innovate and move forward. Cloud computing can help you do just that.

Cloud computing is the future of business as we know it, and organizations should plan to migrate their operations as soon as possible. Avoiding these common mistakes allows organizations to make the most out of cloud computing with minimal issues.