1. Twelve Steps to Cloud Success
Steve Pelletier
Solution Architect

2. Who here is currently using cloud based services?
Question
Who here is currently using cloud based services?

3. Step One Admit that your company is already using the cloud
Take an inventory both inside and outside IT.
Storage apps (e.g. Box, DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive)
Communication apps (e.g. Skype, GoToMeeting, WebEx, Outlook)
Collaboration apps (e.g. Slack, BaseCamp, GoogleDocs, Office365)
Social/Digital media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, public website)
Industry/Function specific apps (e.g. Salesforce, ERP, Training etc.)

4. Step One Admit that your company is already using the cloud Shadow IT
If IT isn’t sponsoring and controlling cloud usage, other people are
Typically violates corporate security policies
May replicate functionality of other systems and incur additional costs
No way to account for the cost of these systems
These systems may become mission critical and require support from IT
Shadow IT cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be controlled

5. Step Two
Admit that there may be more efficient ways to fulfill IT requirements
Does your company prefer CAPEX or OPEX?
Do you have business needs that can’t be met with traditional solutions?
When evaluating projects compare the TCO of on premise and cloud based solutions.
Do a fair comparison including soft costs
Does your compute environment utilization have significant lows and peaks?
Do your licensing requirements vary significantly throughout the year?
Do you have a software development team?
BE OPEN TO OPTIONS

6. Step Three
Commit to looking at new ways to fulfill IT requirements, such as cloud
Develop an application strategy.
Guidelines to help you determine the best method to implement applications and services
On Premise
Public cloud Iaas / PaaS
SaaS
What would motivate your company to move something to the cloud, or keep it on premise
Value
Functionality
Compliance …
How will adopting cloud services affect IT roles

7. Step Three
Commit to looking at new ways to fulfill IT requirements, such as cloud
Focusing on cost tends to restrict looking at new methods
Value = combination of cost, quality, time and volume
Spectrum of IT service value….
Cost reduction (most reactive)
Adding value to existing (slightly reactive)
Collaborating with end users (slightly proactive)
Thought leadership (most proactive)

8. Step Four Take an inventory of business needs
Additional options to creating more value
Optimize existing solutions
Supporting the addition of new business capabilities
Minimizing disruptions to business operations
Reducing the cost of compliance
Reducing the disruption of M&A integration
Enabling a transition to OpEx from CapEx
CONNECT THE DOTS TO THINGS THE BUSINESS FINDS VALUABLE

9. Step Five
Determine why end users may be going around IT to fulfill these business needs
Look for the “why not” answers that IT might typically offer to ad-hoc requests
If you say “no” enough then they don’t ask anymore and proliferate on their own
Usually rooted in:
A perception that IT can’t respond to needs fast enough
Performance metrics that don’t align satisfying ad-hoc requests
Younger workforce that grew up with the cloud
BE OPEN TO REALITY

10. Step Six
Look for ways to fulfill end users needs without them going around IT
Look for the “how” instead of the “why not”
May require changes in how projects are accounted for (e.g. “chargeback” to departments for direct costs or “showback” for more passive accounting)
May require more managerial/administrative capacity to manage vendors (instead of doing all of the work yourself) and transitioning to more broker than provider
BE OPEN TO DIFFERENT MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVE

11. Step Seven
Work with a limited number of business units to implement ideas from step six
Use iterative techniques like Agile/Scrum and Dev Ops to test and perfect
Important to define a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) that can demonstrate real value (e.g. ROI) to the business
MVP definition implies that an ROI measure has been defined
ROI measure implies that pre and post deployment data will be collected to report on the measure
Measure end user experience / performance metrics before and after implementing changes
FOCUS ON TIME TO VALUE

12. Step Eight
Prioritize the remaining business units for deploying these new methods for delivering IT services
Important to get agreed upon expectations (timeline, budget, etc.) for prioritizing and sequencing any subsequent deployments of the MVP (67N document)
FOCUS ON TIME TO VALUE AND RISK MITIGATION (ALIGNMENT)

13. Step Eight 67N Document Actions Perspectives
Why (Understanding Motivations)
What (Define Strategic Targets)
Who (Define Impacts to Stakeholders)
Where (Choose Cloud Locations)
When (Plan Strategic Milestones)
How (Design Strategic Measures)
Business
Application
Technology
Process
Governance / Compliance
Backup / Data Retention
Additional Information

14. Step Nine
Deploy the new methods for delivering IT services as prioritized in number eight
Execute, execute, execute
The importance of standard work (methods, tools, artifacts, etc.)
The importance of clear governance to ensure timely and appropriate decision making (RACI matrix)
FOCUS ON TIME TO VALUE

15. Step Ten
Continue to look for ways to improve the delivery of IT resources
Commit yourself to Continuous Improvement
Implies that you commit (i.e. budget) time and resources to looking for opportunities and following through on them
Partner with trusted vendors to assist with this
INCLUDE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AS ONE OF YOUR SERVICES

16. Step Eleven Keep up to date on new and emerging IT solutions
Commit yourself to Continuous Learning
You can’t have continuous improvement with continuous learning
Implies that you commit (i.e. budget) time and resources to investing in opportunities and following through on them
Partner with trusted vendors to assist
ALLOCATE CAPACITY TO CONTINUOUS LEARNING

17. Step Twelve
Meet with business units routinely to assess their IT requirements and make sure they are being met
Stay attuned to your ever-evolving customer needs
Stay attuned to your ever-evolving customer definition of value
ALLOCATE CAPACITY TO CONTINUOUS MONITORING

18. Questions?
Steve Pelletier Solution Architect