Op-Ed
How the Cloud is pushing organizations to revisit their Enterprise Modernization Roadmap
“It’s the Cloud — nobody understands what it is!” We heard this statement repeatedly when we sat in on our client’s technology strategy working session back in 2020. But with Cloud technology advancement, user adoption and acceptance, and COVID, companies are now forced to revisit their roadmap and rethink the way Cloud can transform their operations and competition. This year, we have had the opportunity to participate in many Enterprise Modernization Road mapping exercises, and these are just some of the advantages we found that may help your own organization’s journey.
Scalability
One of the biggest advantages of the Cloud is its ability to scale an organization’s footprint up or down to meet its usage needs within a short period. Traditional IT infrastructure often requires a long period of time to procure and rack-and-stack servers before it can be leveraged. This could take weeks if not months; with the Cloud, companies now have the flexibility to scale up or down within hours.
Cost of Ownership
With Cloud technology’s pay-as-you-go model, organizations can now monitor and update their Cloud consumption to fit with their actual usage which can ensure that they are paying for what they use. Traditional IT infrastructure usually provides a one-size-fits-all approach which often leads to overpriced, underutilized hardware, and unnecessary maintenance costs. Migrating to a Cloud infrastructure provides organizations with alignment of IT spending and business needs while providing the benefit of scale and flexibility for growth to meet business needs.
Increased Productivity
With most employees working remotely or in hybrid settings, a secure infrastructure is essential to provide easy access from anywhere with an internet connection. Having a Cloud infrastructure enables organizations to work together no matter where they’re located, increasing collaboration and productivity. This empowers organizations to embrace a modern work environment.
Outside the Box
Cloud technology enables companies to use services such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, and machine learning. These tools help businesses develop solutions to create tools and dashboards that provide more insights into their progress and maintain a competitive edge. Some examples of solutions that our clients leverage is business development proposal writing tools (#AI + Machine Learning), Employee Services Bots, Employee Knowledge Base, Training Systems, Capacity Planning, Customer Service Scorecard, etc.
Safe and Sound
Without fail, when we engage organizations about moving to the Cloud, the topic of Security and Compliance is their biggest concern. The outdated mindset is that if an IT infrastructure is on-premises and you can see it, it must be safer. We always remind our clients that Cloud providers invest heavily in state-of-the-art security instruments, including encryption, identity/access management, threat detection/reporting, and more. In addition, the Cloud is highly regulated by industry and government policies. If the White House is on the Cloud, you can rest assured it is safe.
Conclusion
Cloud technology has advanced to a point where organizations can create secure, cost-effective, flexible, and customizable platforms. This competitive edge makes it essential for organizations to adopt this trend or risk falling behind. Consequently, Enterprise Modernization is on the rise. Can your organization afford to wait?
About the Author
My name is Huy Nguyen, and I am a managing partner at Bayen Group we specialize in partnering with organizations to plan and implement the Technology Enterprise Modernization Roadmap. If your organization is starting or in the process of your own Digital Transformation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to be your guide through the Digital Transformation journey.
