Maybe the term “digital transformation” was overly ambitious. Because every day I talk to companies who know they need to consider it but are overwhelmed before they even begin.
The reality digital transformation leaves out is that this move isn’t like tearing down your house and starting fresh. It’s more like rewiring the electricity before you add outdoor lighting, and then updating the plumbing so you can add a bathroom. And so on and on. You wouldn’t do it yourself, and you’d certainly expect it to go a lot smoother if you called in experts who’ve done everything you need a thousand times.
As you gain capabilities, you see potential in a new light. What might not have seemed possible at the start becomes the next step in your strategy. There’s no reason to view digital transformation as daunting. It’s an incredibly effective way to make reaching your goals a lot easier, which happens with the first step you take.
“But the cloud doesn’t seem safe.”
Digital transformation includes a move to the cloud—whether that’s in small steps with a few tools that improve collaboration and productivity or a full cloud migration—and a lot of my clients get a little twitchy about losing sight of their assets.
I get it: When you can see a physical representation of the work you do, it feels more secure. It isn’t.
Cloud service providers are required to meet much higher security standards than most internal teams could afford or implement. Authentication, authorization, logging, and auditing are built into any cloud platform you could choose.
No cloud provider could hold onto customers without keeping their data secure, which means every one of them stays on high alert for security breaches. They’re actively and continuously monitoring security, upgrading security features, and addressing threats. It’s like having a guard on watch—with hundreds of his guard friends and a massive team of investigators out tracking down threat leads.
Pass off security concerns to a provider who has the resources and motivation to guard your security vigilantly, and you free up your team to focus on your technology strategy.
“How can I possibly move to the cloud without upending my business?”
First, integrate new tools and capabilities thoughtfully, with a technology partner who prioritizes change management, user adoption, and positive outcomes. Second, it’s harder to recognize because it happens incrementally, but the capability that you’re missing out on puts you farther and farther behind, performance-wise. Bringing your processes and people into alignment and giving teams the collaboration and productivity tools they need helps your organization achieve much more.
Finally, there’s the cost of downtime associated with on-prem solutions. That diabolical and horrifically expensive frustration has all but disappeared with cloud services. Most providers guarantee 99.999%+ uptime. That kind of peace of mind alone makes the shift worthwhile in my view. (My view, to be fair, includes a lot of time with panicked new clients desperate for disaster recovery.)
With change comes disruption. There’s no getting around it, but we can minimize it by drafting a detailed roadmap for your cloud migration and optimization—one that moves at the pace you feel your organization can accommodate. Once you get going, the changes become easier and easier. Cloud services allow for easy scalability as you grow or as your organization changes. No more adding or upgrading hardware, and forget maintenance costs.
You can get there from wherever you are.
The longer you wait, the harder any change becomes. We understand that, and we’re happy to show you how you can get started on digital transformation. My clients, even those who were most resistant to digital transformation, end up glad they made the move.
Digital transformation sets you up for success and expands your options for collaboration, productivity, and flexibility. You end up in a better position to adapt and grow, quickly and with minimal disruption.
Our cloud services overview tells you more. Or get in touch with me, and I’ll answer your questions.
