Crafting a Winning Cloud Migration Business Case: Tips and Strategies for Success

In today’s competitive business landscape, companies must continually innovate and improve to stay ahead of the game. One way to stay competitive is by migrating your business to the Cloud. To achieve this, it’s crucial to create a comprehensive business case that addresses the specific needs and concerns of each department, ensuring seamless operations and providing significant ROI.

To gain support and resources from across different departments, it’s essential to understand how cloud migration addresses the specific needs and concerns of each department. This ensures everyone is on the same page and increases buy-in from key stakeholders to secure necessary resources.

In this blog we explore some key considerations and best practices for writing a successful proposal that will meet the needs of different departments and set your business on the path to success.

 

ROI, Risks, and challenges of cloud computing

When presenting a cloud business case, it’s vital to address the key factors that influence decision-making. In this section, we’ll discuss the ROI, risks, challenges, and implementation timeline to help you build a strong case.

ROI

Let’s begin by discussing the ROI of cloud migration.

One of the many benefits of cloud migration is the potential cost savings. A comprehensive ROI analysis in your cloud business case can help demonstrate the financial benefits of migration to the board.

 

When presenting on ROI, it’s essential to consider not just the upfront costs of migration, but also the long-term benefits, such as:

• Increased scalability and efficiency. With cloud infrastructure, companies can quickly and easily provision additional resources as needed and only pay for what they use. This can lead to significant cost savings, especially for businesses with unpredictable or rapidly changing workloads.
• Reduced maintenance costs. When companies move their IT infrastructure to the Cloud, they no longer need to maintain and update physical hardware, which can be time-consuming and expensive. Cloud providers are responsible for keeping their infrastructure up to date and secure, which can free up IT staff to focus on more strategic projects. Additionally, cloud providers typically offer service-level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee uptime and reliability, which can reduce the need for costly maintenance and downtime.
• Improved employee performance. Cloud migration can also have a positive impact on employee productivity and performance. With Cloud-based applications and data, employees can work from anywhere with an internet connection, which can improve collaboration and flexibility.
• Reduced licensing costs. Traditional on-premises software often requires companies to purchase expensive licences upfront, and then pay ongoing maintenance and upgrade fees. Many cloud providers offer a variety of subscription tiers, so businesses can choose the level of service that best meets their needs and budget.
• OpEx vs CapEx. With on-premises infrastructure, companies typically incur significant upfront capital expenses (CapEx) to purchase and deploy hardware and software. With cloud infrastructure, companies pay for ongoing operational expenses (OpEx) for the resources they use. This can be advantageous for businesses that want to minimise upfront costs or prefer a more predictable cost structure over time.

In order to gain maximum ROI from your cloud migration project, it’s vital to identify and mitigate potential risks during implantation and plan ways to overcome them.

 

Interested in exploring the 4-step cloud migration process further? Get your copy of the ‘Step-by-Step Guide to Public Cloud Migration’ for an in-depth look.

 

Risks and Challenges

While cloud migration provides many benefits, there are also potential risks and challenges that must be considered. It’s essential to address these concerns, and provide detailed plans of how they may be mitigated.

Some examples are:  

• Data security. Businesses are understandably concerned about the potential for data breaches or unauthorised access to sensitive information. To mitigate this risk, businesses should carefully vet potential cloud providers to ensure they have strong security measures in place. This might include cyber security measures such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and regular security audits.
• Compliance. Another concern when migrating to the Cloud is compliance with relevant regulations, such as GDPR. To mitigate this risk, businesses should ensure that the cloud provider has necessary certifications and can demonstrate compliance with relevant regulations. Likewise, a business should establish transparent policies for data management, retention, and disposal, ensuring that these policies are in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Vendor lock-in. A board may be hesitant when migrating to the Cloud due to the potential for vendor lock-in, where a business becomes reliant on a specific cloud provider and may have difficulty switching in the future. To address this risk, businesses should look for a cloud provider with flexible terms and minimal vendor lock-in. Additionally, they should have a contingency plan for switching providers if necessary.
• Third-party support. Businesses need to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the third-party support requirements for their systems and software before migrating to the Cloud. They need to carefully evaluate the compatibility of their existing solutions with the Cloud service and ensure that the cloud service provider offers adequate support for third-party integration. They may also need to work with their third-party vendors to ensure compatibility and address any issues that arise during the migration process.
• Impact on team workloads. While successful cloud migration can lead to increased efficiency and collaboration among team members, moving to the Cloud can significantly change the way that teams work and collaborate. Cloud migration often involves changes to existing workflows, new tools and processes, and potentially new roles and responsibilities for team members, which can impact capacity.

 

While Cloud migration presents many benefits, it is important to acknowledge and mitigate the potential risks and challenges associated with the process. 

By carefully assessing and mitigating these risks, businesses can leverage the full potential of the Cloud and achieve the many benefits it offers, while minimising potential negative impacts on their operations.

 

Timeline for Implementation

It’s important to provide a clear and realistic timeline migrating to the Cloud. This should include a detailed plan for each stage of the migration, including any necessary downtime or disruptions to business operations.

 

The plan should encompass the following stages:

• Assessing your current infrastructure to understand how it functions and how it will adapt to the cloud.
• Planning your migration strategy, utilising a combination of the six Rs of cloud migration.
• Migrating to the public cloud with a phased approach to ensure a smooth transition.
• Optimising the public cloud through regular team evaluations to maintain efficiency.

By presenting a well-defined timeline, the board can gain a clearer understanding of the project’s scope and its potential effects.

 

Tips and Strategies for writing a cloud business case

When building a business case for cloud migration, it’s essential to keep in mind these key strategies to increase the chances of approval and successful implementation:

• Align with business goals. Understand your business’s objectives and demonstrate and articulate how cloud migration supports them in your presentation. By doing so, you can show that cloud migration is not just a technology upgrade, but a strategic decision that can positively impact the entire business.
• Support your case with data. Use data and metrics, such as cost savings, increased efficiency, and improved customer satisfaction, to back up your arguments. By providing concrete numbers, you can demonstrate the value of cloud migration to the business.
• Focus on long-term benefits. Emphasise the advantages of cloud migration over short-term costs. Illustrate the potential ROI over time and how the migration will benefit the business in the long run. By illustrating the long-term advantages, you can convince the board that cloud migration is a worthwhile investment.
• Address concerns proactively. Anticipate potential objections from the board, like data security, vendor lock-in, or workflow disruption, and address them in advance. Be prepared to offer solutions and show that you’ve considered all implications and are prepared to address any concerns that may arise.

By incorporating these strategies, you can create a persuasive and comprehensive cloud migration business case that demonstrates the benefits of cloud migration to the business and increases the likelihood of approval.

 

Pinpoint your migration approach

A crucial aspect of building a strong cloud migration business case is identifying the most suitable migration approach.

 

To do this, you will need to choose a combination of the 6 Rs of cloud migration:

• Rehost, or ‘lift and shift’, moves applications to the cloud without significant changes
• Re-platform, or ‘lift and tweak’, moves applications to a different platform with minimal changes
• Repurchase, or ‘drop and shop’, replaces applications with pre-built, cloud-native solutions
• Re-architect, or ‘re-factor’, significantly alters applications for the cloud, including changes to architecture, code, or infrastructure
• Retire discontinues the use of an application instead of migrating it to the cloud
• Retain keeps applications in their existing environment instead of migrating them to the cloud

When building a business case for cloud migration, it’s essential to consider the phased approach with realistic milestones and costs. The use of the six Rs during migration should also be evaluated and discussed with the board to determine the most effective strategy for the business. This might involve retiring some applications, retaining others in their existing environment, or re-factoring and repurchasing others.

 

To ensure successful approval of the project, the board should be presented with a phased plan that allows for better cost control and informed decision-making at each stage.

 

 Eager to begin planning your migration journey? Download your copy of ‘A Step-by-Step Guide to Cloud Migration’ and learn industry best practice.

 

Creating a cloud business case

When presenting a cloud business case to the board, it’s crucial to thoughtfully address factors such as ROI, potential risks, challenges, and implementation timeline. Ensure you adopt a strategic approach, employing data and metrics to back your claims while proactively addressing any potential concerns or objections from the board.

Emphasising long-term cloud migration benefits and using concrete examples strengthens your case. Choosing the right migration approach and a phased plan minimises disruptions and ensures a smooth transition. Address risks like data security, compliance, and vendor lock-in through careful provider vetting and flexible contracts.

Cloud migration is a significant investment for your business’s future, requiring a clear understanding of its goals and priorities. By following the strategies outlined here, you can create a well-supported business case for cloud migration, keeping your company competitive in the evolving business landscape.

 

Download your Step-by-step guide to cloud migration

At M247, our experts have accumulated extensive experience supporting businesses with their cloud migration journey. We’ve compiled their expertise into a step-by-step guide that provides a comprehensive roadmap for you and your team. 

 

To discover our four-step plan, download your free guide now.