5 essential solutions to cloud migration challenges.

Research shows that one in three cloud migrations fail, and a mere 25 percent of businesses meet their migration deadlines. If these numbers aren’t daunting enough, consider that 90 percent of CIOs have experienced failed or disrupted cloud-based data migration projects. These stats aren't just technical mishaps but often point to broader challenges with people and processes. In essence, cloud migration frequently presents itself as a project management challenge rather than a technical problem.

Whether the task involves shifting from an on-premise system or rehosting onto another platform, the right leadership can make any cloud migration project smoother and more efficient.

5 strategies for seamless cloud migration

Below, we outline five key strategies to overcome common challenges and ensure a successful transition to your cloud platform:

1. anticipating cloud migration challenges

Every platform is part of your larger IT stack, connected to various systems, processes and teams within your organization.

Before migration kicks off, your project manager should examine the usage of the current platform. This will help identify any dependencies or integrations that might break if you make changes. It also pinpoints people or processes reliant on the present system — these stakeholders must be consulted before migration.

2. managing cloud migration risks

Change and risk go together like bread and butter, inseparable in the pursuit of growth and innovation. There's no way to guarantee that your cloud migration will go off without a hitch — so you have to expect the unexpected!

One approach is to list everything that could go wrong and then arrange those possibilities into a risk matrix. A risk matrix usually has two axes: probability (the likelihood that something will happen) and severity (the damage caused if an event does occur).

For high probability/high severity risks, it's worth having a backup plan in case something goes wrong. It's also a good idea to perform regular post-migration audits to ensure you've avoided the most significant risks.

3. upskilling for successful cloud migration

Even your tech-savvy staff may find new platforms intimidating. Incorporating training into project deliverables ensures a smoother transition.

Begin with a training needs assessment. Talk to people who use the current platform and find out where they need support. If there have been changes in related business processes, make sure that everyone is fully trained in the new process. Sometimes, you may need to upskill your team by helping them acquire a cloud engineer certification on your new platform.

4. performing secure data transfer during cloud migration

The migration itself is often the easiest part of the project. Your new vendor may offer some help and answer questions about getting your current data onto their platform.

However, it's your responsibility to ensure data integrity so that the data on your new cloud platform is fully accurate without corruption or deletion during the transfer.

A comprehensive data audit is the only way to guarantee data integrity. This involves checking the new data to ensure it matches the original records. If your data is intact on the new platform, you're ready to complete the migration.

5. ensuring a seamless transition with maximum uptime

Data availability is a major issue during migration. Most systems can't be offline for more than a few minutes without causing business problems — or even serious data loss.

This is another issue that comes down to good project management. Project managers will schedule the migration during low usage hours, such as weekends or early mornings. Stakeholders will get ample notice so they can work around disruption.

When the new system is live, the old system should go offline as soon as possible. If not, then there's a chance that new data will end up in the old system, leading to data loss.

Migrating to a new cloud provider holds the potential to revolutionize your business, but only if the project runs smoothly. With these considerations in mind, Randstad's full-scope IT services are ready to assist in delivering success for your business at every step. Whether you need a slight adjustment or a complete transformation, we have the expertise to ensure your cloud migration is a triumph.