Make the most out of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the cloud offers. Re-position the role of technology. Transform your business.

This article is part of the limited preview of the “The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap”, a generic roadmap for any enterprise cloud adoption programme.

1. Executive Summary
2. The Cloud and Enterprises
3. The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   1. The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   2. The First Iteration of The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   3. The Unavoidable Disclaimer
   4. The Roadmap for The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   5. The Manual for the Missing Manual
   6. Building the Business Case
      1. Key Achievements
      2. The Definition of Cloud
      3. The Rationale for the Cloud Programme
         1. The Motivations and Grande Opportunities
            1. Improving the Status Quo
            2. Leveraging One-Off Opportunities
         2. The Anticipated Outcomes
         3. The Broader Picture
         4. The Business You’re In
      4. Managing the Message
      5. Securing Regulatory Approval
      6. Connecting With Your Peers
      7. Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Manifesto
   7. Starting the Cloud Programme
   8. Iteratively Building the Delivery Pipeline
   9. Iteratively Executing the Delivery Pipeline
4. A Cloudy Future

The Broader Picture

The potentially seismic impact of a cloud programme opens the door widely to re-assess and even re-position the role of technology in the broader corporate landscape — up to the point of putting technology at the forefront of business. Guiding questions that help facilitate a dialogue are

• Is technology a service provider?! Technology mainly serves the needs of the business and is there to provide certain functions at an economical price point
• Is technology an enabler?! Technology still mainly serves the needs of the business but it also provides vital impulses to the broader business
• Is technology a partner?! Technology and business live in a symbiosis where technology is a vital core component of the business, sitting right at the centre

In case the cloud adoption evaluation is positive up to this point, the utilisation of a fully integrated cloud platform across the organisation still needs to be resolved. Popular general utilisation strategies are

• Hybrid. The cloud becomes another corporate platform in the organisation’s portfolio. Utilisation of the cloud is preferred and sometimes incentivised for special work loads but ultimately at the discretion of initiatives requiring a platform. There’s also a certain degree of flexibility in moving between on-premise and cloud.
• Cloud-First. The cloud becomes the de facto platform of choice for all new initiatives; all new programmes or projects prioritise utilisation of the cloud over on-premise resources.
• Cloud-Only. The cloud is the single strategic platform of choice for all applications. All new initiatives must adopt it and all existing applications must migrate to the cloud until a certain cut-over date.

Regardless of the chosen strategy, bare in mind that all existing and future applications not permitted to utilise the cloud, e.g. by regulatory constraints, still require a suitable platform.

Also, from an operational point of view, the integration of the cloud platform into existing processes and the creation of new ones needs to be resolved.

The Business You’re In

Find out more about it in the next article.

So, What’s the Broader Picture In Your Organisation?!

While the above Worx for Me!™ when it comes to the broader picture of the cloud — and technology in general — in an enterprise organisation, you may have an alternative or better way.

Think this is all rubbish, massively overrated, or generally heading into the absolutely wrong direction?! Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and teach me something new!

As always, prove me wrong and I’ll buy you a pint!