Capture your delivery pipeline. With prioritised patterns. Cloud compagnon applications. And teams eventually delivering them. In the Cloud Handbook. Here’s how.

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
   7. Starting the Cloud Programme
   8. Iteratively Building the Delivery Pipeline
      1. Key Achievements
      2. Constantly Monitoring Dependencies
      3. Prioritising Cloud Capabilities By Applications
      4. Iteratively Identifying Patterns to Move
      5. Selecting Cloud Compagnon Applications
      6. Setting Up the Teams
      7. Avoiding Friction for Existing Processes
      8. Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Handbook
   9. Iteratively Executing the Delivery Pipeline
4. A Cloudy Future

Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Handbook

The main objective of this phase was to iteratively build a delivery pipeline of suitable applications, tooling, and teams leveraging as well as building the cloud.

Moreover, this phase also focussed on resolving potential problems encountered in the next phase while simultaneously keeping the rate of change at a sustainable level.

By now, a pipeline consisting of prioritised patterns and cloud compagnon applications, alongside teams eventually delivering them, should exist. Dependencies should also be clearly identified with most resolution initiatives already providing meaningful solutions.

As described above, all definitions, frameworks, assessments, metrics, data points, decisions, and rationales used for the iterative creation of the delivery pipeline and the corresponding delivery teams need to be captured in the “Cloud Handbook”.

Providing the reasons as well as the course for all future activities in the context of The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap, the Cloud Handbook needs to contain at minimum

• resolved and unresolved dependencies as well as remediating actions taken, including readily consumable solutions and prioritised roadmaps detailing when crucial features become available
• a prioritised pipeline with patterns and applications migrating to the cloud, including the definition of “cloud suitability” used in the application assessment and pattern development
• a list of cloud companion applications and their relative position in the delivery pipeline
• existing and new cross-functional teams eventually delivering the cloud build-out as well as the application migrations
• initiated, completed, and outstanding changes to existing processes
• adjustments to the cloud programme objectives or the delivery pipeline, resulting from a comparison in alignment between the two
• metrics, data points, and reports on the run-rate of the cloud programme as well as all actions taken by the programme to keep it at a sustainable level

The Cloud Handbook should also capture the successes and failures encountered so far. As a quite iterative phase by design, future iterations greatly benefit from the recorded lessons learned. Let alone being able to avoid re-learning them.

The document is again to be published in print and distributed to all members of the programme — this step is pivotal. Not only does it impose a publication deadline on the programme but it also creates a solid point in time snapshot of the entire state of the programme.

Spending real money for publishing the document also increases its significance and importance. Let alone create a common understanding across the entire programme, document progress, as well as provide a physical part of the audit trail.

Iteratively Executing the Delivery Pipeline

Find out more about it in the next article.

So, How Do You Record Outcomes?!

While the above Worx for Me!™ when it comes to recording the outcomes of the phase iteratively building the delivery pipeline, 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!