Your business is relying on a cloud service vendor. Can you navigate when promised features fall short?

If a cloud vendor’s promised features fall short, start by assessing the impact on your operations and prioritize based on urgency. Engage with the vendor to discuss the issue, request a timeline for resolution, or seek alternative solutions. Explore third-party tools or custom integrations to bridge the gap. Implement a mitigation plan to maintain continuity, possibly by using alternative services or reducing dependency. Review your SLA and contract for recourse options, such as compensation or termination clauses. To future-proof, consider a multi-cloud or hybrid strategy to avoid over-reliance on a single vendor.

When your cloud provider doesn’t deliver what they promised, it can be a real headache. First, don’t panic. Reach out to their support and let them know exactly what’s going on. Sometimes, they can fix it quickly or offer a workaround. If that doesn’t help, look at your contract to see if there’s any recourse or penalty for not meeting their promises. And always have a backup plan, just in case. It’s better to know your options than to be stuck with something that doesn’t work when you need it most.

Evaluate Workflow Disruptions: Identify how the missing or underperforming features affect your daily operations. Consider whether critical processes are slowed down or halted entirely due to the vendor’s shortcomings. Downtime Consequences: Determine the amount of downtime caused by the issue. Assess how this downtime affects business productivity, project timelines, and customer service.

Key here is to stay adaptable to keep your operations running smoothly when the cloud falls short. 1) assess the impact Identify which business operations are affected and prioritize based on criticality. 2) explore alternatives Look for alternative features within the current service or complementary services to fill the gap. 3) consider stopgap solutions Evaluate on-premise or temporary solutions to maintain business continuity.

Evalúe el impacto cuando las funciones prometidas por su proveedor de servicios en la nube se queden cortas. Determine cómo afecta esto a las operaciones críticas de su empresa. Identificar las áreas afectadas le permitirá priorizar las acciones correctivas y entender la gravedad de la situación para planificar la respuesta adecuada.

Gather Evidence: Before initiating the dialogue, collect all relevant data that demonstrates the vendor’s failure to meet their commitments. This includes documentation of the promised features, the specific shortfalls, and the impact on your operations. Know Your Objectives: Clearly define what you want to achieve from the conversation. This might include getting the issue resolved, seeking compensation, or clarifying future expectations.

Effective communication with your cloud vendor is crucial when issues arise. Clearly state your concerns, referencing SLAs, and document all interactions. A reliable vendor should collaborate to resolve problems, ensuring the service meets your business needs. Stay proactive in these discussions to safeguard your operations.

You can engage with the vendor sooner to understand why the feature fell short. Is it a temporary issue, a misunderstanding of capabilities, or a longer-term limitation? Understand the contract and agreements with the Vendor. Look at possible stop-gap solutions they can provide and a timeline for long-term fixes. Escalate if it's a critical issue and you are not getting suitable attention.

Mantenga un diálogo abierto con su proveedor. Comuníquese de inmediato para discutir las discrepancias entre lo prometido y lo entregado. Exprese sus preocupaciones claramente y solicite una explicación y un plan de acción. A menudo, los proveedores pueden ofrecer soluciones o compensaciones que minimicen el impacto negativo.

With all the evidences on hand, schedule a meeting with your cloud service provider responsible for your account, in a very objective way show them what have happend and sk them to help on bring a solution to that problem. Maybe it is a financial solution and sometimes it is a technical one.

Request Feature Prioritization: Ask the vendor to prioritize the development or improvement of the missing features. If they’re already in progress, request regular updates and timelines for delivery. Negotiate Additional Support: If the missing features are critical, negotiate for additional support or resources from the vendor, such as dedicated technical assistance, training, or temporary alternatives

Explore opciones alternativas dentro del servicio o en otros proveedores. Evalúe si hay funciones similares que puedan cumplir con sus necesidades o si es necesario considerar la migración a otro proveedor que ofrezca mejores garantías de funcionalidad.

If your cloud vendor can't resolve issues quickly, consider alternatives like complementary services or a vendor switch. Weigh the costs, time, and data migration challenges before transitioning. Prioritize solutions that minimize disruption and better align with your business needs.

If the negotiation didn't workout, explore other cloud service provider options and plan your application to not rely on vendor lock-in.

Implemente soluciones alternativas para mitigar el impacto de las funciones faltantes. Esto podría incluir el uso de herramientas complementarias, desarrollos internos, o servicios de terceros que suplan las carencias del proveedor de la nube. Asegúrese de que estas alternativas sean viables y sostenibles a largo plazo.

Explore alternative solutions or workarounds that could replace or supplement the missing feature. This could include using another cloud provider or open-source capability as a stopgap. You should also consider long-term alternatives or redundancy for the future. This should consist of multi-cloud strategies, having backup vendors, or using hybrid cloud models.

Catalog Services: List all critical cloud services and features essential for your business operations. Identify which services are most crucial to your day-to-day activities and which ones have the most significant impact if disrupted. Map Dependencies: Understand how these services interact with other systems, both internal and external. This helps in identifying potential points of failure and dependencies that need to be considered in your contingency plan.

Desarrolle un plan de contingencias para situaciones en las que el proveedor de la nube no cumpla con las expectativas. Esto podría incluir la preparación de procedimientos de respaldo, planes de migración rápida, o contratos con proveedores secundarios para garantizar la continuidad del negocio.

Conduct a Post-Mortem: After resolving the immediate issue, conduct a post-mortem analysis to understand what led to the vendor's failure to deliver. This involves reviewing the circumstances, processes, and communication breakdowns. Identify Patterns: Look for patterns or recurring issues in your interactions with the vendor. Understanding whether the problem was an isolated incident or part of a broader trend can help you address underlying issues.

Aprenda y adáptese de la experiencia. Revise los contratos y acuerdos con su proveedor para asegurarse de que futuras promesas estén claramente documentadas y respaldadas por garantías. Utilice esta situación para fortalecer su estrategia en la gestión de relaciones con proveedores y mejorar la resiliencia de su infraestructura en la nube.