THE TOP 5 PITFALLS OF CLOUD MIGRATION & HOW TO AVOID THEM

How can companies start enjoying the benefits of cloud migration?

Many cloud migration projects fail, say up to 70%. Nobody wants to have a failed project.

That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide to help companies plan for success at every single stage of cloud journey.So, to get ahead of that, protect organization, avoid cloud risk, and steer clear of the most common mistakes, check out the top 5 pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

BIGGEST PITFALLS & HOW TO AVOID

Enterprises tend to fall into a few traps when it comes to moving to the cloud. Here’s how to make companies transition as smoothly as possible.?

Pitfall 1?- Failure to plan for security

Companies forget about the cloud platform’s security they want to move in. Failure to plan for security is a critical pitfall in cloud migration that can result in significant security risks and vulnerabilities. The security piece of the cloud transition can be tricky to manage because organizations don’t realize they have a problem - until it’s too late to solve it.

Organizations are vulnerable because they don’t transition their IT processes but just transfer workloads. Migrating to the cloud involves transferring sensitive data and applications to a third-party provider, which can expose organizations to various security risks, including data breaches, cyber-attacks, and compliance violations which could affect cloud savings in the long run.?

How to avoid

Before kick-starting any cloud project, one should examine all security concerns as it plays a crucial role in that evaluation. Beforehand when security objectives are defined, it helps companies to make choices that account for long-term business resilience.

Organizations must prioritize security from the planning phase and develop a comprehensive security strategy that includes robust security measures, regular security assessments, and careful selection of cloud service providers with adequate security features and certifications.

Pitfall 2?- Selecting the wrong migration strategy

Even though organizations know they want to move to the cloud, a confusing aspect is not knowing the right approach to do so. Organizations don’t spend time studying different cloud migration approaches.

Companies shouldn’t move when business needs are increasing or at a critical point in your business. When migrating to the cloud, including re-hosting, refactoring, re-architecting, repurchasing, and retaining, each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages, and selecting the wrong strategy can lead to significant problems.

How to avoid

Careful planning, comprehensive analysis of existing systems and workloads, and engaging with cloud experts can help organizations select the most appropriate migration strategy.

A comprehensive analysis of their existing systems by engaging with cloud experts and IT professionals to help assess their systems and workloads to determine the most appropriate migration strategy which helps in providing valuable insights into the potential risks associated with each migration strategy and helps ensure that the selected strategy aligns with the organization's business goals and objectives.

Pitfall 3?- Moving everything at once

Shifting from zero to a hundred overnight is never a good idea. Moving everything at once can have adverse effects on your workload and costs which lead to service interruptions, unexpected costs, increased complexity, poor performance, and reduced productivity.

Rushing in without transition is known as lift-and -shift approach which takes in old processes and simply translates them into cloud versions. Biting off more than you can chew won't reap promised efficiencies of the cloud and the odds of successful cloud transition fall steeply.

How to avoid

It is advisable to take things a little slower and plan for the process carefully. The workplace must have a complete understanding of the aim with clear business outcomes and success criteria.

Start your migration with smaller chunks of data and applications where it’ll enable gradual adjustments so that all your systems work the way you need.

Pitfall 4?- Lacking effective training

Lack of adequate skills is one of the reasons why there are several delays in adoption and implementation. Lacking effective training can lead to reduced productivity, errors, and security vulnerabilities.

Migrating to the cloud often requires employees to learn new technologies and processes, and without adequate training, they may struggle to adapt to the new environment.

How to avoid

It would be best to dedicate time and effort to training which will be beneficial in the long run along your cloud journey. Based on the organization's need and designation, organizations must prioritize training and education for employees before and after the migration process.

Organizations should conduct regular assessments and evaluations of employees' knowledge and skills to identify any areas that require additional training or support which can help to ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills necessary to operate effectively in the new environment.

Pitfall 5?- Negligence of Interoperability

When migrating to the cloud, organizations may encounter compatibility issues between their existing systems and the cloud environment, leading to data loss, service interruptions, and other problems.

How to avoid

Ensure that the cloud service provider selected supports industry standards and protocols. This can help to ensure that the cloud environment is compatible with existing systems and services before migration which involves identifying any potential compatibility issues and addressing them beforehand.

Careful planning, thorough assessment, and involving IT professionals and cloud experts can help to mitigate these risks and ensure a smooth transition to the cloud.

Final Words - Get started on your journey

Transition doesn’t have to be chaos - all it takes is thorough planning. By understanding the potential challenges and taking steps to mitigate them, businesses can successfully navigate their cloud migration journey and reap the benefits of improved agility, scalability, and efficiency.?