Deliver a Cloud Strategy Engagement
Produce a boardroom-ready cloud strategy that helps your customers transition from on-premises to the cloud.
Organizations’ challenges:
- Migration from legacy system to cloud is complex and time-extensive.
- Difficult to delineate a value proposition.
- Inability to deliver and achieve desired benefits and mitigate the associated risks.
IT Consultants’ challenges:
- Differentiate their services among competitors.
- Not sure where to start the cloud journey with clients.
- Lack a repeatable and actionable cloud strategy.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
Every client is different, and their approach to cloud adoption is different. However, the problems and end goals of cloud adoption are the same for most businesses. In a unified approach, an effective and repeatable cloud vision and strategy help to understand and address the requirements/challenges of the client’s business, achieving desired outcomes and delivering a seamless experience of cloud adoption.
Impact and Result
- Save Time: Info-Tech partners report saving at least 50% of their time spent when incorporating Info-Tech’s tools, templates, and repeatable methodology into a Cloud Strategy engagement.
- Reduce Effort: Info-Tech partners report that the laborious effort of creating customized deliverables for each client is alleviated using the standardized deliverables in this blueprint.
- Informed Decisions: Info-Tech partners describe that they did not have to start from scratch to build high-quality boardroom-ready deliverables, which results in saving a lot of time and focusing on the result- or outcome-driven discussion with the stakeholders or management team.
- Increased Credibility: You increase your trust and credibility with your customers and prospects when you show them who is standing behind you. Leverage Info-Tech’s brand power as a research and advisory firm to bolster your customer’s confidence in you.
Workshop: Deliver a Cloud Strategy Engagement
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Answer "so what?"
The Purpose
Understand and document your cloud vision and its alignment with your other strategic priorities.
Key Benefits Achieved
A complete understanding of your strategy, vision, alignment, and a list of success metrics that will help you find your way.
Activities
Outputs
Discuss cloud mission and vision.
- Formalized cloud mission and vision.
1.3 Discuss alignment with other strategic plans.
- Alignment with other strategic plans.
Discuss guiding principles.
- Formal guiding principles.
Define success metrics.
- Formal success metrics.
Module 2: Define the IT target state
The Purpose
Key Benefits Achieved
Activities
Outputs
Discuss skills and roles.
- Position statement on skills and roles.
Review culture and adoption.
- Position statement on culture and adoption.
Discuss a cloud governing body.
- Position statement on cloud governing bodies.
Review architecture position.
- Position statement on architecture.
Discuss integration and interoperability.
- Position statement on integration/interoperability.
Module 3: Assess the IT current state
The Purpose
Key Benefits Achieved
Activities
Outputs
Discuss cloud operations management.
- Position statement on cloud operations management.
Review cloud portfolio management.
- Position statement on cloud portfolio management.
Discuss cloud vendor management.
- Position statement on cloud vendor management.
Discuss cloud finance management.
- Position statement on cloud finance management.
Discuss cloud security.
- Position statement on cloud security.
Module 4: Bridge the gap and create the strategy.
The Purpose
Key Benefits Achieved
Activities
Outputs
Review and formalize data controls.
- Position statement on data controls.
Design a monitoring approach.
- Position statement on monitoring.
Document the workload provisioning process.
- Position statement on provisioning.
Outline migration processes and procedures.
- Position statement on migration.
Module 5: Next steps and wrap-up.
The Purpose
Key Benefits Achieved
Activities
Outputs
Populate the cloud strategy document.
- Completed cloud strategy document.
Partner Program Research Center
Deliver a Cloud Strategy Engagement
Produce a boardroom-ready Cloud Strategy that helps your customers transition from on-premises to the cloud.
Analyst Perspective
A strategized cloud journey navigates through pitfalls and opportunities
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The adoption of new technologies seems very exciting, and one of them is the cloud. Cloud services or solutions are leveraged by all-size organizations globally because of the number of benefits. Inevitably, the cloud is becoming part of most business facets and processes. The trend of cloud spending and migration to cloud services is not slowing down and touching higher numbers year over year. Migrating to the cloud may sound like a seamless journey, but many find it more complicated as they progress through the migration. Cloud adoption comes with its challenges, risks, and roadblocks. Companies have various challenges during cloud adoption, from lack of skills to cost management. Businesses look to IT leaders and IT Service providers to achieve cloud benefits and desired outcomes, and to overcome these challenges. Plotting an effective and business-aligned cloud strategy is imperative to successful cloud migration and achieving organizational goals and growth. There are plenty of opportunities for IT Services Providers with cloud expertise to help their clients in cloud adoption, but they lack an effective and repeatable cloud strategy to deliver. This storyboard will help you to get buy-in and demonstrate a step-by-step methodology to deliver a cloud vision and strategy engagement to your clients. |
Brijesh Kumar |
Executive Summary
Challenges |
Common Obstacles |
Info-Tech’s Approach |
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Organizations are experiencing various cloud adoption challenges:
IT consultants have challenges in helping their clients in cloud adoption:
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IT consultants and their clients have various obstacles that prevent them from addressing those challenges:
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Follow a systematic Info-Tech approach to engage your client:
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Info-Tech Insight
Every client is different, and their approach to cloud adoption is different. However, the problems and end goals of cloud adoption are the same for most clients. In a unified approach, an effective and repeatable cloud vision and strategy help to understand and address the requirements/challenges of the client’s business, achieving desired outcomes and delivering a seamless experience of cloud adoption.
A surge in Cloud spending, workloads, and data
Organizations are hitting higher numbers than ever before in cloud adoption.
In 2022, more than 50% of SMBs are spending at least $1.2M on public cloud – up from 38% in 2022. Moreover, 37% of large businesses allocated more than $12M for the cloud in their IT budget. |
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62% of SMBs and 55% of large enterprises will have their workloads and data on the public cloud by the end of 2022. |
All businesses experience challenges in Cloud adoption
96% of IT leaders struggle to implement a cloud strategy. The top three cloud adoption issues are:
85% Security management remains among the top concerns for organizations when migrating to the cloud. Data security, data privacy, and lack of cloud security experts are the top reasons for the security.
83% Skills gap and resources in cloud management is another challenge in organizations. Companies are struggling to have cloud management skills and expertise.
81% Cloud cost is one of the major issues, which includes moving data into and between clouds and controlling cloud cost and moving data.
Source: Flexera, 2022; Foundry, 2022
Info-Tech Insight
Organizations continue to invest more in cloud services. But the challenges are increasing and not going away for both enterprises and SMBs, indicating the dire need to address them. Different business units or functional areas are siloed, hence their problems. These units or areas may solve the problems locally but not for other units and the rest of the organization, demanding a centralized approach and solutions to resolve the challenges of cloud adoption.
Cloud is a key technology initiative
Businesses that are going through digital transformation are taking a cloud-first approach to selecting new applications 88% Of businesses are executing on digital transformation initiative and likely to adopt cloud-based solutions Source: SMB Technology Direction, 202163% Of businesses are adopting cloud solutions; this is up 4% from 2021. Source: Flexera, 2022Organizations are adopting more cloud solutions and services to embark on the journey of digital transformation and capitalize on new opportunities, helping businesses to continue to thrive and stay competitive. |
Opportunities abound for IT Consultants to help out 18% Of organizations are spending more money and increasing the budget for the cloud from 22% in 2020 to 26% in 2022. Source : SWZD, 202169% Of businesses look at new cloud technologies for business growth and competition in the market. Source: SMB Technology Direction, 2021Drivers for an increase in cloud share in businesses’ IT budget are reduced hardware spending and focus on technologies that enable businesses to grow and transform in the future. |
Leverage your Info-Tech partnership to overcome challenges
If you are challenged with…. |
Then we encourage…. |
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Inconsistent or inadequate methods to build and deliver a repeatable and actionable cloud strategy engagement |
Using Info-Tech’s cloud research, which will assist you to create a business-aligned cloud vision and cloud strategy for your client. |
Upskilling consulting staff on the delivery of a cloud strategy engagement |
Using Info-Tech Advisory Services to access a Subject Matter Expert, who can guide you step-by-step to deliver an effective cloud strategy engagement to your clients and help you achieve desired outcomes. |
Boring presentations, wordy and long documents, or detailed spreadsheets filled with technical details |
Using Info-Tech’s pre-fabricated tools, templates, and boardroom-ready deliverables. |
Identify your starting point in cloud engagement
Discovering where to start the cloud journey with your client is crucial for a seamless cloud adoption experience.
Decide your engagement with your client based on their current cloud state and its maturity |
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Cloud Vision |
Cloud Strategy |
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Build a repeatable and engaging cloud migration journey for your clients
Take your client on a successful cloud journey, from a vision to an actionable strategy.
Decide your engagement with your client based on their current cloud state and its maturity |
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Understand cloud services Different cloud services and delivery models are available. Understand which service and model will be best for your organization. |
Cloud vision alignment Align cloud vision and strategy with other business and technology strategies, supporting the overall organization mission. |
Assess current workloads Leverage cloud vision workbook to evaluate workloads at various level - migration, management, and risk and roadblocks. |
Document people, governance and technology strategy Documentation helps to plan, track progress and measure success metrics. A team of multidisciplinary experts (cloud center of excellence) supports secure, efficient, cost-effective, and uniform cloud adoption. |
Identify and mitigate risks and roadblocks Various components in a cloud strategy bring several risks and roadblocks. Identifying and mitigating them is imperative. |
Deliver cloud strategy Formalized business aligned and documented cloud strategy. |
Deliver measurable results using ready-to-use tools and templates
Cloud vision and strategy blueprints are accompanied by supporting deliverables to help you accomplish desired outcomes for you and your customers:
Cloud Vision Executive Presentation This presentation captures the results of the exercises and presents a complete vision to stakeholders including a desired target state, a rubric for decision-making, the results of the workload assessments, and an overall risk profile. |
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Cloud Vision Workbook The workbook includes the standard cloud workload assessment questionnaire, along with the results of the assessment. It also includes the milestone timeline for the implementation of the cloud vision. |
Key deliverable:
Cloud Strategy Document
Inconsistencies and informality are the enemies of efficiency. Capture the results of the cloud strategy generation exercises in the cloud strategy document.
Up your cloud strategy engagement in the following measurable ways
Save time: Info-Tech Partners report saving at least 50% of their time when incorporating Info-Tech’s tools, templates, and repeatable methodology into an IT strategy engagement. Reduce effort: Info-Tech Partners report that the laborious effort of creating customized deliverables for each client is alleviated using standardized deliverables in this blueprint. Inform decisions: Info-Tech Partners describe that they did not have to start from scratch to build high-quality boardroom-ready deliverables, which results in saving a lot of time and focusing on the result- or outcome-driven discussion with the stakeholders or management team. Increase credibility: You increase your trust and credibility with your customers and prospects when you show them who is standing behind you. Leverage Info-Tech’s brand power as a research and advisory firm to bolster your customer’s confidence in you. |
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“Whenever we used Info-Tech research material to deliver on consulting engagements, our customers reported that they had a better experience and were more satisfied with our services. Also, the ability to edit and repurpose the Info-Tech content helped us not to start from scratch and saved a lot of time and effort for us.” - Jeff Michaud Manager in Technology Solutions, MNP |
Leverage cloud offerings as a differentiator
ITSPs needs to differentiate their cloud services based on value and experience delivery. |
Modular cloud service offerings |
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Benefits and risks: Modular offerings can profoundly rely on industry expertise and knowledge of ITSPs in the cloud area. These ITSPs are proficient at identifying clients’ business obstacles, which impede business growth and revenue and provide the right solutions to the clients. Business and technology alignment: ITSPs must align cloud solutions and services with business goals and objectives. The modular cloud offerings enable ITSPs to become strategic business partners to their clients and lead cloud technology initiatives. Value delivery: Value delivery is the key ingredient of modular cloud engagement offerings. To deliver high-quality service and experience, ITSPs must make a strong cloud business case for delivering tangible and intangible outcomes to their clients. “For consultants, differentiating themselves among their competitors in the cloud space is critical. They should define their services and value proposition, articulating how they deliver business-aligned cloud strategy, cloud implementation, and cloud management to achieve desired outcomes for clients. – Derek Shank, Head of Research, Stratascale |
Cloud vision and strategy
Cloud implementation
Cloud management
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Build a thorough cloud journey roadmap
Cloud Vision and Strategy | Cloud Implementation | Cloud Management Download – Take Control of Cloud Costs on AWS |
Info-Tech offers various levels of support to best suit your needs
DIY Toolkit |
Guided Implementation |
Workshop |
Consulting |
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| “Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful.” | “Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track.” | “We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place.” | “Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project.” |
Diagnostics and consistent frameworks used throughout all four options
DIY: Use Info-Tech’s methodology for defining your cloud vision
| 1. Understand the cloud | 2. Assess workloads |
3. Identify and mitigate risks |
4. Bridge the gap and create the vision |
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Phase steps |
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Phase outcomes |
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About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Document your vision and alignment.
- Call 1: Review existing vision/strategy documentation.
Guided Implementation 2: Record your people strategy.
- Call 1: Review progress on skills, roles, and governance bodies.
Guided Implementation 3: Document governance principles.
- Call 1: Work through integration, architecture, finance management etc. based on requests (may be more than one call).
Guided Implementation 4: Formalize your technology strategy.
- Call 1: Discuss challenges with monitoring, provisioning, and migration as needed.
Contributors
Derek Shank, Head of Research, Stratascale
Jeff Michaud, Manager in Technology Solutions, MN