Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 76 | Page 39

CIO OPINION
Brent Flint , Head of Enterprise Applications at Dimension Data , believes part of the answer to effective change management during cloud transformation projects rests on an effective methodology .
Migrating core business processes from on-premises environments to the cloud requires a proven methodology to accelerate the transition and reduce associated risks . A repeatable methodology that incorporates automation to ensure aspects such as data integrity , for example , can ease data migration and speed up the time-to-value .
Companies that successfully leverage the insight , skills and experience of partner organisations can reduce risk and enhance the impact and business outcomes of their transformation efforts . Companies are realising that cloud adoption is not a once-off event : it requires nearcontinuous refinement and evolution to deliver business value . This makes the role of expert partners , who have developed experience with specific use cases of cloud technologies and can guide organisations in their adoption of cloud solutions , critical to their success .
Understanding how and where the journey to the cloud should start remains among the biggest obstacles to the digital transformation efforts of African organisations .
Lauren Wortmann , Vice President , Applications at Dimension Data , says “ There is still some resistance to the cloud among organisations limiting the success of cloud transformation projects .”
Cloud adoption is a business-critical activity , but the optimal starting point is not always clear . Many organisations and their IT teams also acknowledge that the shift to cloud is coming , but there is internal resistance due to fear about how it will affect the business and existing IT skills .
The most crucial factor when developing a cloud strategy is defining a clear business case for cloud adoption . “ Cloud is not just about cost efficiency ,” says Wortmann .
It is about modernising the business and its core processes , unlocking new opportunities , enhancing capabilities , and achieving broader digital transformation . For this to be successful , there needs to be massive buy-in from the business at every layer , from the boardroom to the IT department and every end-user .
Vendors and partners need to strive for innovation , with KPIs around unlocking additional business value built into managed services contracts .
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