The ‘cloud’, the mystical vapour in which all our data will be tied up in the future. The question is how do we smoothly enter the cloud and avoid the potential storm in may put upon our company. The process of converting to the cloud is like moving house, there are a number of things to consider before moving house and it is not a decision to take lightly. If it is not done correctly it has the potential to waste time, money and resources. So what are the key mistakes Not for Profits (NFPs) are making and how can we avoid them?
1. Not doing your homework
Simply saying “Put me in the cloud!” is not going to work or, at the very least, will lead to disappointing results. So yes, homework is essential or research if you are an ‘adult’. A lot of people adopt cloud-based software and systems based on advice from friends, but unless their friends are in the same sector, this makes no sense. NFPs and Social Enterprises especially need to ask themselves the vital questions of who is going to use this tool and what are our business needs? What are essential items and what are not? Just as if you were moving house as a couple and the agent suggested a house with five bathrooms, you would know that even though it would be nice it would also be extremely unnecessary, the same goes for cloud software.
- Not all companies are the same, find which vendor fits your business model.
- Learn what makes a good cloud provider (ie. downtime, server location)
- Understand your internet needs and whether you need an upgrade: if you don’t have fast, reliable internet, the cloud server is useless. The cloud is only as stable as your internet access.
2. Not taking out the trash
It is time for a spring clean. Think about it: if you were moving house would you take all your trash to the new house? Probably not. The same goes for migrating to the cloud, companies make the huge mistake of not cleaning up the environment before moving and depending on the size of the company, it can waste thousands of dollars and hours of effort.
- Spring clean: get rid of your ‘eTrash’ before converting
- Label those boxes: Organize your data, so it’s easier to unpack once you have are moved.
3. Firing the IT guy and other costly mistakes.
Many business assume when they move their technology to the cloud that all of the expenses of IT evaporate and are all combined into one bill. This is very wrong. Marketing, as it does so well, has misled people into thinking they do not need IT staff, will never buy hardware again and servers will run themselves! Unfortunately this is not the case, in this mobile world, tech support and quality on-site professionals are still very necessary and problems can’t always be solved by a quick Google search.
It is also important to do a full cost comparison. You wouldn’t buy the first house you saw because someone told you it was good value. The same goes with cloud vendors and there are plenty of cost comparison sites out there that help tailor to your needs as a business, so you don’t end up with those five bathrooms!
- Understand IT is still an essential role in your business
- Comparison sites like http://www.cloudscreener.com can ensure you don’t go over budget and get what you need.
- Do a 3-5 year budget and see if converting to the cloud is financially sound for your business.
4. Not backing up data
Another cloud server fable is that you don’t need to backup your data any longer. This is not true. Cloud based servers are still susceptible to crashing and losing data. You can avoid this by not putting all your eggs in one basket, having what they call a ‘blended cloud’ strategy whereby risk is spread across two or more clouds, providing business continuity and efficiency should anything go wrong with one cloud. This is especially useful for cloud servers going ‘down’, the last thing you want on a Monday morning is not having access to your documents and productivity coming to a standstill, or maybe that is not so bad...
- Use a ‘blended cloud’ strategy
- See what insurances different cloud vendors offer when it comes to losing your data
Converting to the cloud really is the future of business and workplace productivity, but don’t rush yourself. Ensure that you understand what you’re investing in, what particulars you need for your business and how you can use it as efficiently as possible. Doing your research will ensure you enter the cloud without having to struggle through the storm.
