Compared to traditional on-premises solutions, cloud platforms enable companies to be more flexible and scale faster to meet changing market dynamics.  In addition, cloud-based technologies remove many of the resourcing and cost burdens associated with maintaining on-premises hardware and applications. As a result, IT teams are freed to focus on innovations that drive differentiation and ultimately fuel company growth.  However, a global cloud transformation is a complex undertaking and the need for preparation and planning should not be under-estimated.  
 
Like any global project, it is imperative that your cloud-based transformation aligns with both a clear executive vision and key business processes.  Equally, it’s important to remember that technology is just an enabler - not the end game.  In our experience consulting to thousands of companies globally, Bluewolf has repeatedly found that a successful cloud transformation depends on successful employee engagement.  This can be achieved by first spending time on the front lines with your users to properly understand their needs and then investing in a comprehensive change strategy to help people at all levels of your organisation embrace the new technologies and processes once they are implemented.

Follow these six steps to make your global cloud transformation a success:
 
1. Establish clear goals and metrics
Make sure you know why you want to move to the cloud.  Write down the business goals that you need to support.  The more specific the goal, the easier it will be to design appropriate processes, e.g., increase revenue by 10 per cent within two quarters.  Do not move forward until you have defined these goals in cooperation with the business.

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