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Public cloud migration for a while has been the the buzzword on everyone’s lips. Often described as a no brainer for organisations where their core business is not managing IT systems. Sure, there are plenty of good reasons to take your organisation’s applications to the cloud: lower costs, better scalability, and increased flexibility. But here’s the thing – it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and there are definitely some pitfalls you need to be aware of.

One of the most critical factors to consider when migrating applications to the cloud is having a solid understanding of those applications, their relationships with one another, and the infrastructure that underpins them. This is essential if you want to avoid a disruptive migration that could have significant impacts on your organisation’s operational performance.

According to a recent study conducted by Harvard Business Review, a poor understanding of applications and infrastructure is one of the leading causes of disruption during a cloud migration. The study found that only 38% of IT leaders had a clear understanding of their organisation’s applications, while only 26% understood the relationships between applications and infrastructure. These statistics are worrying, especially when you consider that a failed cloud migration can have real and lasting consequences.

For instance, a poorly planned migration can result in application downtime, data loss, and security breaches, all of which can lead to significant financial losses and damage to your organisation’s reputation. These consequences can be particularly devastating for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may not have the resources to recover quickly from such disruptions.

So, what can you do to avoid these pitfalls? Well, first and foremost, you need to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of your organisation’s applications and infrastructure. Sounds easy right? This means conducting a comprehensive inventory of your applications, documenting their dependencies and relationships, and mapping out your infrastructure architecture. Where do you start? How do you know where to focus your attention? How do you make this a cost effective exercise?

At cloudstep.io we created a simple three step ‘Business Case in a Box’ process that leverages our unique tooling to answer these questions. Starting with a rapid assessment to provide lightweight, express validation of cloud intention. The output of this assessment identifies any organisational knowledge gaps followed by focused analysis to prepare the organisation for a successful migration.

As is with anything that is outside the scope of your core business, It’s wise to also consider working with a trusted cloud service advisor that can provide your organisation with expert guidance and support throughout the migration process. This will help ensure that your migration is seamless and that your applications and data are migrated securely and efficiently.

As a wrap, migrating your organisation’s applications to the public cloud can be a fantastic way to save costs and increase flexibility. However, it’s essential to recognise that this process comes with its own set of challenges and pitfalls. To avoid disruption of your business, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of your applications and infrastructure, as well as to work with a trusted cloud service advisor. With careful planning and execution, you can ensure a successful migration and reap the benefits of the cloud without putting your organisation’s operational performance at risk.