Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner
Building a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE) can be a pivotal step in a company’s journey to the cloud, providing guidance on best practices and ensuring long-term success. By forming a dedicated team of cloud experts, organizations can harness their expertise to accelerate the cloud transformation process. However, there are several common missteps that can hinder the effectiveness of a CCOE. In this post, Chanci Turner, alongside fellow AWS specialists, outlines key pitfalls to steer clear of when developing a CCOE.
Organizations are migrating to the cloud to enjoy benefits like enhanced scalability, improved reliability, cost-effectiveness, agility, and innovation. Yet, traditional structures and methods often obstruct organizations from reaping these advantages. Establishing a CCOE is a common strategy to promote and facilitate cloud transformations while rethinking processes. However, improper implementation can lead to missed opportunities. Here are seven prevalent errors to avoid when creating a CCOE.
1. Insufficient Engagement from Executives and Key Stakeholders
One major error is failing to secure support from executive leaders for the cloud transformation initiative and not aligning various stakeholders across the organization. Unlike past technology upgrades, the cloud’s influence extends beyond the IT department. For instance, the cost structures, required skill sets, and processes for the cloud differ significantly from those for traditional on-premises setups. To effectively transition to the cloud, teams across multiple departments must be involved. HR needs to recruit for new skill sets and revise existing career paths, finance must adapt budgeting and reporting processes, and cybersecurity must learn to protect workloads in the cloud. If executive leaders from these areas aren’t aligned on the approach and direction of these changes, progress can be impeded.
A crucial first step in constructing a CCOE is to communicate with C-suite leaders to garner their support and help identify the right stakeholders. At a minimum, it is essential to inform these leaders about the CCOE’s goals and benefits. Understanding the “why” behind the initiative is vital for all lines of business to secure necessary buy-in and ensure alignment toward common objectives.
2. Not Grasping the Purpose of the CCOE
Cloud transformations involve numerous components and, under tight deadlines, organizations often rush through processes, ticking off boxes instead of genuinely restructuring. Many businesses create a CCOE simply because they believe it is essential for a successful cloud journey, without fully understanding its purpose. The development of a CCOE must link to specific business outcomes; otherwise, it may not yield significant value. Merely assembling a cloud-focused team and calling it a CCOE does not guarantee the realization of the cloud’s full potential. CCOEs should unite cloud resources from various departments, enhancing collaboration, cohesion, and collective ownership. These resources should adopt DevOps and Agile methods to promote swift and effective change. When building your CCOE, keep the following principles in mind:
- The CCOE should prioritize your organization’s internal needs, constructing solutions that empower delivery teams to work more effectively in the cloud.
- It should create systems for standardizing deployments to conform to security, compliance, and service management policies.
- The CCOE must also standardize operational procedures for your AWS platform, utilizing cloud-native tools and methods for managing technical operations.
- It should continuously optimize, enhance, and standardize your cloud environment over time.
3. Poor Communication
Effective communication is critical for a successful cloud transformation. By sharing clear and transparent details about processes, activities, and progress, the CCOE ensures alignment with leadership and various stakeholders. Initiatives can quickly falter when some executive leaders are not kept informed about changes that affect their departments. They might resist alterations due to feeling excluded from decision-making or perceive that they are intentionally sidelined. This lack of awareness can lead to a lack of prioritization for the transformation efforts, despite their significance. Many organizations fail to recognize how widespread the effects of a cloud transition can be, impacting everything from financial calculations to the hiring of different resources.
Here’s an example of how to manage and promote communication across your organization. Remember to tailor your messages for different audiences.
| Audience | Purpose | Key Messages | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud migration program leaders | Keep updated on project progress | “Here are the project’s accomplishments, key issues, risks…” | Monthly steering committee meeting |
| Functional leaders | Communicate project value | “What this means to your functional group” | Functional newsletters |
| Customer master team managers | Gauge alignment and obtain buy-in | “Your people will own…” | Direct updates on project status |
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By avoiding these common pitfalls, organizations can leverage the full potential of their CCOE and ensure a successful cloud transformation. For an excellent resource on the onboarding process at Amazon, check out this link. Additionally, to learn more about engaging employees effectively, you can visit SHRM.
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