Implementing a new software solution is similar to moving to a new house. You can pack everything up, move to the new environment and sort things out afterwards. But especially if you are moving to the cloud, it pays to determine in advance what you will and will not take with you to your new environment. And to see if things need to be adjusted to increase efficiency and improve the ease of use. In this blog, we will tell you why thinking backwards when migrating to the cloud can be of significant benefit.
Compared to your on-premise system, most cloud solutions offer many new possibilities for a different and more efficient way of working. By working with these as you prepare, you will eventually benefit more from the new business software. On the other hand, some things will no longer be possible within the new software package. This may seem inconvenient, but you should question if everything in the current environment really needs to be implemented in the new environment.
You can approach the migration to the new cloud solution in two ways:
Method 1. Think forwards
This approach is mainly taking the current functionalities of the on-premise system and trying to replicate them as closely as possible in the cloud system. This way, the move is primarily a matter of copy and pasting the functionalities and data without using the opportunity to improve the existing business processes and increase efficiency. Furthermore, if you made a lot of customisations in the old environment, a cloud implementation could become quite extensive. Customisations complicate performing updates because each update requires proper testing to determine if the customisation still works. If it no longer works properly, additional time and money are needed to fix it.
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Method 2. Thinking backwards
Chances are that you cannot migrate customizations made in the old package to the new environment. Therefore, another way to migrate is to first look at how the new system can benefit your organisation and determine what this means for your way of working.
Which business-specific things did you modify in the old package? How relevant are these customisations still, and which ones need to go with you to the cloud? And are there new possibilities you want to take advantage of from now on? This means involving more internal and external stakeholders in looking at the business processes. Sometimes also from outside the company, for example, customers or suppliers with access to certain system parts.
This method makes the scope of the implementation process broader than just configuring the software. Of course, this requires extra time and effort. But you will quickly recoup this investment because you can automate more in the new environment. By adequately preparing for the move to the new environment, you will probably need less customisation. This will provide your organisation with a significant efficiency benefit.
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Moving to the cloud is moving from familiar to improved
Technological developments follow each other rapidly. Organisations are increasingly alerted to think critically, take well-considered steps and implement changes and improvements in their business processes. Making the step from a familiar but inefficient to an improved way of working creates a future-oriented business.
At 4apps we like to make you aware of your organisation’s possibilities. We help you determine the usefulness and necessity of every adjustment instead of blindly transferring everything you have to the new environment. Together we look for a solution that fits the standard functionality as much as possible. So that your organisation will benefit maximally from working in the cloud.
If you’d like to know more about how 4apps can assist you with moving to the cloud, please contact us today.
