Digital transformation can change the entire trajectory of businesses, especially those that are plagued by the inefficiencies of legacy infrastructures and outdated operating models. Employing technologies to improve operations, workflows, and productivity is a crucial measure of success (and survival) — precisely what the modern enterprise requires to stay competitive, relevant, and profitable.
What makes this transformation even more compelling is making it cloud-first. Switching your servers and systems to a cloud-first architecture is a massive undertaking but comes with benefits in equal measures.
Defining Cloud-First Digital Transformation
A cloud-first digital transformation is more than just an event. It implies the adoption of a completely new ethos for a business, wherein any new development or launch must take place in a cloud-first manner instead of putting legacy systems into play.
Adopting a cloud-first approach doesn't necessarily mean you switch over to the cloud exclusively. Several organizations find a hybrid solution for their needs while being cloud-first.
It depends on your business requirements and what kind of architecture suits you. But irrespective of your requirements, a cloud-first digital transformation could enhance your overall efficiency, improve turnaround in operations, enhance customer engagement, and improve employee satisfaction.
Anytime Anywhere Engagement with Cloud
One of the most evident benefits of a cloud-first digital transformation is the anytime-anywhere engagement boost. What this means is that being cloud-first allows businesses to engage with stakeholders across geographies and time zones seamlessly as access, communication, and (a part of) operations are on the cloud. Let us take a look at the specific aspects of the 'anytime-anywhere engagement.'
Increased Customer Interaction
Cloud computing improves speed and efficacy at a rate that legacy systems just can't keep up with. This also means that with a cloud-first approach, businesses have a lot more customer data to collect and analyze. This allows them to get a deeper insight into their customers and improve service and customer experience. The result - higher interaction with customers, which leads to improved engagement.
Enhanced Community Building
With cloud-first systems, physical proximity is irrelevant. Customers and stakeholders from across the globe can connect with your business at any given time. This gives you a bigger audience and wider reach. Additionally, with available cloud computing tools for data analysis, creating better funnels for the audience and building a strong community for products and services is much easier.
Improved Collaboration
A cloud-first infrastructure allows you to connect to servers without the need for physical access. This means that employees and contributors can work together at anytime from anywhere. Your workforce is not limited to your business location, and you can bring in global experts. This improves collaboration due to ease of communication and access.
Higher Work Satisfaction
According to a recent survey, about 88% of employees are happier working remotely than on-premises. Evidently, the cloud facilitates remote work while also keeping up productivity and engagement. As such, a cloud-first digital transformation can do wonders in terms of enhancing employee satisfaction.
Key Considerations for Cloud-First Digital Transformation for Anytime, Anywhere Engagement
While there are several benefits to going cloud-first, businesses can need to be careful. Every transition comes with challenges, as does this. Here are some of the things that must be considered:
Well-Defined Purpose Is Key
Anytime, anywhere engagement sounds great. But the articulation of what you want to achieve with your cloud-first digital transformation is very important. For example, if you are looking to build a cohesive workforce or improve customer satisfaction, the focus and approach need to be different compared to getting a better understanding of customer profiles and preferences. The latter is more analytics-driven compared to the former, which is more about improving accessibility. Of course, holistically speaking, both these things need to be taken care of, but an articulated purpose should guide you for a clear framework instead of getting stuck on achieving the wrong objectives.
Non-Functional Requirements Need Attention
In a cloud-first transformation environment, non-functional requirements like uptime, redundancy, data protection, and disaster recovery efforts are just as important as they are in a traditional environment. But that doesn't necessarily mean you'll have to go without investing in the right approach going forward. To that end, it is essential to plan and budget for security measures when driving anytime, anywhere engagement on the back of a cloud-first approach. And this brings in the angle of strategic planning as well — precisely where expert guidance, like that provided by Wissen Technology, can help you ensure a successful outcome.
Cost Considerations
While cost efficiency should be a big factor for any business, it is also very important to ensure there is a "smart" approach to spending. Because a cloud-first digital transformation helps anticipate a myriad of requirements and tasks and do it all in a sustainable manner, it is important that businesses realize the what(s) and why(s) of stakeholder interactions and accordingly budget for it.
'Always On' Workplace Needs Reconsideration
When most businesses went remote in 2020, there was a severe spike in productivity and efficiency. This was followed by a severe drop and one of the biggest jumps in attrition. When remote work began abruptly, the lines between work and life were blurred. As a result, many employees started working round-the-clock, which resulted in an initial spike in productivity. However, working constantly led to quick burnout as well. This is a real possibility for cloud-first organizations, even in hybrid or on-premise settings. So, it's essential to ensure that you have a firm grasp of your workforce and its needs before taking a step towards a cloud-first digital transformation.
Key Takeaways
Leading your business' digital transformation by being cloud-first can help you save costs, keep up with market requirements, and bring out a radical shift in the way your organization functions. This change must be supplemented with meticulous planning that considers expenses, employee welfare, and security to ensure a successful transformation.
Cloud-first transformations, by nature, need to be holistic. Merely moving your data and processes to the cloud will not create the cultural shift necessary for a digital transformation - let alone drive anytime, anywhere engagement.
So, before you embark on this journey, get expert guidance to ensure a sustainable change — one that will make a real impact. Connect with us to learn more.
