These days, citizens and businesses expect to interact with their government departments and agencies the same way they interact with eCommerce services—and governments want to deliver!
One significant way to make digital services more responsive and accessible is to put them “on the cloud.”
But that’s not always a straightforward process. There are many things to consider when making technology changes—particularly in government.
Here’s an overview of what to consider when planning and implementing a move to the cloud.
First, let’s address the most basic question: Why should your agency consider moving to the cloud?
The four top benefits of cloud adoption we see today are:
There’s a chance your agency is feeling some pressure to move to the cloud. Maybe your software provider(s) are ending support for on-premise apps, for example. Or maybe you’re in a region where they’ve mandated cloud adoption.
Either way, it’s a good idea to identify your “why” and get it in writing. It will become the driving force behind planning and implementing your move and getting your organization on board.
If you’d like to dig into these topics, we have several posts on the Vision33 blog.
Now that you have your “why,” it’s time to dig deeper. What, exactly, are you going to have hosted on the cloud?
You don’t have to move everything at once or even implement new “cloud-native” applications. In some cases, like a “lift and shift,” you’ll simply be copying and connecting an existing application from your on-prem servers to a cloud server.
Most likely, your move to the cloud will be gradual—and that’s great! It’s vital to follow the path that’s right for you. Here are critical questions to ask yourself and your hosting provider or consultant:
It’s smart to consider what “change management” you’ll need before moving to the cloud. Preparing to manage the changes that will affect your user community—from staff to citizens—is critical to a successful project.
Start by identifying your users (internal and external) and determining how the changes will affect them. Will they need a new login? Will they need to learn new workflows or processes? Are there potential benefits of moving to the cloud they should know?
Communicate the plan (including your “why”) early, and engage people. The more involved people are early on, the more they can contribute and adapt to the changes.
Here are other questions to ask:
We’re seeing more examples of ransomware and denial of service disruptions wreaking havoc in the public sector. The threat of hacking and the sophistication of attacks are only increasing, which is why it’s critical to make sure your systems are secure.
Fortunately, many cloud hosting providers have extremely robust security protocols with dedicated professionals who maintain them on your behalf. But these services come at a cost, so ask these questions to help you determine what’s appropriate for you:
Public sector services are highly regulated, with lots of rules, policies, and expectations. That means any software you implement—and its hosting solution—must meet these regulatory guidelines.
While you likely have a good sense of your requirements, it’s helpful to list them in one place. Here are a few questions to help you:
Ask these questions when procuring software, so you won’t hit regulatory snags in the future.
It might seem strange to have a section called “Project Success” because if you follow the other steps, you should succeed—right?
Well, at Vision33, we’ve spent many years learning what can make or break IT projects. It often comes down to small details like how often you meet with the implementation team and who’s in the meeting.
Here’s a list of sometimes-overlooked questions to ask and details to cover when embarking on a cloud application implementation project:
Because IT projects are usually complex and have long timelines, it’s essential to ensure agreements are well-thought-out, with all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
It's difficult to predict every possible scenario, so here are questions you can ask based on Vision33’s years of experience with a variety of projects:
Read the fine print and leverage your legal resources!
The bottom line is critical in any decision your agency makes; however, there are unique aspects to cloud hosting you should consider.
For one, the bandwidth your applications use affects the cost. If you go through a slow period with few users accessing an online service, it will cost less than during a peak period or spike in usage.
Cloud offerings often offer flexibility in ending contracts. But how realistic is that scenario, and what are you effectively going to be tied to?
Some questions:
This list of questions isn’t exhaustive, but it provides a good framework for your agency to make a thoughtful decision about moving to the cloud or adopting cloud services.
Vision33 provides short-term services engagements to help you round out and document everything in this playbook—and more.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact us today!