6 Cloud Service Adoption Tips For Big Businesses

Enterprise Cloud Insights

Cloud Sherpas, a born-in-the-cloud solution provider based in Atlanta, conducted in the fourth quarter of 2014 an online survey, through email, Web platforms and social media, of enterprise cloud usage.

The global Google Apps, ServiceNow and Salesforce partner asked 234 business leaders across industries and continents a variety of questions about cloud adoption and strategy within their organizations, organizational technology and staffing plans, cloud trends they were seeing and the impact of cloud investments they had made.

Almost half of the respondents of the Enterprise Cloud Survey identified themselves as business leaders who make the major technology decisions for their firms.

Based on the results of the survey, Cloud Sherpas shared six tips that big businesses might want to heed when adopting cloud services.

Understand The Cloud

"Before you adopt a cloud strategy, you must first understand the cloud and how it can benefit your company," Cloud Sherpas said.

Respondents were asked what organizational factors they were trying to improve with the cloud. Collaboration and efficiency were the top answers, cited by 59 percent and 55 percent of respondents, respectively. Almost half were also looking to improve customer engagement.

Create An Effective Plan

"In order for your cloud investment to succeed, you must prepare for the adoption and implementation by establishing an effective, long-term plan," Cloud Sherpas advised.

Of the organizations surveyed, 70 percent identified adopting cloud technology as a key factor in their success.

But only 41 had actually implemented a formal cloud plan or strategy.

Look At The Big Picture

"The cloud is a huge investment that can add value to your organization in many different ways. But the move to the cloud needs to be about more than just technology. You also need to change the way your business operates in order to succeed," Cloud Sherpas said.

The types of changes Cloud Sherpas was talking about include process and skill updates. Yet more than 40 percent of the organizations that responded to the survey said their IT teams don't have those skills, and their IT staff hasn't yet been educated in cloud technology.

Remain Flexible

"Technology advances constantly, and that means it's important to be flexible with your strategy. This flexibility will allow you to take on new capabilities and stay ahead of the curve," Cloud Sherpas recommended.

Of the hundreds of business leaders who responded, more than 60 percent said their organizations plan to significantly increase their use of cloud software within the next five years to keep pace with business growth.

An additional 29 percent said they would somewhat increase their cloud usage, and only 5 percent saw a decrease in their future.

Let Innovation Take Its Course

"Creativity will stem naturally from your updated business processes. Let things take their course in order to determine which of these grass-roots capabilities are truly benefiting your company and should be adopted further," Cloud Sherpa advised.

Of the organizations that have moved to the cloud, 36 percent reported a noticeable increase in innovation. That number was brought down by the North America respondents -- 42 percent of international organizations saw an innovation jump.

It Takes Hard Work

"Cloud technology delivers countless benefits, but realizing these benefits in your organization requires regular action on behalf of both customers and employees," Cloud Sherpas said.

Organizations in which learning and development teams align with senior management are 13 times more likely to report increased revenue, according to the Enterprise Cloud Report.