A major IT project such as cloud migration “is an organizational transformation” and “it is crucial that agencies proactively plan and manage” the process, according to a white paper from GSA’s data center optimization initiative program management office.
“Addressing the organizational impact is a cornerstone of a successful cloud transformation. Agencies should consider staffing and skills, cost controls, contracting and security risks beforehand,” said a summary posted on the GSA CIO blog.
It notes that cost is a primary consideration in any IT project, but “it is hard for agencies to get a positive return on investment in the early years because of the inefficiencies during migration, rather than the cloud technology itself. In cloud migration, having clear service-level pricing and elevating awareness of underused resources are key to showing a clear return on investment.”
“Before pursuing cloud migration, agencies must understand pricing structures, virtualizations and why cloud ‘is not infinite.’ Similarly, not all cloud services are FedRAMP-approved, but agencies are not limited to using only FedRAMP-authorized services,” it adds.
It also cites the issues of organizational readiness including the importance of maintaining a skilled workforce along with technical considerations.
