組織におけるクラウド導入における「戦略、プラン」
noc_adminIn previous articles, we have discussed Microsoft's Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF ) as a guiding principle for a systematic and safe approach to cloud adoption.
The CAF is a framework for organizing cloud adoption as a transformational project for both business and IT, rather than a "technical migration.
Especially in the field, we often hear the following issues
- Only the service contract is signed ahead of time, leaving "why cloud" unclear.
- Opinions differ from department to department, and post-implementation operations and cost management break down.
- As a result, "The implementation is not as effective as expected.
To prevent such problems, it is essential to firmly establish the Strategy and Plan in the initial phase of CAF.
Strategy (Strategy Phase)
This is the step to clarify "why cloud computing?
If objectives and expectations are not properly organized here, it is easy to end up asking, "Why did we implement it in the first place? If the objectives and expectations are not properly organized here, it is easy to end up asking, "Why did you introduce it in the first place? The next planning phase will proceed smoothly if the objectives of the introduction are shared in figures and words that are acceptable to both management and the frontline.
Minimum Points to Consider
The minimum points to consider are a starting point for clarifying "what criteria should be used to make decisions and what should be organized" when starting cloud implementation. By specifically defining the purpose of implementation, KPIs, and roles of those involved, you will create a situation where you can later explain "why this configuration was chosen" and "who made the decision. If you proceed with ambiguity, it will cause the direction to become blurred, resulting in increased man-hours and costs.
- Clarify the purpose of implementation.
(e.g., reduction of server renewal costs, BCP measures, development of telework infrastructure) - Determine how to measure results (KPI).
(e.g., shorten recovery time, reduce operation man-hours, shorten release cycle) - Involve stakeholders
Important to have a common understanding among management, IT, and business divisions
Example: Reduce recovery time, reduce operation man-hours, shorten release cycles
Common Failures
Failures in the strategy phase occur due to "ambiguity of objectives" and "difference in temperature among related parties. If the aims of cloud implementation are not quantified before proceeding, it will be impossible to measure the effects after implementation and gain the understanding of management and frontline staff. In addition, if the IT department alone is involved and the business side is not involved, complaints such as "it is difficult to use" or "it is different from what we expected" will erupt after the implementation. It is essential to clarify objectives, KPIs, and roles at the initial stage and share risks.
- Objectives are abstract and not shared.
Example: "We aim to improve efficiency through cloud computing," but what and how much will be improved is unclear. As a result, effectiveness cannot be measured after implementation. - The direction of management and the field is misaligned.
Management's intention is different, with management focusing on cost reduction and the frontline focusing on operational efficiency, resulting in a disparate evaluation axis after implementation. - Consideration proceeds only by the IT department.
As a result of implementation without involving the business department, complaints that the system is "difficult to use" arise because it does not match the actual usage scenario. - KPIs are not set
The results are not visible, and after implementation, it is impossible to judge whether it was a good idea or not. Lack of materials to explain to management. - Neglecting the risks of cloud implementation
Issues such as security, costs, and human resources were not estimated, and unexpected burdens were incurred after the migration.
Example of Strategy (strategy phase) self-diagnosis checklist (see Azure CAF)
| Checklist Items | Reference site |
|---|---|
| Are objectives and KPIs defined numerically? | Develop a cloud adoption strategy - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Are the motivations (cost, agility, BCP, etc.) agreed upon and prioritized? | Determine the motivation - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Do you have a written mission and goals (outcome measures)? | Define the mission and goals of the cloud adoption strategy - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Have you defined your organization's structure (roles and responsibilities)? | Developing a Cloud Adoption Strategy - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn Prepare organizational alignment - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Are you self-assessing the relevance of your strategy and identifying gaps? | Evaluate your cloud adoption strategy - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
Plan (Planning Phase)
In this phase, the objectives determined in the Strategy are incorporated into "how to achieve them".
This is the phase where you organize which systems will be migrated, in what order, and in what steps, and create a plan that can be implemented onsite. If this phase is left ambiguous, the policy tends to become unclear during the process, and the schedule and costs tend to balloon. Sharing the "what, when, and how to proceed" with the entire team will greatly reduce problems after the transition.
Minimum Points to Consider
Suddenly saying, "Let's move everything! will result in failure. First, it is important to organize the target systems, select the migration method, and determine the order of priority. The first step to success is to visualize KPIs, costs, and risks, and create a situation where all parties involved can share the same goals.
- System Inventory
Identify which systems to target and dependencies - Selection of migration method
Determine Lift & Shift/Replatform/Refactor, etc. for each application - Prioritization
Migrate small systems first to gain success experience - Establish roadmap
Define migration sequence, risk countermeasures, and resource allocation - Estimate costs and man-hours
Evaluate not only initial implementation costs but also operational costs
Common mistakes
In the planning phase, "underestimated risk assumptions" and "unclear planning" can cause problems. If migration is initiated without taking inventory and fully identifying the scope of impact, downtime and performance degradation are likely to occur. The key to success in planning is to create a "realistic plan based on the assumption of risk.
- Insufficient system inventory
Migration was performed without identifying dependencies, resulting in some systems not working and business operations being halted. - Mistake in selection of migration method
Migration using only "Lift & Shift" resulted in the same configuration as on-premise and increased operational costs. - Simultaneous migration without prioritizing
The company started with the core system that had the largest impact, and the trouble was not resolved in time, resulting in chaos. - Risk assessment and countermeasures were unclear.
Downtime countermeasures during the migration were not determined, resulting in service outages and data integrity problems. - Post-transition operation system not envisioned
Lack of administrators and operations staff after implementation, leaving monitoring and cost optimization untouched.
Example of Plan (Planning Phase) Self-Diagnostic Checklist (see Azure CAF)
| Checklist items | Reference site |
|---|---|
| Is an inventory of existing assets made and even dependencies understood? | Discover existing workload inventory - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Has a migration methodology been selected for each workload? | Select a cloud migration strategy - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Have you performed a pre-assessment (performance/availability/compliance, etc.)? | Evaluate cloud migration workloads - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Do you have a written cost (initial/operational) estimation policy? | Plan your Azure environment for cost estimation - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
| Do you have a governance/security/operations responsibility plan in place? | |
| Do you have a skills plan in place? | Prepare your organization for the cloud - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn |
Conclusion
In order to successfully implement cloud computing, it is important to clarify "why" and "how" to proceed with cloud computing, rather than the technology. Conversely, if these two phases are left ambiguous, the implementation tends to be "left undone" after implementation, resulting in increased costs and operational burdens.
In the next issue, we will discuss the "Ready" phase, the next step in CAF.
In this phase, we will focus on creating the environment for actually using the cloud, including landing zone design, governance, security infrastructure, and other "design foundations. Let's work together to organize the first technical steps to make the implementation realistic.
