Making digital transformation easier

As we’ve discussed previously, many businesses are in the process or have identified the need to undertake some form of digital transformation. They’re doing this to make their operations more efficient, gain flexibility, deliver more agile apps, benefit from access to improved technology, ensure resilience, meet wider business objectives and to keep up with the competition.

The benefits of doing this are well proven, and many would argue that in today’s environment it is actually essential. Indeed, one report on the topic recently found that nearly a third of executives rate data transformation as a ‘matter of survival’.

Despite this, we frequently find that while some organisations are happy to embrace a major transformation, others are more reticent. They just want to dip their toes in the water.

Often, this is because change is perceived as a daunting prospect - particularly when it involves overhauling your infrastructure and/or moving your data, as digital transformation does. It can also put a huge amount of strain on your internal resources, and require large amounts of capital expenditure if not managed well.

So, what can be done both to make the process easier and to avoid these issues? Based on our extensive experience helping customers to manage similar transitions, we have two main recommendations:

Break down your transition into phases

Many businesses we’ve worked with have discovered that the best way to complete a transformation project is to first complete a physical transition, then consolidate in a second phase by distributing their estate across the chosen hybrid solution – which will often be a mix of colocation, private and public cloud.

The physical transition involves moving everything to one location, which is often a colocation premises or similar. This allows you to instantly meet some of your objectives, and buys you time to complete the remainder of the project. It also means that you can really start to consider what your long-term strategy is going to be – what data can or should be moved to the cloud, and what should be kept more local – and then you can make the necessary arrangements and moves accordingly at a relaxed pace.

Enlist a trusted third partner to work alongside you throughout the project

For the above to be possible, you’ll need to have identified a suitable colocation partner who is prepared to be flexible and allow you access to resources on a temporary basis. You should also look for a partner that offers support through these transitions, making the process easier and allowing you to benefit from their expertise. The Datum Concierge Service is a good example of this. As well as the aforementioned benefits, this will help you avoid hiring expensive new recruits or shelling out large amounts of capital upfront.

If you break your digital transformation project down and approach it in phases, guided by a trusted partner then there’s no reason that undergoing something of this nature should be daunting. As listed in the introduction, there’s plenty of ways in which businesses can benefit from doing this so it’s a bit of a no-brainer.

If you’d like to discuss how you can start now, just get in touch and we’d be happy to provide you with more information.