Are you ready to migrate your business to the cloud? In this series, we have looked at “cloud readiness” criteria in a variety of categories ranging from staffing to workflow that signal you are ready to make the switch. Here, we’ll look at the four and final set of readiness factors—those related to technology.

So here we go.  You’re ready for cloud migration if you . . .

. . . find that your email keeps going out.

. . . pay too much for phone service.

. . . are still relying on FTP for file transfer.

. . . are managing a lot of data, such as large graphic files. The cost of storage is cheaper in the cloud.

. . . have computers, hard drives, and/or servers that are more than three years old. Hardware failures can cause downtime and loss of data. The cloud eliminates this issue.

. . . travel and your business laptop computer is often x-rayed, which is not good for hard drives.  You do not have this issue when your data is in the cloud.

. . . are already using pieces of the cloud, such as Dropbox, Gmail, or online project management. A full cloud migration would provide a cohesive end-to-end solution.

. . . are purchasing any of the latest digital printing or imaging equipment (Landa, JDF, XML).

. . . would like to be one of the printers found under HP, Google, and other remote printing services.

. . . want to get an early jump on the impending Internet of Things (IoT). Some day, all of our devices are going to be communicating through the cloud.

This concludes the comprehensive list of factors that indicate cloud readiness. They cover staff and location, business structure, workflow, and technology.

After considering all of these factors, do you think a cloud migration might be right for you? If so, the next step is to take action. Don’t wait! It’s time to Assess, Plan, Align, Migrate, and Operate. Work with your internal experts or an outside consulting firm that can evaluate your business and production situation and implement a plan that makes the migration seamless and saves you money.

Source:  Adapted from Cloud Production: A New Path to Profitability (How to Benefit from Cloud Automation), by Slava Apel and Joseph W. Webb, Ph.D., 2017.