Cloud Rationalized Adoption Method & Process

According to a recent survey of more than 100 global multinationals with 10,000+ employees, 45% of these international organizations are now using cloud sourcing for at least some elements of their IT services. Despite the accelerating adoption, however, many concerns, worries, doubts, and confusions about the viability of cloud computing still remain among many IT stakeholders. A systematic assessment approach with methodical evaluation of cloud suitability is not only vital but also necessary for firms of all sizes to set a holistic vision, formulate a winning strategy and take appropriate actions. This talk presents a comprehensive framework, called Rationalized Adoption Method & Process (RAMP), which helps organizations evaluate the aptness of cloud computing and boost the cloud readiness for their complex IT environments. RAMP is based on a cloud lifecycle model comprising three phases: Strategization, Operationalization, and Mobilization. Each of these phases is further decomposed into multiple stages, which constitute a workflow-like cloudification process. The overarching process is iterative with incremental checkpoints. The lifecycle model is implemented in a few automated tools for readiness gauge, roadmapping, risk examination, prototyping, engineering, enablement, acceleration, and management. We will focus on the assessment and planning parts in this discussion, which provide a hybrid of top-down and bottom-up evaluation of the multi-granular suitability in a qualitative and quantitative manner. The tools are used in real-world projects to facilitate the strategization exercise, including a cloud maturity model, reference architecture model, 360° multi-aspect gap analysis, and cloud suitability scorecard. The toolkit enables the practitioners to objectively justify the feasibility of cloud and craft a pragmatic multi-generation plan for effective adoption and execution. Working examples and case studies are discussed in the session to demonstrate RAMP in action. Best practices, guidelines, antipatterns, and lessons learned will be covered as well.

- by Tony Shan