Cloud Adoption: laying foundations for business agility

By Paul Sole, Principal Solution Advisor &
Josh Lopez, Partner, Cloud Adoption.

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The story of digital disruption is full of examples of companies that failed to read the writing on the wall. Blockbuster missed its opportunity to embrace the new digital world and lost out to competitors like Netflix, who utilised cloud technology to scale its business globally. Taxi companies were caught on the back foot when ride-sharing apps appeared on the scene and quickly faded into obscurity in the face of an overwhelmingly better customer experience provided by Uber.    

Why is the digital revolution such a powerful disruptive force, and how can business leaders make the most of this moment of opportunity?   

The new way to transform your business  

Companies are looking to scale up quickly, increase their speed to market and reap the benefits of cloud adoption.  

When a company has to scale up their operations quickly, it’s a simple, inexpensive process for cloud adopters; a process that can even be automated. Tasks that traditionally took weeks with on-premises systems take only minutes in a modern cloud environment.     

Companies adopting cloud platforms can go from small enterprises to global competitors in just weeks by leveraging global network capabilities.   

Cloud platforms using Amazon Web Services (AWS) Well-Architected Framework can adapt to slow business conditions and expand its capacity when demand is high. This agility in changing market conditions unlocks substantial savings.    

Be one of the digital revolution winners    

Experimentation and Innovation are the keys to sustaining growth and market position.    

Innovation is the meeting point of opportunity and capability. Cloud transformation empowers innovation because it yields stronger competitive advantages and accelerates the product to market cycle.     

Taking bold steps is much easier and involves less risk when using AWS. The ability to react quickly to changing market conditions is the key to differentiation and growth in a business.  

The cloud adoption journey using AWS has a relatively low entry point. Just focusing on one element of transformation can change the whole mindset of your organisation. Transformative innovation works best in iterative stages. Test new solutions, read the market, then test again. It’s vital to take risks, but the strength of iterative processes is that each stage is only a small investment that’s quickly measured and assessed.     

Technology is moving so fast now that without the flexibility and scope of cloud technology, your enterprise can’t hope to compete sustainably. If your innovation cycle is in the range of six to twelve months, you’re already behind the market.       

The dynamics of responsive cloud technology    

Agility is a crucial success factor when building your solutions in AWS. Every aspect of the solution should be scalable and easily maintained to better adapt to changing market conditions.    

AWS gives enterprises the ability to rapidly pivot if they need to change their business workflows. They can test the market with new product features simply and gather accurate data about the changes.    

Product ownership: putting your customer first    

Companies can utilise AWS to accelerate product validation and enhance strategic planning.    

Modern product ownership means testing the market; determining a new product’s features based on actual feedback rather than what a business thinks their customers need. This approach to product ownership is customer-centric and eliminates over-engineering, offering better value for customers.     

Strong product ownership – where product owners consistently test the market – can significantly change a company’s customer perception. This approach promotes successful product presentation, adapting the product with customer feedback, then testing iterations based on reliable data.   

Performing rapid iteration of product offerings is greatly simplified in AWS because of its agile, on-demand structure.  

Cloud computing is affordable and accessible    

AWS offers low-cost entry points for new enterprises and a mechanism of liberation for large corporations to accelerate their strategic growth. AWS also allows for global expansion through the ever-expanding geographical regions available to customers.     

Using Versent’s partner, Stax, allows enterprises to set up an AWS Well-Architected platform in hours, at a much lower cost, and deliver products to market much more quickly. This approach bestows the advantages of transformation at a much lower entry point than previously.  

Agility or stagnation? How can you get rid of roadblocks?    

To be one of the digital transformation winners – to be disruptive rather than disrupted – cloud adoption is a vital first step.  

Cloud environments give teams the space to use the latest services, push boundaries, and think about breaking down entrenched limitations.     

The cloud revolution offers companies an opportunity to rethink their entrenched operational models. More flexible, scalable technology gives IT people the scope to move more freely in their roles. Rather than spending all their energy on system maintenance, they can turn their minds to innovation and product enhancement.    

Want to learn more about your company’s digital transformation opportunities? Get in touch with a Versent cloud adoption expert today.