Modernizing IT

Why Modernization and Cloud Go Hand in Hand

Many companies have moved or are still planning to move to the cloud to modernize services. All too often, technology is migrated, but roles, processes, and the technology are not modernized to reach the desired outcomes. Using the same processes, techniques, and management successful in the data center is simply not effective in the cloud. I work with CIOs and their IT leadership to modernize roles, processes, and technology so they may realize the value and promise of their cloud investments.

Assessment exercises and resulting reports rarely lead to long-lasting change. They end up under the rest of the presentations on the corner of the desk, waiting for the opportunity to execute that never comes. Day-to-day delivery for the business always takes priority. I employ an iterative and data-driven approach at a pace that an organization can successfully implement. The organization modernizes over time delivering new value every step of the way.

All too often, cloud costs are not understood until the monthly invoice arrives. Even then, the “why does this cost so much?” question arises. In the cloud, costs should be transparent to Finance and the Business. Costs can be attributed in business terms (per-widget, per-transaction, per-service, etc.) rather than technical terms. I can bring the discipline to understand cloud costs completely and forecast on business rhythms.

Financial Discipline: The Foundation for IT Success

With cloud cost transparency, it is necessary to move IT from a project mindset to a product mindset. Adopting Agile, whether formally or informally, is key to delivering value often and quickly to the Business. Incremental and iterative change drives modern success, not legacy annual projects and budgets.

Development and operations teams need to modernize too. Your developers should be working on one item at a time. That item receives priority from a product mindset. If developers are choosing what to work on, they are setting the priority for the Company, not you. Automation and infrastructure as code speed deployments and eliminate configuration drift, two qualities critical to modern cloud computing.

The Bottom Line:Turning IT into a True Business Partner

Modernizing IT is about more than just technology. It’s about making costs visible, aligning IT with business needs, building strong teams, and automating where possible. With this approach, IT organizations gain better control, work more closely with the business, and deliver solutions that matter.

By Craig Zweber, Principal Consultant, Intuitive