You might not think of cloud technology as an emerging trend for business agility. It has been around for a while now, but the pandemic ushered in an accelerated growth period for cloud migration. But as companies begin to think more holistically about their cloud strategies, it is proving to be a disruptive technology all over again.

In the past, cloud migration has been somewhat piecemeal. Individual business departments would discover an application that offered rich features and promised advances in areas like productivity and cost savings. IT and security teams often weren’t even aware that business managers were implementing the tools, and the rise in shadow IT forced teams to develop new policies for application approval.

Even as CIOs became integral to broad digital transformation strategies and major business processes were moved to the cloud in multi-month cloud migration projects, there was still a siloed approach to these projects. But now, companies are increasingly pursuing plans that look at how integration in areas like data analytics, network and security functions, and collaboration add value and agility to the company.

Companies are doing this through integrations paired with automation to create an environment where agility and the maturing business are a priority supported by every technology investment. What was initially pursued as a cost-saving infrastructure improvement is now a way to add resilience and agility to the company.

Modern cloud technology requires a single infrastructure that supports the business policy. It consolidates data into a single source so that companies can react to it quickly, predict future behaviors and serve employees and customers well.

Have a Stated End Goal: When it comes to the practical side of using the cloud to support business agility, the first step is to understand where you would like your company to be at the end of the technology initiative. Think about your business goals when you finish the migration and walk it backward, including steps for how each area of your business will benefit and be negatively impacted.

Avoid a siloed approach and assess your current business processes to see where there are opportunities for innovation and future-proofing your business.

Innovation Through Agility: Cloud technology doesn’t offer any magic pixie dust, but it does provide ways for your company to improve effectiveness, boost efficiency, and introduce opportunities for innovation.

You can prepare for your company’s future objectives and pave the way in your industry with innovation. Areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain technology are just beginning to emerge, and business agility gives your company the ability to innovate using these tools.

Is your company struggling to manage a complex, siloed cloud environment? It may be time for a more holistic approach that prepares you for better business agility. Contact us at eXemplify to assess your current challenges and help determine what steps could create a more holistic approach to cloud technology.