Path to Cloud Drivers

Setting your Cloud Implementation up for success means having the right strategy for Business Process Redesign, Change Management, Data Conversion, Integration, Reporting, and Security. Below, we’ll go into detail regarding these key drivers. 

Business Process Redesign

Mobilize. Design. Deliver. Strategizing early on is key to understanding, mapping, developing, and following through on the future state of a Cloud implementation project. Let the software drive the process design. This will help set you up for success and eliminate gaps in your requirements. Also, make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to agreement of guiding principles. This helps avoid issues with “buy-in” later on.

Change Management

Training and communication are essential to a strong Change Management strategy. Having dedicated resources is a necessary part of ensuring a smooth transition across the board. You should also keep in mind that Training isn’t a one-time event. Designing a training plan so that the user-base is presented with information multiple times and in multiple fashions is a necessary part of Change Management. 

Data Conversion

It is important to start thinking of data conversion as early as possible in your implementation. Focus on what the end state solution looks like to help determine your scope, prepare, extract, and load data. This should include considerations for data sources, types of transactions, and whether you want to load top of stack, partial, or full history of data and volume.

Integration

For your integration strategy, you should start with the interface inventory in your current state, define your end state, determine your scope, prepare, develop, and finally test. In your end state, determine the future state architecture, and plan for an interim solution until you reach your end state. Put a timeline for decommissioning legacy applications and related integrations.

Reporting 

For reporting strategy, start with your organization’s reporting requirements by defining the end state, identifying your scope, preparing, developing, and determining the right operational model. In your development phase, consider leveraging Oracle Cloud out-of-box reporting capabilities by creating the right layouts, using appropriate subject areas, and testing. In your end state, focus on managing the accuracy of the data using the right technology, access, and security. 

Security

While devising your system security you need to ask the question “Who can do What on Which set of data?” That is to say, who are the users and what privileges will they have on different data sets? There are two primary types of roles. In an Abstract Role, it represents people in the organization independent of the jobs they perform, e.g. an employee or a Line manager. Job Roles represent jobs that users perform in an organization, such as HR Specialist or Accounts Payable Manager. Security Profiles are used to define what data (and whose data) can be accessed by the user in the assigned role. Data Role combines Security Profile with either an Abstract Role or a Job Role to determine the overall access level in the system for a user.

In considering the importance of these Key Drivers, each organization will face their own unique set of circumstances and challenges. Business Process Redesign, Change Management, Data Conversion, Integration, Reporting, and Security are all essential drivers in creating a Cloud implementation plan that’s set up for success. Review these Key Drivers in further detail in our recent webinar, “Path to Cloud – How Ready Are You?”