Tips for Increasing the Value of Cloud Consulting Services

Making sound technological decisions is critical to business success. Choosing which decisions to make can be difficult, especially when dealing with a complex, ever-changing domain like cloud computing.

That is why CIOs frequently turn to cloud consulting companies, which provides the expertise required by businesses to make the right decisions about which cloud platforms and services to use, how to architect cloud workloads, how to evolve cloud environments over time, and, most importantly, how to align cloud investment with business outcomes.

While most cloud consulting relationships aim to provide such insights, the value that CIOs receive from cloud consulting firms is dependent on the specifics of their interactions. It's just as important to be strategic about how you work with cloud migration consultants as it is about how you use the cloud in the long run.

Tips for Increasing Consulting Value

That's why we've compiled this list of best practises for maximising the value that cloud consulting firms provide to CIOs. No matter where your company is on its cloud journey or how much experience you have working with cloud consultants, these tips will help you optimise the outcomes of your consulting relationship - both technologically and commercially.

What benefits does expert cloud consulting provide my company?

Before delving into best practises for working with cloud consultants, let's go over the fundamentals of what CIOs should expect from cloud consulting services.

The primary goal of cloud consultants is to provide businesses with cloud adoption expertise that they do not have in-house. Except for very large companies like Google and Amazon, most organisations lack the in-depth knowledge of different cloud platforms, architectures, deployment and management tools, and so on that is required to make the best decisions about when and how to use cloud services. Cloud consultants, who specialise in mastering cloud technology and staying current as it evolves, fill this knowledge gap.

However, providing information and guidance is only one of the services offered by cloud consulting firms. Consultants should also be able to assist CIOs in aligning cloud computing strategies with the specific needs of their organisations. Every company's IT stack and requirements are unique, and each should approach the cloud in a unique way.

Helping businesses learn about the cloud technologies they use is also important. Consultants should not simply advise businesses on which cloud services to use. They should educate their clients on how to best utilise these technologies. Any successful cloud consulting engagement must include enablement, knowledge transfer, and upskilling.

Making the Most of Cloud Consultants

All cloud consulting relationships have the potential to provide the value described above. Whether CIOs fully realise that value is dependent on their ability to follow best practises for maximising the impact of cloud consulting.

1. Begin your consulting relationship early.
   The sooner you begin working with a cloud consulting firm, the better. If you hire a consultant as soon as you recognise a potential need to adopt cloud services, or to evolve or expand the cloud resources you've already deployed, the consultant will be able to assist you not only in implementing changes, but also in identifying the best platforms and services for your needs, as well as designing a service architecture and business process tailored to your needs. Even if you already have a cloud strategy in place, it's not too late to seek the advice of a consultant, who can help validate whether the strategy is optimal based on your company's needs and resources.

2. Consider alternatives to migration and implementation.
   Migrating legacy workloads to the cloud or implementing new types of cloud services (such as containers) to maximise the value of the cloud are frequently the focus of cloud strategies. However, migration and implementation are only a subset of a comprehensive cloud operations strategy. Designing, documenting, measuring, and managing cloud investments is also critical. As a result, it's critical to think of your cloud migration service consultant as a resource who can help you assess your cloud strategy from a more holistic standpoint, rather than just telling you how to launch cloud resources.

3. Focus on business outcomes rather than technological outcomes.
   A cloud consulting relationship should aim to create business value rather than simply deploy new technologies. CIOs should treat cloud consultants as business partners, not technology partners, to align with that mindset. In other words, they should request answers from their consultants on how to use the cloud to solve business problems. That is not the same as asking consultants how to implement a specific type of cloud architecture or service. Questions like these (which are centred on technology) are merely a means to an end (which is business success).

4. Determine the success of cloud consulting.
   CIOs must identify key milestones that they expect cloud consultants to assist them with, and then track progress towards those milestones. Cloud projects are complex and time-consuming, and measuring effort towards completing milestones helps to ensure that cloud consultants are delivering the results they are supposed to. It's also an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of both your consultants and your own team as they work together to achieve your cloud goals.

5. Request feedback and suggestions.
   Last but not least, CIOs should expect their cloud consultants to not only explain cloud technology options, but also to make recommendations on which solutions are best. Businesses could go in a variety of directions. The best cloud consulting relationship is one that helps CIOs understand the subtle differences between the various cloud technologies available and allows consultants to make specific recommendations about which solutions are best for their businesses' needs.

To fully realise the value that cloud consulting firms can provide you and your team, it's critical to begin the relationship at the right time, ask the right questions of your consultants, and ensure that the primary focus remains on optimising your cloud strategy to meet your business's needs.