12 essential steps to planning Agile Cloud migration of unstructured documents & data.

As organizations continue to embrace the cloud, the need to migrate unstructured data and documents from legacy systems to the cloud has become inevitable. However, the process of migrating unstructured data and documents to the cloud can be complex and time-consuming, especially when dealing with large datasets. To ensure a successful migration, an agile approach can be adopted, where the process is broken down into smaller, manageable steps that can be tackled by individual departments within the organization. This Blog outlines the 12 essential steps to planning agile cloud unstructured data and document migration, based on a per-department approach, and includes supporting data.

Step 1: Conduct an Inventory of Existing Data and Documents

Before migrating unstructured data and documents to the cloud, it is essential to conduct an inventory of the existing data and documents. This will enable the organization to have a clear understanding of the types of data and documents that need to be migrated, their volume, and the location of the data and documents. This step is critical in identifying potential challenges that may arise during the migration process, such as duplicate data or outdated information, which may need to be deleted or updated before migration.

By the numbers:

According to a survey conducted by IDG, 47% of respondents cited the complexity of their existing data as a significant challenge in migrating to the cloud. This highlights the importance of conducting an inventory of existing data and documents before migration.

Step 2: Identify the Appropriate Cloud Storage Platform

After conducting an inventory of the existing data and documents, the next step is to identify the appropriate cloud storage platform. Different cloud storage platforms have different capabilities and pricing structures, and it is important to choose a platform that meets the organization's needs and budget. The choice of cloud storage platform should also take into consideration factors such as data security, database structure, (Hyperscale, Dedicated Database) compliance, and ease of use.

By the numbers:

According to a report by Gartner, the global public cloud services market is expected to grow by 17.3% in 2023, reaching a total value of $623.3 billion. This highlights the increasing popularity of cloud storage platforms and the need for organizations to carefully select the appropriate platform for their needs.

Step 3: Define Data and Document Ownership and Access Rights

Before migrating data and documents to the cloud, it is important to define data and document ownership and access rights. This will ensure that the appropriate personnel have access to the data and documents they need, while also ensuring that sensitive information is protected. This step should also involve defining access control policies and procedures, which will govern the access and use of the data and documents.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was $3.86 million. This highlights the importance of defining data and document ownership and access rights to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Step 4: Define Data and Document Retention Policies

Data and document retention policies should be defined before migrating data and documents to the cloud. These policies should specify how long data and documents should be retained and the appropriate procedures for disposing of them after their useful life has ended. This step is essential in ensuring compliance with data privacy and retention regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

By the numbers:

According to a report by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, non-compliance with GDPR regulations can result in fines of up to 4% of an organization's annual revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater. This highlights the importance of defining data and document retention policies to ensure compliance with regulations.

Step 5: Develop a Migration Plan

Once the appropriate cloud storage platform has been identified, and data and document ownership, access rights, and retention policies have been defined
the next step is to develop a migration plan. This plan should include a timeline for the migration, the order in which data and documents will be migrated, and the personnel responsible for each step of the migration process. The migration plan should also include contingency plans in case of unforeseen issues during the migration process.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by Spiceworks, 51% of IT professionals reported experiencing unexpected issues during cloud migration projects. This highlights the importance of developing a comprehensive migration plan that includes contingency plans to mitigate unforeseen issues.

Step 6: Conduct a Proof of Concept Migration

Before proceeding with the full migration, it is important to conduct a proof of concept migration. This involves migrating a small sample of data and documents to the cloud to test the migration process and identify any issues that may need to be addressed before the full migration. The results of the proof of concept migration should be evaluated to determine whether any adjustments need to be made to the migration plan.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by Accenture, 80% of companies that conducted a proof of concept migration reported that it helped them identify potential issues and make adjustments to their migration plan. This highlights the importance of conducting a proof of concept migration to ensure a successful migration.

Step 7: Assign Migration Tasks to Individual Departments

Once the migration plan has been developed and the proof of concept migration has been conducted, the next step is to assign migration tasks to individual departments. Each department should be responsible for migrating their own data and documents to the cloud, with clear instructions on how to do so. This approach enables the migration process to be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks, which can be completed by individual departments.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by McKinsey, organizations that adopted an agile approach to cloud migration reported a 30% reduction in migration time and a 20% reduction in migration costs. This highlights the benefits of adopting an agile approach to cloud migration, which involves breaking down the migration process into smaller, manageable tasks that can be completed by individual departments.

Step 8: Provide Training and Support to Staff

Before migrating data and documents to the cloud, it is important to provide training and support to staff to ensure that they are familiar with the new cloud storage platform and know how to migrate their data and documents. This step is critical in ensuring a smooth and successful migration process.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by Gartner, 70% of organizations reported that their employees lacked the necessary skills and expertise to fully leverage cloud services. This highlights the importance of providing training and support to staff before migrating data and documents to the cloud.

Step 9: Monitor Migration Progress

During the migration process, it is important to monitor progress to ensure that the migration is proceeding as planned. This involves tracking the migration of individual departments and identifying any issues that may need to be addressed. This step is critical in ensuring that the migration is completed on time and within budget.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by Deloitte, organizations that monitor cloud migration progress are 35% more likely to complete their migration on time and within budget. This highlights the importance of monitoring migration progress to ensure a successful migration.

Step 10: Test the Cloud Storage Platform

Once the migration process has been completed, it is important to test the cloud storage platform to ensure that it is working as expected. This involves testing the functionality of the platform, as well as testing data and document access and retrieval. Any issues that arise during testing should be addressed before the platform is put into production.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by RightScale, 38% of organizations reported experiencing performance issues with their cloud storage platform. This highlights the importance of testing the platform before putting it into production to ensure that it
is functioning properly and to identify any potential performance issues. (Hyperscale).

Step 11: Develop Policies for Managing Unstructured Data in the Cloud

Once the data and documents have been migrated to the cloud, it is important to develop policies for managing unstructured data in the cloud. This includes policies for data access and retrieval, data security, and data backup and recovery. These policies should be communicated to staff to ensure that they are aware of the guidelines for managing data in the cloud.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by Forbes, 60% of organizations reported that data security was their top concern when migrating data and documents to the cloud. This highlights the importance of developing policies for managing unstructured data in the cloud to ensure data security.

Step 12: Continuously Monitor and Optimize Cloud Storage

Once the cloud storage platform is in production, it is important to continuously monitor and optimize the platform to ensure that it is meeting the organization's needs. This includes monitoring performance metrics, identifying areas for optimization, and implementing changes to improve performance and efficiency.

By the numbers:

According to a survey by IDG, 74% of organizations reported that they were continuously monitoring and optimizing their cloud storage platform to improve performance and efficiency. This highlights the importance of continuously monitoring and optimizing the platform to ensure that it is meeting the organization's needs.

Conclusion

Migrating unstructured data and documents to the cloud can be a complex and challenging process. However, by following these 12 essential steps, organizations can develop a comprehensive and effective migration strategy that takes into account the needs of each department, ensures data security, and ultimately leads to a successful migration to the cloud.