5 Proven Tips for a Successful Migration to IBM’s Cloud: Insights from Aramar’s Project #34

Aramar are experts in helping our customers move from on-premises installations of Controller and Planning Analytics to IBM’s Cloud –we are currently in the middle of migration project number 34! Over the years, we have identified a few things that help make these projects successful.

Appoint a Project Manager

Sometimes this is a dedicated project manager, and sometimes just a nominated member of the customer project team but having someone in this role is crucial! Aramar can help with task lists for the work that we do and indicative project timelines, but we need someone on the customer team who champions the project and can navigate internal processes & departments to keep things moving forwards.

Prioritise Testing!

While it may not be the most exciting aspect of a project, thorough testing is undeniably crucial. In our experience, the smoothest projects have been those where customers allocate dedicated resource and time for thorough testing. This includes dedicating time in advance to plan the testing process, draft and review test scripts and agree the criteria for sign off. Having a clear process for logging and prioritising issues also helps to speed up resolution.

Involve your key users

Or, as we like to call them, your super users. These are the people within the business that have the most expertise within the product that we are migrating. Involving them in the test planning and execution can help ensure that testing is thorough and rigorous – and that minimises issues when the wider user base is onboarded. In many projects, super users also then act as the first line of support during wider user testing and go-live.

Talk often!

As in all projects, communication is key. Regular project meetings for the main project team, ideally held weekly, are a great way for everyone to stay updated on progress. In these meetings, we discuss what has been completed, what is planned for the following week and what we need to start planning for that is further along the project timeline. It gives everyone a chance to raise any issues/concerns that they have, and ensures any misunderstandings are cleared up quickly. Often, these weekly team meetings are supplemented by a meeting between the customer project manager and me (Operations Manager) to discuss progress at a higher level.

Provide clarity for the wider user base

Last year we worked with a customer who started communication with end users before we even logged into the IBM SaaS environment for the first time! The initial message explained the reasons behind the project, provided information about the expected timeline, potential disruptions, and how their input would be required. This was supported with regular communication throughout the project. It was a different approach to what we’d seen before – typically end user communication would start following successful testing and would be limited to go-live planning. This open approach really worked, and we would strongly encourage other customers to consider this as an option.

Let us know your thoughts here. 

Vicky Stonham, Operations Manager – 28th February 2024