What makes a successful cloud migration? This is the question on every cloud-sceptic business person's lips. Sure, the benefits seem clear – but how can you ensure it all goes smoothly?

Well, it needs to be in line with your business growth plan. It needs to implement the right cloud infrastructure for you. It needs to be tested and tested again before the boats leave the harbour. And it needs to be super-secure.

But most of all, what makes or breaks a cloud migration is whether your staff are behind you.

Cloud migration is a big deal. It takes time, money and willpower. There's a reason we use the phrase "digital transformation". It transforms the way you do business. It's not just rearranging the office furniture.

But all of that will mean less than zero if your staff don't, well, use it.

The biggest obstacle to user adoption within a company is a lack of expertise – not from the top, but from the bottom. Even the most tech-literate employee will have more to learn if they're to fully take advantage of your new, cloud-first culture.

That means training and support both during and after migration. Without it, you'll be mucking out a white elephant in no time.

A lack of user adoption will cost you. Guy Sorrill, director of consulting at business transformation firm Sysdoc, has argued that the cost of a project can increase by 10% if it's not supported by employees.

"You can put any technology in the cloud or on someone's computer," he says, "but if they don't see the value of using it, or how it will improve their work, you may struggle to realise the benefit of your investment."

So how can you get your staff on board to ensure user adoption and boost ROI?

What's your elevator pitch?

They say that if you can't explain an idea in the course of an elevator ride, you don't understand it. That, or you need to go to brevity classes.

But being able to neatly summarise a major project is so important for communicating with employees and inspiring them with confidence.

How will it help the business? What are you hoping to gain? How can staff get involved? What are their thoughts, feelings and concerns?

By engaging staff, you massively reduce the chances of alienating them – meaning that when the big day comes, they not only know what's going to change but they're also fully equipped for those changes.

As well as having an elevator pitch, you could look at ways of involving staff. Perhaps you could assemble a focus group of volunteers to identify pain points and spitball solutions. You could even invite some members of staff to vendor demos.

Whatever path you choose, the important thing is to make sure you're communicating effectively all the way.

Support and training

You walk into the office one day or log into the system at home and suddenly everyone's talking in Esperanto. How do you feel? Probably disorientated at first, then frustrated, then just done.

You don't want this to be your staff's emotional journey as you enter an exciting new chapter of your business life.

That's where good training comes in. Training that gets staff cloud-ready. Training that teaches them how to use the software and convinces them that it matters.

But like all training, this shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be well-planned and well-executed. This cloud migration is a big deal, right? So you need all hands on deck. That's why there's a new timetable of training, be it online, in-person or a bit of both.

Too often, training is seen as a silver bullet – you've done the sessions and now you know how to fly a hot air balloon. But most people benefit from refresher courses, or even casual follow-ups like newsletters, links and FAQs. Without these, your training's half-life could be pitifully brief.

Do you have a cloud mentor? Anyone who's been around the block a few times has had the frustrating experience of asking a question and being sent from pillar to post. This is where a dedicated, knowledgeable cloud mentor can make a big difference.

This can inspire confidence and boost both adoption and your ROI.

How about scheduling knowledge-sharing webinars for staff? By putting them in the driver's seat, they're more likely to feel part of the change – and thereby make it a success.

Partner with a cloud consultant

A well-schooled team is one ready to adopt the cloud. But even the most engaged, trained and cloud-ready team won't make up for a lack of in-house expertise.

This is one of the most common grievances among companies wanting to migrate to the cloud. They simply don't have anyone on payroll who knows enough about this technology – which, as you know, is constantly evolving.

If this sounds like you, you might feel like you're at a crossroads. One sign points to upskilling employees. But to get there, you have to pay the toll – and it's going to eat up a lot of time.

The other sign points towards cloud consultancy. This is where you leverage external help to take care of the migration.

It's not really any different from getting a plumber to install a sink or paying an energy company to keep your gas supply on. Sure, you can learn to do these things yourself – but in the words of George Harrison, it's going to take a whole lotta spending money and a whole lotta precious time.

Partnering with a reputable cloud consultant takes that weight off your shoulders and lets you focus on everything else. It can inspire your team with confidence that the project is in the right hands – confidence that will translate into user adoption and ROI.

Ascend is a VMware cloud solutions provider based in Cork, Ireland. We specialise in cloud migration, NSX-V to NSX-T migration and cloud consultancy. Need help making the most of your cloud investment? Speak to one of our experts today.