So, You�re Ready to Move Your ERP to the CloudMany organisations are exploring how they can leverage the power of the Cloud in their IT and Business Systems

estate, be it a migration to IaaS/PaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service/Platform-as-a-Service) or implementing their

ERP as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). While the journey to Cloud can be achieved smoothly with the right partner, it

still requires an adequate level of forethought and planning around some critical factors for your organisation.

Some of these considerations and potentially complex decisions can come as a surprise to key decision makers,

and if left unaddressed or unexplored, could lead to some potential shocks down the line.

Enterprise Organisations engage Version 1 to ensure that they have a comprehensively planned and architected

Cloud solution that is cost-effective to implement and manage, while also ensuring that all organisational security

and operational requirements are addressed, while avoiding licencing or support issues. If you are exploring the

options of migrating your ERP to the Cloud, the following list includes some commonly overlooked, but critically

important factors to consider when migrating your ERP.

1. Cloud Adoption, Have You Done This Before?There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to migrating from on-premise ERP to ERP on the Cloud, any flavour. Whether

migrating your ERP software from on-premise to IaaS/PaaS or implementing components of your ERP as SaaS,

there are unique factors to consider for each before progressing along the journey to the Cloud. If the organisation

has not experienced Cloud Adoption before, there might be some existing assumptions that could lead to serious

mistakes down the line if undiscovered.

For example: Does the Cloud provider supply the solutions and services, at the levels of control required by your

organisation? Relating to security, are the requisite security certifications in place for the services you will deploy?

Are you able to complete the requisite independent penetration testing you require for the services?

�There is no �one size �ts all� approach to migrating from on-premise ERP to ERP on the Cloud, any �avour.�

Enterprise Resource Planning

2. Integration Organisations need to look at how well, once in the Cloud, their ERP solution integrates with existing on-premise

systems. How will your ERP software speak to the other applications and systems in your organisation? The

innovation and possibilities of migrating your ERP to Cloud are endless, but that rarely means that you never need to

use, or integrate with, on-premise systems again. It is surprising how often organisations fail to plan for, or even

consider the impact of integration for their project until they are well down the road.

For example: Have you considered the types, volumes and resilience required between on-premise and Cloud for

these integrations?

3. LicensingThe shift to cloud computing has changed how we must view our software and license assets. The benefits of the

Cloud are undeniable- from on-demand pricing to global distribution, from deployment of new servers in seconds to

no longer having to manage ANY physical hardware. While there are many benefits of moving to the Cloud, there are

new challenges that must be addressed from a SAM perspective when considering Cloud. For example, although

moving the Oracle products to third-party cloud environments may result in initial hardware savings, failing

to understand the licensing rules for these environments can ultimately lead to costly licensing mistakes.

For example: Understanding the differences between a Licence Model vs. a Subscription Model and changing from

one to the other.

4. Organisational ImpactCloud computing is most often discussed from a technical angle, but there's much more to it! Your Cloud strategy

shouldn't focus on technology alone. As organisations go higher up the stack from IaaS to SaaS, the level of

integration which needs to happen between the customer’s IT organisation and the Cloud providers get more

interwoven.

Example Scenario: A key component of a Production Support teams SLA may be driven or at the mercy of the SLA

provided by the Cloud provider. It is critical the impact of the Cloud provider is planned in the 'business as usual'

operations of the organisation.

�Your Cloud strategy shouldn't focus on technology alone, there is much more to it.�

version1.com

5. Skills/ Capability Cloud services deliver managed functionality; therefore fewer technical roles are required, but new roles also emerge. Skills requirements change with the Cloud – but not all skills. Understanding the components of Cloud you are implementing impacts how the skills and expertise of your team will change.

For example: DBA skills are not required with a SaaS solution. However with a Database on IaaS, DBA skills will most definitely be required, albeit they may have some new considerations. Moving to IT networking skills, so much of Cloud is dependent or reliant on ‘the network' and this becomes a key skill to have in your team or your partner team.

6. Project ManagementWhat does a Cloud project look like in terms of roles and responsibilities for the Project Manager to manage? This is worth looking at, even for a relatively simple migration of your enterprise system e.g. ERP to Cloud IaaS/PaaS. Think of the many ‘technical’ stakeholders who could potentially need to input and be engaged if you wish to be successful: Networks, Infrastructure, IT Operations, DBAs, Solution/Integration Architects, Software Asset Management to support migration, etc. This is before we even consider the business stakeholders who need to sign-off and agree to their systems being hosted or moved to Cloud.

About Version 1The go-to-partner for Oracle E-Business Suite, ERP Cloud and JD Edwards customers. Version 1 proves that IT can make a real difference to our customers’ businesses. We are trusted by global brands to deliver IT services and solutions which drive Customer Success. Our 1000 strong team works closely with our technology partners to provide independent advice that helps our customers navigate the rapidly changing world of IT. Our greatest strength is balance in our efforts to achieve Customer Success, Empowered People and a Strong Organisation, underpinned by commitment to our values. We believe this is what makes Version 1 different and more importantly, our customers agree.

#1 Oracle Partner As Voted By Our Customers Version 1 was recognised with a record breaking 8 awards at the annual UK Oracle User Group Partner of the Year Awards 2017/2018 with 7 Gold awards and 1 Silver, including the following top 4 prestigious ERP Gold Awards.

GOLD ORACLE E-BUSINESS

SUITE PARTNER OF THE YEAR

GOLD ERP CLOUD

PARTNER OF THE YEAR

GOLD JD EDWARDS

PARTNER OF THE YEAR

GOLD MANAGED SERVICES

APPLICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY