The vast majority of businesses, from small firms to large enterprises, are transitioning to the cloud in some capacity. But “everyone else is doing it” is not reason enough to make the switch. It’s important to look at your own needs, infrastructure and budget to make an informed decision.

Ask yourself these five important questions before beginning your transition to the cloud. In many cases, answering the questions will make it clear that moving to the cloud is the right choice. But it’s important to go through the process to be sure.

Q: Why do I want to transition to the cloud? 

If you can’t answer the why, transitioning to the cloud is premature. As with all business decisions, the transition needs to solve some sort of problem, address a need or reduce the bottom line. We all know the benefits of cloud computing – including greater flexibility, less required maintenance and lower cost – but you need to first figure out exactly how those benefits apply to your business.

Q: Which software and/or applications do I need most? 

Typically, it’s not wise to switch all your software and applications to the cloud at once. It’s too much to handle logistically. Think about what you need or want to accomplish that you can’t with your existing systems. Is your call center software outdated and obsolete? Maybe that’s the first transition to make. Are you small business still using Excel to track expenses? Maybe cloud-based accounting software is a good investment. Always start by assessing your needs.

Q: Is my legacy software out-of-date or obsolete? 

For large enterprises, this is an important one. Cloud software offers many benefits, but it may not be time to transition if your on-premise software is still functional and/or relatively new. Plan for a cloud transition in the future, but don’t replace software that still works for your business, particularly if it came with a heavy investment. The time to start thinking about the cloud transition is when your existing technology and infrastructure no longer work for you.

Q: How will we manage the transition? 

Cloud vendors make the transition as easy as possible, but there are challenges. For large organizations, data migration can be a huge undertaking. It is complex, expensive and time-consuming. Do you have the resources available to dedicate to the project? Also, who in the organization will be overseeing the cloud transition? It’s important to have a point person to plan and oversee the transition process. How and when will employees be trained to use the software? What other projects or tasks will be placed on the back burner while the project in ongoing?

Q: Am I ready to give up in-house control? 

Some companies struggle with knowing that switching to cloud software requires some loss of internal control. In-house IT will no longer be handling updates and day-to-day management of the software. Data security, at least in part, will be handled by an outside firm. All reputable cloud vendors excel at handling these tasks for you – that is their job – but for some companies the loss of control can seem foreign and uncomfortable. What you don’t want to do is transition to the cloud and then be the type of customer who is calling every day with questions and complaints because you’re bothered by the loss of control. Do your homework to choose the best, most reputable vendor, and then leave the job to them.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees.

Whether you work in IT or marketing, you might have faced some resistance to the idea of cloud computing – maybe from coworkers or your boss. Some organizations are more resistant than others to the cloud transition, whether that means switching your entire contact center operation to the cloud or just buying a new cloud app to automate, manage and streamline your marketing efforts.

Often, but not always, larger and more established companies are the most resistant. If you’re convinced that a cloud solution is the way to go, there are some strategies you can use to get the rest of your team on board. There’s no guarantee that you’ll win them over, but these strategies don’t work, perhaps none will.

Gather The Data

When you’re trying to sell someone on a change – no matter what it is – you need to present them with the facts. Look to data from respected IT analysts like Gartner, Forrester, HfS, IDC, IHS and more on the rise and prevalence of cloud computing. The numbers clearly show that organizations are moving to the cloud en masse.

You can also turn to boutique analyst firms like 451 Research, which released a survey in 2014 showing that 65 percent of enterprises were deploying some form of cloud computing. More than 70 percent of the organizations surveyed said they planned to use cloud for external-facing operations by 2017, and cloud spending among respondents had increased 38 percent from the prior year.

Beyond just general data, however, you should find statistics on cloud adoption in your particular industry. Maybe your colleagues don’t care if other industries are finding success in the cloud – they want to know about competitors. Compile all the data into a clear and compelling report, ideally with visuals.

Address Myths and Fears

Within some organizations, there is still a lot of fear surrounding the cloud. Some are afraid it is not secure, while others fear transitioning to cloud software and applications will eliminate IT jobs. Others are just afraid of change. Don’t ignore these fears; address them. It’s better to have an honest conversation about the pros and cons of cloud computing than to let people make assumptions or buy into myths.

In truth: The cloud is not perfectly secure, but neither are in-house solutions. And in most cases, cloud solutions are just as secure if not better. If they weren’t, cloud vendors wouldn’t survive. If colleagues don’t believe you, present them with research articles on the topic. As for the threat to IT jobs, in most cases transitioning to the cloud simply frees up employee time to address bigger-picture IT issues and strategies, rather than focusing on day-to-day maintenance.

Outline The Benefits

Don’t assume that colleagues fully understand the benefits of cloud computing. Particularly if you work outside of IT, cloud computing may be just a buzz word that they don’t fully grasp. Come up with a complete list of the benefits of transitioning to the cloud, and support those claims with data. Some ideas: 1) Do a cost comparison that breaks down the annual expense of a cloud solution vs. an on-premise solution. Especially if you’re pitching to the boss, the bottom line is hard to ignore; and 2) Explain in detail the flexibility that cloud computing provides, including automatic upgrades, collaboration among remote sites, and the ability to easily switch vendors if desired.

Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees.