The One Thing You Need to Know About a Cloud Migration

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The One Thing You Need to Know About a Cloud Migration

Is your firm considering taking your practice management system to the cloud? With all the benefits of not having to maintain and continually upgrade hardware, as well as keeping your software current, it certainly is enticing. The physical migration from on-premise to the cloud is surprisingly easy; it’s the mental migration that you need to pay extra attention to. We’ve been around the block a few times now, and if we had to break it down to the one thing you need to know about a move to the cloud, it would be:

Your data is no longer at your desk.

Well duh, it’s in the cloud, right? You’d be surprised how often this concept is missed, or perhaps more precisely, it is misconstrued. Think about it this way: as a user of a computer, you have all your documents in files and folders, and it makes perfect sense to you – you know how to find something fast without having to do a search of your hard drive. What if someone else took your hard drive, stored on SharePoint, for example, with a different way to access the files. You would have to relearn how to gain access to those files and, more importantly, how to correctly retrieve them.

So, let’s take that to a firm-wide level. Your database is currently on-premise, and your entire technology stack of different applications and integrations works fine and communicates with that database. Once you move that database to an off-site server, you need to make sure all those systems, apps and integrations still work. Some will require no change, but others will require some strategic planning ahead of time if you want the transition to be smooth.

These new connections and integrations might not look and act the same way they did before the migration. Which means, users will have to be open to change in the way some things are done. Certain business processes such as check requests or reporting, for example, might require a new or different step. Firms need to plan for this new flow. It’s not just change management we’re talking about here; it’s understanding the value of connectivity with what is on-premise, and what is in a cloud environment.

We’ve explored the value of moving to the cloud such as not having to worry about upgrades, cybersecurity, and scalability. And while there are ways to save on costs here, the largest benefit is not necessarily cost savings; it’s about business optimization. Think of it as a re-allocation of resources to get the most out of your applications.

Investing in a new technology is a chance to fundamentally transform your firm. Think about it: swapping out a major system only happens once every 15-20 years. Technology is evolving at a more rapid rate and moving to the cloud makes it easier to focus on the improvements it provides, rather than on the technology itself. Time spent updating software can be reallocated to optimizing processes or business intelligence. Great processes make great software experiences and the more time allocated to refine this instead of “keeping the lights on” will keep or push a firm to elite status.

Law firms that view the cloud as an opportunity, will redefine people and process as well to gain a strategic advantage. Moving to the cloud isn’t just about buying new technology, it’s once in a generation chance to innovate your law firm. Find out more about Aderant’s cloud offerings.

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