Migrating to Oracle Cloud is a transformative journey, but it’s not without its pitfalls. James McBride from Voya Financial shared key insights at Blueprint 4D 2023, emphasizing the importance of a strategic approach rather than a simple lift and shift from legacy systems.

First and foremost, McBride highlighted the necessity of continuous engagement from both executives and users. Without active involvement from leadership and end-users, the migration process can face significant obstacles. Ensuring that everyone is on board and understands the benefits and changes that come with the migration is crucial.

Another critical aspect is adapting your support strategies to suit the cloud environment. Traditional support methods might not be effective in a cloud setup, and it’s important to rethink and redesign support processes to align with the new environment. This includes training your support team on new tools and processes specific to the cloud.

Avoiding siloed implementations is also key. In a cloud migration, it’s vital to foster communication and collaboration across different departments. When teams work in isolation, it can lead to misaligned objectives and fragmented systems. Encouraging cross-departmental communication ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal and that the systems integrate seamlessly.

McBride also advised leveraging available resources. Oracle provides a wealth of resources and tools to aid in the migration process, and it’s important to take full advantage of these. Whether it’s documentation, training programs, or community support, utilizing these resources can significantly smooth the migration journey.

Finally, empowering users to take ownership of their processes can lead to greater success post-go-live. When users feel a sense of ownership, they are more likely to embrace the new system and contribute to its continuous improvement. This involves training and encouraging users to actively participate in the migration process and beyond.

By focusing on these critical areas—executive and user engagement, adapting support strategies, avoiding silos, leveraging resources, and empowering users—you can navigate the complexities of Oracle Cloud migration more effectively and set your organization up for long-term success.

To view McBride’s full presentation, watch part three of Oracle Cloud Apps – Ignite & FailFest Sessions, from BLUPRINT 4D 2023. Part three begins at 23:03.

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