Cloud migration comes with its share of risks. In an ideal world, migrating to a new platform would be as simple as copy-pasting text on MS Word. Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. Instead, we live in a world where the cloud migration process is fraught with complications with the propensity to go wrong at any stage. If cloud migration is not done properly, it severely hampers operations and undermines the potential gains contact centres expect when moving to a new platform. To make the process as smooth as possible, contact centres need to stay on top of the cloud migration process, and the best way to accomplish that is to use the right configuration management tools.
Staying on top of cloud migration I – Finding the right cloud platform
Cloud migration does not begin with the movement of data from one platform to another, but rather, with the search for a new cloud platform. Finding the right platform is crucial for ensuring continued smooth operations – but how do contact centres know they have selected the right platform for them? It’s not just commercial considerations, but it’s also the provider’s long term viability, its security model, its service reach, current feature functionality and what’s coming down the road, amongst others. Furthermore, it’s crucial that your business also has a good understanding of your current technical configuration. The right configuration management tools are crucial to this step because the tools generate a configuration record, essentially creating a document of your intellectual property, which is the definition of how you want the experience to be for your customers, all extracted from your current technology platform. A detailed configuration record is vital for optimising cloud migration. With a detailed record of configuration changes, contact centres have an easier time searching the market for the most suitable platform, and even use the configuration record to compare capabilities between platforms.
Furthermore, contact centres can extend or duplicate specific solutions that work for them using configuration management tools. A configuration record allows contact centres to stay on top of the cloud migration process at all times because the configuration record helps mitigate the risks of migration. Without the configuration record, contact centres risk being held hostage by providers refusing to share the record. Of course, to get the right configuration record, providers need to invest in the right tools.
Staying on top of cloud migration II – Mitigating cloud migration risks
With the right configuration management tools, contact centres can negate the risks of cloud migration. Contact centres and cloud providers take several precautions to make the shift as safe and efficient as possible, but there are still risks associated with migration. One of these risks involves setting up a state or mode of operations that customer care agents, technical engineers and business executives are familiar with. Replicating a familiar environment is one of the biggest risks of cloud migration. However, the right configuration management tools collect detailed information on the state of operations in legacy systems. The configuration record provides the information necessary to adjust the mode of operations for future platforms in a workspace that is safe, easy to use and “reversable” if you encounter problems.
Configuration management tools allow contact centres to stay on top of the cloud migration process by supporting development operations. With the configuration record (generated by the tools) it allows contact centres to observe the evolution of the configuration, i.e. how the configuration progressed to its current state. Support for development operations aids in several processes vital for maintaining the cloud platform, including regression testing – since regression testing is usually done after adding new functionality or making changes to an existing platform. Having a record of how changes were implemented aids in maintaining the cloud platform because its easier to diagnose issues when there is a record of all the changes.
When the cloud migration process goes wrong, it represents a cost to the contact centre whole business in terms of time, reputation, money, etc. However, the right configuration management tools can reduce the cost of migration by mitigating the risks with the option to roll back changes. If regression tests reveal a new problem with the system caused by an added functionality, support engineers can rollback the changes, essentially, undoing the changes, thanks to configuration management tools. Rolling back changes can reduce the cost and time lost due to poor change implementation.
Optimising the cloud migration process with configuration management
Blackchair Symphony is a configuration management and auditing tool that can help you optimize internal workflows to maximize efficiency during CX migration. Using Symphony, contact centers can collect data to create a configuration log and rollback changes when needed to optimize project uptime and reduce risk. All the features that are necessary for maintaining oversight, minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency in the cloud migration process.