As we know, economics is the driving force behind the flexibility and simplicity provided by the Microsoft Cloud, but how can organisations truly benefit from the concept of cloud computing? In my previous blog, I talked about not having to re-invent the wheel when it comes to the Microsoft Cloud and in some respects, this gives rise to the idea of the “Adaptive Organisation”.
If we explored two main elements to what we do today, the business and IT itself; what we generally see is a disconnect between what the business is striving to achieve vs IT’s ability to rapidly respond. As the world shifts throughout its business and economic cycles, opportunities and risks become easily identified at the executive level of most organisations however, reacting to tactical and strategic direction from an IT perspective can be time consuming and cost inhibited, whilst at the same time potentially requiring skillsets that do not exist within the organisation.
If we looked at the business in an adaptive model, the sort of things we need to consider are:
- Reacting to a competitive market
Economic shocks, such as recession, stock market turmoil etc.
Publicly funded austerity drives
Opportunities to Increase productivity or scope of services within a service-based industry
Managing and maintaining services in adverse weather conditions
Disruption caused by industrial action
Where becoming an Adaptive Organisation gives real benefit, is in enabling the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to all of the above (and more). So, given the fact that the vast majority of organisations today utilise a myriad of software and services to perform their business functions, how can we achieve true adaptability and more importantly, support our organisations in realising opportunities and responding to threats?
Well, here is where the Microsoft Cloud comes in to play. Organisations who are able to accelerate into cloud computing are already seeing this adaptive benefit but one word of caution. It isn’t just about enabling Office 365 and having a bucket load of different devices. It is so much more than that. Embarking on a total transformation to the cloud will in itself bring massive opportunities to be more adaptive.
Where we tend to fall down within IT, which in turn is prohibitive to the Adaptive Organisation, is in trying to hold onto technology and skills built up over time which can sometimes be at odds with the potential opportunities presented by the Microsoft Cloud. This I have seen throughout my career, where expensive solutions are introduced to organisations, the functionality of which, can be replaced much more cost effectively by today’s cloud-based technology. Quite often, I also hear phrases such as “what does that mean for my job?” when the concept of the cloud is discussed. This is definitely the wrong question. The correct question should be “how do I make the most out of the opportunities that the cloud offers?”
The Adaptive Organisation is achievable for any organisation, both public and private sector but what we must truly understand and be comfortable with, is the fact that although technology forms the basis to creating the Adaptive Organisation, it is in the people that we employ to whom we must encourage to be truly adaptive to the world and technology around us. Change on the scale of the Adaptive Organisation is huge in terms of the benefits, capabilities and opportunities on a personal as well as a business level. If we explored what the true meaning of the Adaptive Organisation is, what we are likely to find is total transformation of who we are and what our place is in today’s modern organisation as much as it is in the technology that drives adaptability. Now, that’s got to be a bit exciting and well worth a crack isn’t it?
I remember some years ago, the Microsoft advertising slogan – “where do you want to go today?”
Well, let’s explore the Adaptive Organisation further and see where our journey takes us. Stay tuned
