Capture your grand vision for the cloud in your organisation as a business case. In the Cloud Manifesto. Find out how.

This article is part of the limited preview of the “The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap”, a generic roadmap for any enterprise cloud adoption programme.

1. Executive Summary
2. The Cloud and Enterprises
3. The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   1. The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   2. The First Iteration of The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   3. The Unavoidable Disclaimer
   4. The Roadmap for The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   5. The Manual for the Missing Manual
   6. Building the Business Case
      1. Key Achievements
      2. The Definition of Cloud
      3. The Rationale for the Cloud Programme
      4. Managing the Message
      5. Securing Regulatory Approval
      6. Connecting With Your Peers
      7. Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Manifesto
   7. Starting the Cloud Programme
   8. Iteratively Building the Delivery Pipeline
   9. Iteratively Executing the Delivery Pipeline
4. A Cloudy Future

Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Manifesto

The main objective of this phase was to create the business case for adopting the cloud in the first place.

By now, all necessary information should be available to make an informed decision on whether to proceed with the adoption of cloud or not.

As described above, all definitions, frameworks, assessments, metrics, data points, decisions, and rationales driving the organisation’s decision to adopt the cloud need to be captured in the “Cloud Manifesto”.

Providing the reason as well as the course for all future activities of the organisation in the context of The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap, the Cloud Manifesto needs to contain at minimum

• the definition of cloud
• the rationale for the cloud programme
• the motivations and grande opportunities of the cloud programme
• areas where the most changes, progress, and setbacks are expected
• the anticipated outcomes of the cloud programme
• the future role of technology in general and the cloud in particular within the context of the broader corporate landscape
• the division of responsibilities between the CSPs and the organisation
• a clear and concise message containing realistic expectations that can be communicated with the broader organisation
• the regulatory and compliance landscape the organisation is going to operate in post cloud adoption
• lessons learned from industry peers
• the decision of the organisation to adopt the cloud or not

Assuming that the decision is to adopt the cloud, this document especially provides the raison d’être for the cloud programme to be started in the next phase. Providing clear, understandable, and actionable information helps to create the crucial organisational alignment for the succeeding phases.

The Cloud Manifesto is to be published in print and distributed to all members of the programme — this step is pivotal. Not only does it impose a publication deadline on the programme but it also creates a solid point in time snapshot of the entire state of the programme.

Spending real money for publishing the document also increases its significance and importance. Let alone create a common understanding across the entire programme, document progress, as well as provide a physical part of the audit trail.

Starting the Cloud Programme

Find out more about it in the next article.

So, How Do You Record Outcomes?!

While the above Worx for Me!™ when it comes to recording the outcomes of the phase building the business case, you may have an alternative or better way.

Think this is all rubbish, massively overrated, or generally heading into the absolutely wrong direction?! Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and teach me something new!

As always, prove me wrong and I’ll buy you a pint!