Cloud-based services have been increasingly important now. We all now can see how they are used as online survey tools, online customer files, and online backup. The question now is how much the cloud-native applications benefit the economics of the enterprise. About a decade a go, cloud-based services were still the minority. They were limited to the periphery of enterprise. At that time, demonstrating how cloud-based services increased efficacy on an enterprise scale still took much time.

Cloud-Native Applications: Why Do They Matter?

The situation is different now. Cloud-native applications are increasingly popular in enterprises. A recent survey found that around 20% of the whole enterprises depend upon cloud-native infrastructures. The survey, which involved 902 enterprise executives, revealed that enterprises that apply cloud-based services got impressive gains from the decision.

However, some questions remain in the mind of those employers that had made heavy investment in conventional IT systems. They include:

• How much money is required to shift from the existing applications to cloud ones?
• What are the risks of shifting from the existing application to the new one?
• Does online subscription model pay off the costs?
• How to deal with discomfort or potential damages due to shifting systems or re-orienting process

Overall, the survey concluded how cloud-native applications have greatly affected in the process of shifting from conventional to high-tech systems. It concludes the following items:

• About 15% of the cloud-based applications in the respondents’ firms were built under cloud-native environment
• Another 32% of new applications will be cloud-based in the next three years.
• A different segment of survey conducted on cloud-native leaders even found promising results. More than 80% of the respondents reported decreased operating costs and increased revenue.
• About 87% of the respondents reported better customer experiences and they are ahead in terms of financial performance
• About 80% of the respondents reported that it took much less time-to-market period for new products o services.

Cloud-native applications are defined as those applications built to perform in the cloud in an optimum way. They consist of individual micro services, which depend one on another. However, applying a new technology may not be as simple as it sounds. There are many people with different characters in an organization.

Cloud-Native Applications: Tips for Forward-Looking Organizations

Changes in an organization must be a holistic process, which involves all elements and comes from within first. This way, the forward-looking and forward-thinking leader can expect better results from the new technology. The following are some expert advices for an organization that is seeking for applying cloud-based services:

Changing the Attitude First

Experts say that changing the attitudes is always more challenging than changing the technology. Therefore, before applying a new technology, the organization must begin with changing the existing practices. The human resources must be prepared for it. The problem is that many cloud proponents do not have such persuasion and negotiation skills. For a company-wide change, the leader may need to allocate huge budgets to provide the employees with training.

Building Up New Skillsets

Studies revealed that developing skills was the most difficult challenge in the process of going cloud native. Accordingly, both the employers and the employees need to acquire new sets of skills. They need not only technical skills, but also communication and managerial skills.

The managers must be adept in communicating the need and the benefits of being cloud native to all the elements in the organization. In addition, the managers may need to acquire the following skills:

• Learning as a business thinker and developer

• Demonstrating business potentials that may generate revenue

• Managing project costs

• Estimating timeline

• Evaluating the project progress, and many more

Setting Up a Roadmap

A roadmap to cloud-based applications is necessary to determine all the necessary steps. They may include the abovementioned changes of attitude, building the necessary team as innovation partners for the changes, determining the timeline, and applying the cloud infrastructure as the phase toward digital business, and many more. Make sure to make the roadmap as detailed as possible.

Starting Small and Scaling Up

Do not imagine big results first. Instead, start with small program and see how it benefits the organization. Then, proceed to a bigger one, and so forth. Skills learned from the small pilot projects are helpful in doing one with bigger scale. The early pioneers can serve as the mentors or trainers for the rest. In other words, make the business as a learning organization.

Finally, make sure to promote and reward even the smallest success. This is the basis for a culture of innovation, learning, testing, collaboration, and respect within an organization. They are key points in changing the existing culture. In the end, cloud-native applications will be much easier.