More organizations are migrating to the cloud to increase agility and innovate faster. But cloud migration is more than just a technical upgrade; it’s an organizational reset. To make your shift to the cloud work for your organization, teams need to be on the same page.
Avoiding change and taking a “lift and shift” approach to migration will have you backtracking in weeks, losing any measurable benefits. To help you successfully migrate to the cloud and achieve long-term success, we’re sharing real-world advice and change management strategies from Valiantys and GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company. With experience guiding over 500 companies through cloud migrations, our experts will explain how your organization can manage change effectively to get the results you want.
Here are the biggest traps organizations fall into when implementing change management:
“After the initial migration, many teams are left without clear guidance on how to continuously evaluate and adopt new cloud-native features or integrations. This stalls innovation, leads to redundant tooling, and prevents teams from optimizing workflows in the new environment.”
- Adam Nichiporuk, Cloud Migration Manager at GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company.
“Organizations usually think that migration is simply ‘copy and paste’ and everything will be the same as the previous system. But if organizations only focus on the technical part of migration, communication suffers, and teams will be underprepared.”
- Douglas Fidelis, UK Cloud Practice Lead at Valiantys.
“Not getting executive sponsorship or proper buy-in before implementing change. Demonstrating business value and getting top-down support is key to succeeding.”
- Conner McNeil, Head of Custom Solutions and Platform Development at Valiantys.
Cross-functional support and buy-in are key to successful migration. Here are strategies that our experts have seen work well:
“Identify all relevant stakeholders and try to understand their impact on upcoming changes. Organizations should also have a steering committee. This should include stakeholders from different areas of the company. Their role should include going over changes and effectively communicating with users.”
- Douglas Fidelis, UK Cloud Practice Lead at Valiantys.
“Buy-in increases when teams see the operational and financial benefits of migration. By demonstrating how cloud transformation supports business goals while remaining cost-conscious, we gain support from leadership, finance, and operations.”
- Adam Nichiporuk, Cloud Migration Manager at GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company.
“Providing teams with early access to sandbox environments allows them to explore the new platform hands-on before full rollout. This demystifies the change, builds confidence, and helps uncover potential blockers early. It also fosters a sense of ownership and reduces resistance by making the change tangible.”
- Mawardi Lyu, Senior Consultant at GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company.
Ultimately, cloud migration is the beginning of a larger organizational transformation. Here’s how you can help drive adoption and long-term success:
“A cloud migration marks the beginning of a broader transformation—not just a technical shift, but a cultural one. Leaders should champion a mindset of continuous improvement, where teams are encouraged to explore, experiment, and evolve with the platform.”
- Adam Nichiporuk, Cloud Migration Manager at GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company.
“Make change management a high priority. You should also plan for in-depth post-migration training and enablement to truly support users in their cloud journey. And crucially, don't let users dwell too deeply on pain points related to changes; instead, focus on the positive features and benefits that cloud products bring."
- Douglas Fidelis, UK Cloud Practice Lead at Valiantys.
“Don’t rely on passive adoption. Even when tools remain familiar, changes in workflows, user interfaces, and governance models can create confusion or resistance. A well-defined change management plan is essential to guide teams through the transition and foster engagement.”
- Mawardi Lyu, Senior Consultant at GLiNTECH, a Valiantys company.
Experts like GLiNTECH and Valiantys offer end-to-end services to ensure your team has the training and knowledge they need to be successful throughout your cloud journey.
Contact us today to get started.