The adoption of cloud computing capabilities requires the involvement of all stakeholders in an organization. Once everybody is on board, a leader should constitute a team of experts to spearhead the process. The team will, among other things, develop and utilize a cloud computing strategy and implementation plan, which will be a part of the IT environment. Traditionally, the information technology (IT) Department led the recommendations, design, development, deployment, and maintenance of the IT environment. Today, business leaders, including the CEO, CFO, CIO, and CTO are taking increasingly important roles in the process. Senior Managers and heads of departments, including the IT, business (marketing and sales), legal, finance, and the administrative departments are also getting involved, each with a unique role and responsibility in the strategic, tactical, and operational phases of cloud adoption. Notably, the three phases are central to cloud adoption.
IT
The IT manager will provide the needed guidance to make the adoption of cloud solutions a success during its three phases of strategy, tactical, and operational phases. The IT manager will offer advice when the company is looking for a reliable cloud vendor (Argyris, 2017). The manager will also perform an analysis of the provided cloud option to help the organization decide on the way forward. It is also the IT manager that will help in the implementation of the cloud solution (Argyris, 2017). The manager understands the current IT needs of the company. One can also assume that the IT department has better knowledge of IT infrastructure than any other department.
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"Roles of Departmental Leaders in the Three Phases of Cloud Adoption".
Business
Business leaders within an organization include marketing and sales managers. The focus of these leaders is on the money-making aspect of the company. As such, their participation in the adoption of cloud solutions is mostly relevant during the strategic and tactical phases (Argyris, 2017). In the strategic phase, the leaders will present their needs to the IT department for consideration. The IT department will then hunt for a solution that integrates those needs. During the tactical phase, the business leaders will check whether the functionalities offered by a single system will address their needs (Argyris, 2017). If not, they ask for another system.
Legal
Leaders in the legal department of an organization ensure that the business operates in accordance with the law. Breaking the law can be detrimental to the performance of a company (Argyris, 2017). Leaders in this department play a critical role throughout the three phases of cloud adoption. During the strategic phase, the legal manager will ensure that things happen in accordance with the law (Argyris, 2017). The legal team will also look at the ramifications of various concepts, ideas, and actions under the law. The legal team will do the same thing in the tactical and the operational level to ensure that the company does not find itself on the wrong side of the law, which can occasion untold losses.
Finance
Finance managers and leaders are concerned with the monetary aspects of operations. The finance manager also provides the money that the team needs to execute its various plans. In the strategic phase of the adoption phase, the finance manager avails the needed resources to ensure that the team comes up with a reliable cloud solution (Argyris, 2017). The participation of the finance department is important because, without enough money, it might be difficult to execute ambitious plans. The finance manager continues with this same role in the tactical and operational phases of cloud solution adoption.
Administrative
In most companies, the administrative department controls the entire organization. It gives directives and determines the path that the company must take. The manager of the administrative department plays an important role in all the three phases that characterize the adoption of cloud solutions. The administrator approves the plans based on the advice given by colleagues, his or her own experience, and the status of the company (Argyris, 2017). The administrator ensures that the process of looking for and using cloud solutions align with the mission, vision, values, and goals of the organization.
- Argyris, C. (2017). Integrating the Individual and the Organization. London: Routledge.
