This content is provided by SAIC.
Even before the pandemic, Federal agencies were at various stages in their cloud journeys. COVID accelerated digital transformation for industries across the board, including the Federal sector. The pandemic ushered in change at a speed and scale once thought impossible.
Now, as we enter the post-pandemic “new normal”, Federal agencies should revisit the longer view, build on the IT modernization momentum already underway, and pivot to a lasting posture of rapid, continuous innovation.
Federal agencies can meet this critical moment with bold moves to the cloud. Getting there starts with having the right blueprint in place.
Bring the current state into focus.
Agencies require an enterprise-level understanding of what they have in their portfolios and what needs to migrate in priority order. Dashboards enable visualization of the full portfolio in order to prioritize next steps based on where you are in the cloud journey.
Map a deliberate course to the cloud.
Next, map requirements to business needs to achieve a clear view of cloud migration. Complex cloud environments can be managed through an automated platform that builds the business case for migration, backed by data and ROI. The use of specific business, technical, and financial criteria will determine a Federal agency’s future state, architecture, and roadmap.
Eliminate uncertainty, ensure success.
A rigorous methodology will minimize the risks associated with digital transformation, leaving no stone unturned. Federal agencies should define the target architecture, secure their assets and move forward with a repeatable approach that removes doubt from the cloud migration equation.
The Six Critical Components of Your Cloud Blueprint
Every Federal agency’s blueprint should consider these six critical components:
- Automated Code Analysis – identify inefficient or sub-optimal source code or vulnerabilities for greater software assurance.
- Automated Migration Budget – assess where you are in the cloud journey against the costs of migration to prioritize the best approach.
- Secure Asset Repository – evaluate what you have in your portfolio and the level of vulnerabilities to ensure the proper security controls.
- Portfolio/Data/Business Process Rationalization – measure what can stay and what’s no longer needed.
- Optimized Migration Plan – develop the right cloud migration plan tailored to the agency and the mission.
- Target Architecture / Framework – create the future state with the right blueprint to ensure a posture of continuous innovation.
Proper planning and the right blueprint makes all the difference in modernizing the government enterprise, ensuring mission agility, and serving as the foundation for future innovation.
