Five best practices for bankable as-a-service success

DXC has helped numerous financial services institutions accelerate cloud migration by adopting as-a-service solutions.

Along the way, we’ve developed a series of cross-disciplinary best practices that can unlock quantifiable success. By exploring the triumphs and setbacks of others, organizations gain valuable insights to guide their own journeys. Check out five of our simplest but most conducive best practices:

1.     Align your cloud strategy with business value

Rather than adopting an IT-driven, cloud-first strategy, place business needs at the heart of every decision. Embrace a broader array of as-a-service solutions, tailored to drive stronger business results. By viewing these solutions as opportunities rather than obstacles, your in-house team can channel their energy into developing differentiated business offerings.

2.     Understand your value proposition

Once your cloud strategy is aligned with business priorities, you can pinpoint the technology functions that truly differentiate your organization. By nurturing and investing in these standout systems, you fuel business growth. Recognizing that all other technology systems can be transitioned into managed services partner (MSP)-run as-a-service operating models opens the door to freeing up even greater investments in your core strengths. The shift can spark a chain reaction, as increased adoption of as-a-service solutions generates free cash flow and empowers you to focus on what makes your business unique.

3.     Find a partner

Increasingly, clients are turning to MSPs as trusted navigators for their cloud journey, from launching cloud business offices and cloud centers of excellence to providing expert training in economics and technology. MSPs bring deep cloud expertise to seamlessly bridge in-house skill gaps.

Leading cloud providers offer certifications in cloud competencies, inviting institutions to showcase their expertise from broad foundational skills to highly specialized knowledge. These credentials span areas such as security, application and database migrations, financial services, managed cloud operations and a host of other in-demand competencies.

However, mastering specific cloud competencies is not an easy process. To earn cloud competency accreditation, a partner must demonstrate a deep technical ability in subjects like databases and security, along with a proven track record of successful projects.

So, look for a partner backed by a wealth of cloud-certified professionals. Partners like DXC offer a rich blend of competencies, technical certifications and resources, paired with in-depth domain experience in the essential applications that underpin the financial services sector.

4.     Use what you already have

A landing zone often marks the launch of a cloud strategy. Think of it as a secure, scalable, well-architected, multi-account environment. From this robust base, your firm can swiftly launch and deploy workloads and applications, confident in the strength of its security and infrastructure. In addition, you’ll already have set up secure connectivity to your chosen cloud providers, and as you embrace as-a-service solutions, connecting to them through your landing zone ensures your established controls stay firmly in place. Your existing landing zone becomes the gateway for integrating tools like AWS PrivateLink into your expanding cloud ecosystem.

5.     Start with a pilot

Now the real journey begins. Select a single application and assemble a small team of user champions to serve as your organization’s beta testers. During the proof of concept (POC), the MSP will migrate your data and tailor the as-a-service solution to fit your unique requirements.

The user champions will put the new system through its paces, ensuring that it meets today’s business needs but also lays a strong foundation for tomorrow. While testing proceeds, your on-prem system stays up and running, with the MSP orchestrating seamless replication to keep both environments perfectly in sync. This parallel-run strategy guarantees uninterrupted availability and inspires steady confidence.

Once the test phase is complete, you can transition from the POC to a full migration, phasing out the on-prem version. Set clear KPIs to track how well the new service is being adopted and to confirm you’re deriving the expected benefits. Your MSP should deliver insightful KPI and management reports, helping you stay on top of outsourcing governance and vendor performance requirements.

Now you have a framework to follow and guidelines for getting started. So, the process of realizing as-a-service benefits and gaining more value from your internal IT teams can begin. Fully aligned MSPs, such as DXC and cloud providers like AWS, can deliver as-a-service solutions that transform even the most complex business applications.

ISV partner ecosystems that share this vision make it possible to bring entire business unit processes onto a unified as-a-service platform. This provides end-to-end value across your organization, empowering internal IT teams to enhance differentiation, accelerate revenue growth and drive agile innovation.