The politics of cloud apps: tips for IT leaders

When companies decide to swap out an on-premise enterprise software system for vendor-hosted SaaS applications, IT staffers often worry about what this change means for their jobs and their roles in the IT department.

However, CIOs and IT managers can go a long way toward helping calm those fears and assisting affected employees in transitioning successfully to new tasks.

Some best practices and tips include:

-- Early on, explain clearly and honestly to IT staffers why the move to cloud-based software is being made.

-- Don't focus only on the cost-cutting benefits, because this can deepen resentment and distrust over the move.

-- Lay out to IT staffers how they will benefit from spending less time maintaining IT infrastructure by, for example, doing more valuable and creative work, like custom Web application development, using newly acquired, leading-edge skills.

-- Be honest about how roles will change, especially the type of maintenance work that will no longer be needed.

-- Offer guidance and training to impacted employees to help them make the transition.

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