One of the biggest factors in cloud migration for businesses is the timeline. How long will it take to go through the whole process, from modernization to migration completion? Time is a factor in everything we do. For businesses, the less time something takes, the more cost efficient it becomes. But when it comes to cloud migration, there are a lot of factors that go into the process. Modernization, automation, review of processes and systems, ensuring that everything is secure once it’s in the cloud. And those are just a few.

If you have hired an expert (as is recommended) to assist with your cloud migration, you’ve probably asked them how long this is going to take. You might have a contract with a data center that ends and your goal is to have the migration done by that time so you don’t have to sign a new contract. No one wants to pay for more than they have to for longer than they have to. But understand that while this process may require some overlap, the savings you see in the long run will counter the “extra” cost of continuing to pay for your data center.

You want your business to continue running smoothly, you want your clients, customers and business partners to never know there’s a transition happening. So while it’s understandable that you want this question answered, the answer is not that simple.

There are a lot of variables that go into cloud migration, so a lot of the timeline depends on your business needs. Has it been years since you modernized? If so, that has to happen before anything else. The timeline for modernization completion, which includes review of processes and systems, is a big factor in the migration timeline.

Let’s say you’re a medium to large sized business, but 90% of your business is NOT online. Most of your business is conducted in a brick and mortar building, so you ony need a handful of things migrated to the cloud. In this instance, you’re most likely using SaaS systems, like POS systems, which will get migrated. Maybe your website, analytics and employee scheduling software gets migrated. That’s not a lot of migration so it might only take a few months to do, even though you’re a larger-scale company.

Now let’s say you’re a small business, but you do massive data crunching or AI or just have a massive set of systems that handle really complex logistics and coordination. Those systems and processes take a lot longer to migrate to the cloud due to the complexity involved in how they function. Add that to the number of items that need to be migrated and the timeframe is longer than that of the larger-scale, brick and mortar company.

So there really isn’t a hard and fast rule. Look at the level of complexity. If someone comes in and says it’s really simple, that should raise a red flag. Often, cloud migration isn’t simple even if there’s only a few things you’re migrating. Modernization has to happen first, which can sometimes be a lengthy process. This is why it’s so important to hire an expert, someone who knows the ins and outs of cloud migration. They may or may not be able to give you a timeline, but they can ensure that the transition is smooth and efficient.