You think to yourself, “I got this, I can figure it out.” That’s what all leaders believe and know, and they are not wrong – most of the time. So, then why would you partner with someone rather than DIY or go directly to a cloud vendor? Below, I will provide you with three reasons why you should look into partnering on your Cloud Journey. 

Reason #1 – Expertise and Guidance 

This one is obvious. Every mountain climbing expedition hires a good sherpa. You need someone who has been down the road you are travelling – to light the way and share insights, both technologically and strategically.  

The cloud is a new world. Security, cost optimization, performance, reliability, and operations are part of every decision. Without the technical knowledge of how decisions will impact your platform relative to those areas, you risk cost overruns, poor performance, or worse – a security breach. 

Know yourself, and make sure you have the right team assembled for a successful, enjoyable expedition. 

Reason #2 – Partner Benefits and Funding Programs 

The benefits of working with a partner go beyond expertise and guidance. When you partner, you have added capacity to your team. Now you can scale up and down with the resources needed to complete a project. 

Think increased agility and velocity. 

Partners also have alliances with major cloud vendors to bring even more resources to bear. Cloud vendors often offer project funding opportunities, competitive funding opportunities, and of course – but only to their approved partners. 

And, vendor partners can tap into and navigate the complex world of these cloud vendors for you. Have you ever been in that situation where you need an incredibly unique skill set for a specific, critical issue? Your partner will help navigate that with pre-established relationships and partner knowledge. 

Partners also act as a check and balance with a cloud vendor. Want that extra assurance your interests are protected? A third-party agent can advocate and vocalize that. 

And, most of the time, unless you hire one of the very large firms, a consulting partner is going to be less expensive than the cloud vendor. Think value! 

Reason #3 – Mentorship and Knowledge 

This is remarkably similar to expertise and guidance, but different. Partnering with someone can help set the tone and direction of your future state. Inevitably, that ethos and expertise rub off on those around them. A positive culture and innovative environment are important to project success, and when that rubs off, your team gains not only expert knowledge, but gets the feel for how a successful project is contextualized and executed.