Can cloud actually drive ROI? Yes, if you've got the right talent

Like most billion-dollar technology markets, cloud computing has a lot of hype—and yes, broken promises—around it. Cloud providers are quick to pitch the benefits of launching IT resources in minutes, while in reality, global deployment takes days or weeks with good governance. 

Meanwhile, cost cutting is continuously (and incorrectly) pitched as the main ROI of cloud computing, leading to business disillusionment further down the line. Cloud disappointment is running high, with one in two organizations not getting the desired outcomes from their cloud spend. 

And so, the question that organizations naturally ask is: 

 “Is the cloud even valuable?”

In this article, I’ll share why the answer to this is a resounding “Yes”, why your cloud ROI is directly tied to your cloud talent, and what you can do to extract the expected results from your cloud investments.

Organizations with high cloud maturity get strong ROI

Unlike some technologies, cloud computing needs to be adopted and used in a particular way to drive business success. This is called your “cloud maturity,” and includes the wide range of cloud best practices that need to be adopted to achieve ROI.

(Side note: To find out where your maturity is, take Pluralsight’s 7-question Cloud ROI Maturity assessment.)

Very few organizations qualify as having high cloud maturity. Only 8% meet this criteria, according to Forrester research. The rest fail to leverage techniques that provide cloud value like automation, autoscaling, managed services, and more.

But of the organizations that do have this maturity? They overwhelmingly achieve results across the board:

• 86% have used cloud to achieve their overall business goals

• 86% achieve a stronger security posture

• 84% have greater ability to attract, motivate, and retain talent

• 84% can roll out infrastructure in an agile way

• 82% have optimized cloud costs

• 81% have increased business collaboration and fewer silos

The biggest difference between high and low cloud maturity is skills

Ultimately, low maturity comes down to one thing: the lack of cloud skills in an organization. According to the same research, more than two-thirds (71%) of low-maturity firms reported not having the right cloud skills, compared to far less (48%) at those with high maturity. 

A lack of cloud skills was also the top cause of wasted cloud spend and the inability to onboard and operate AI solutions (AI projects heavily depend on strong cloud foundations to succeed.)

This cloud maturity is especially important for your cloud engineers and architects, as there are many cloud architecture pitfalls to avoid that can be costly for your business.

How to shift from low to high cloud maturity and drive ROI

It’s one thing to know that cloud skills and maturity is linked to business outcomes, but an entirely different one to actually solve that issue. So, how do you go about it?

Thankfully, you don’t have to chart the path forward on your own. I’d highly recommend downloading and reading How to Close the Cloud ROI Gap. This dives into far more detail about how to drive cloud success using the right talent, strategies, and systems, broken down into different business areas.

Raising your organization’s cloud maturity doesn’t need to be something you do on your own, either. One thing you can do is give your teams immediate access to a vetted, hands-on cloud and AI curriculum that fits their workday, building the skills needed for optimization and an AI-first future.

Pluralsight Cloud Ready offers an end-to-end program combining courses, skill assessments, and best-in-class learning experiences that empowers teams to: 

• Hit deadlines. Accelerate cloud migrations and modernizations with structured, self-paced learning and real-world practice.

• Unlock cloud ROI. Achieve real value on your cloud investments with best-practice architecture, better cost management, and tighter business alignment.

• Modernize infrastructure. Build AI- and cloud-native platforms that perform more efficiently and unlock valuable data for AI.

All of this gives you a clear path to assess your organization, upskill efficiently, and evolve your team to meet your business goals.