Experience-led cloud transformation to drive innovation

As we prepare for Google Cloud Next 2024, we reflect on the conversations we had at last year’s flagship Google Cloud event. This blog post explores the concept of experience-led cloud transformation.

Episode 47 – GoogleCloudNext23: Experience led cloud transformation with Mahin Samadani, Director of strategic business transformation, Google Cloud

Drawing on a conversation between Dave Chapman, Rob Kernahan our Cloud Realities podcast hosts, and Mahin Samadani, Director of Business Transformation at Google Cloud, we explore why cloud transformation is no longer just about technical migration. It’s about fundamentally changing how businesses operate and deliver value. This blog post dives into experience-led cloud transformation, a strategic approach that prioritizes user experience (UX) at every stage.

The shift to experience-led cloud transformation 

Traditionally, cloud transformation has been viewed as a technical exercise. However, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of UX in driving success. Mahin emphasizes that cloud adoption should be anchored in user experience design principles. It allows you to understand your cloud transformation in a way that you can prioritize everything in behind delivering UX. And every dollar spent or every or every line of code is impacting the end user or the end customer. This means that businesses should start by understanding their user needs and then use cloud technologies to create solutions that meet those needs.  

Rob Kernahan raises an important point: cloud transformation is often seen as a technical endeavor, neglecting the human aspects of change. Mahin emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that considers not just technology but also change management, culture, talent, and purpose. 

Mahin shares some examples of how businesses are using experience-led cloud transformation to achieve success, such as: 

• Hackensack Meridian Health: Google Cloud found that for every hour a care provider spends providing care to a patient, they spend two hours on administrative tasks. Making that more efficient through experience-led cloud transformation, perhaps through transcription, automation, etc. could provide a significant benefit to the client and to the business. 
• Netflix: Listens to their users to pivot their business – not just necessarily in a qualitative sense, but by looking at their data really carefully, they’re able to take calculated risks and pivot and change and introduce, new capabilities and features. 

Design thinking for cloud transformation 

The conversation highlights the value of Google Ventures Design Sprints, a user-centered methodology that facilitates rapid prototyping and testing of new ideas. This approach helps organizations understand user needs, identify opportunities, and develop cloud-based solutions that deliver real value. 

Key considerations for experience-led transformation 

• The power of purpose. Having a clear purpose is essential for driving successful transformation. A strong purpose provides direction, motivates employees, and helps stakeholders understand the “why” behind the change. 
• User Focus. Prioritize understanding and meeting user needs throughout the transformation journey. 
• Data-driven decisions. Leverage data to inform decisions, optimize user experiences, and measure the success of initiatives. 
• Experimentation. Embrace experimentation and iteration to continuously improve experiences and drive innovation. 
• Platform adoption. Utilize cloud platforms to facilitate rapid development, deployment, and scaling of user-centric solutions. 
• Change management. Develop a comprehensive change management strategy to address employee concerns and ensure successful adoption of new tools and processes. 
• Culture of innovation. Foster a culture that values creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement. 

Conclusion 

We all know cloud is not a destination, it’s a journey. Experience-led cloud transformation presents a powerful approach to unlocking business value in the cloud era. By prioritizing user experience, adopting a holistic mindset, and embracing a culture of innovation, organizations can leverage the cloud to create new opportunities, improve operational efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth. 

Preparing for Google Cloud Next 2024 

We’ll be at Google Cloud Next with Cloud Realities podcasts recording daily, exclusive client sessions and demos exploring exactly how we are embracing experience-led cloud transformation with our clients across all industries, on Google Cloud. 

Innovation, meet intelligence. 

Explore the power of our collaboration with Google Cloud.