We’ve talked at length about how quickly the manufactured housing industry is growing. One unfortunate truth about business growth that isn’t talked about enough is how challenging it can be to scale your technology infrastructure to accommodate that boom in business.

A lot of times, the thought of even starting to assess what you need to do and the simple ‘how’ of it all, is so overwhelming that businesses simply…well, don’t.

To make scaling your IT much easier and not so overwhelming, there is a little something called the cloud to help with that. Moving your IT to the cloud is called cloud migration. And this is the Advil to your scaling headache.

In this blog, we’re going to dive into the ins and outs of cloud migration for manufactured housing, and how to make your business’s cloud migration as seamless and painless as possible.

What is cloud migration?

To put it simply, cloud migration is the process of moving your servers, data, applications, and systems (your tech infrastructure) from traditional, on-premises hardware to cloud-based services.

Why do businesses choose to migrate their whole infrastructure to the cloud? Cloud services like AWS (Amazon Web Services) offer a flexible, secure, and money-saving alternative to managing all of your tech in-house. Instead of buying and maintaining physical servers, you’re able to access what you need via the internet.

Let’s talk about the benefits of moving your technology infrastructure to the cloud.

What are the benefits of cloud migration?

The manufactured housing industry isn’t exactly known for being tech-savvy. In fact, we’d bet that half of your competitors are still working with an on-prem and archaic tech infrastructure that isn’t doing them any favors.

Here is why cloud migration could put you five steps ahead of the competition:

Scale the easy way: Cloud services like AWS (Amazon Web Services) make it possible for you to grow your manufactured housing business without the headache because your cloud grows with your business. Need more storage? Add it with the click of a button. Need more computing power? Add it without leaving your office–no need to buy new equipment.

Save, save, save: Moving your business to the cloud also can save you quite a lot of money if you tally up the costs. Instead of paying for servers and software upfront, you only pay for what you use.

Automatic updates: The problem with outdated software and hardware is that you have to update everything manually, and you don’t have time for that. Moving your business to the cloud means that everything is updated automatically.

Access, anywhere: Your teams likely operate across multiple locations– whether that’s your corporate office, production facilities, or remote sites. The cloud makes it possible for your teams to access important information and data while on the go.

Imagine your sales team updating customer orders in real-time from a model home site, or production managers tracking schedules and inventory without needing to be tied to a physical office. The cloud makes collaboration easy, no matter where your team is.

For manufactured housing, moving to the cloud isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a necessity to future-proof your business.

Getting started with cloud migration

Now that we’ve covered why your manufactured housing business needs to be on the cloud, let’s go over how to initiate the move. The process doesn’t have to be overwhelming if it’s broken down into six manageable steps.

1. Evaluate your systems: Take a look at your existing systems, including servers, data storage, software, and workflows. Understanding what needs to be moved now versus what can wait, will help streamline the process.
2. Choose the right cloud provider: There are several cloud providers to choose from so do your research on who will best suit your needs. Choose one that aligns with your scalability, security, and budgetary needs.
3. Plan and strategize: Now that you’ve chosen the right provider, it’s time to plan your migration strategy. Will you phase it to reduce risk? Or do you prefer to get it over with in one go? Assess the risk and reward of both strategies carefully before pulling the trigger.
4. Prepare your data and applications: Clean up outdated and unnecessary data. Migrate the relevant data. Move your key applications to the cloud. Depending on the application, you may need to adjust configurations or customize it for the cloud.
5. Test and optimize: Congratulations! Your migration is complete. Now, you need to test all systems, data, and applications to ensure that they are working properly. If they are, then there’s only one more thing to consider…
6. Ongoing maintenance: Migrating to the cloud makes your life easier, but it doesn’t mean that all of your maintenance woes are over. The goal is to give you your time back and make your life easier. This is why you need to…

Do more, spend less: managed cloud services

For manufactured housing companies that are new to the cloud, the learning curve can be steep. You don’t have time to figure out how to manage your new cloud completely on your own; you have a business to run!

This is where managed cloud services come in. Network Thinking Solutions (NTS) simplifies cloud migration and management by providing expert support every step of the way. Our managed cloud services ensure that your cloud environment is running smoothly, giving you peace of mind.

We not only optimize resources to keep costs down, but also improve performance and secure your data– helping you do so much more with less. With 24/7 monitoring and support, we make sure that you are always one step ahead. Ready to start your cloud migration and management journey?  Contact us to learn more about how NTS can save you time and resources along the way.