This document outlines a change management methodology for technology transitions to cloud platforms like Google Apps and Office 365. It includes steps like admin training, email campaigns to inform users, a customized training site, essential trainings on email/files, go-live support, and additional follow up sessions. The goal is to guide clients through the transition and prevent disruptions while helping users be productive on day one with the new platform.

1. Best practices for successful technology
transitions to the cloud
Change Management
Be Productive on Day One

2. At Cloudbakers we specialize in messaging and
collaboration solutions. Specifically, we find that
Google Apps for Work and Microsoft Office 365
deliver the tools businesses need to be more
productive. Each of these platforms brings with it an
array of software and potential applications to
utilize.
Each also brings with it a degree of change.
New workflows, internal processes, operating
systems, sales tools--these things can be intimidating
to users and admins alike.
Luckily for our clients, Cloudbakers employs a
trusted change management methodology that
guides clients through the transition and prevents
disruptions of business. Let’s run through it.
Introduction

3. Change Management Checklist
❏ Admin Training
❏ Email Campaigns
❏ Help Site
❏ Email & Messaging Essentials
❏ File Storage Essentials
❏ New User Training
❏ Go Live support
❏ Town Hall
❏ White Glove
❏ Additional Sessions & Engagements
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4. Admin Training
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All projects need leaders, and all leaders need training.
Start your project off strong and invite your IT
administrative team to meet with one of our expert
Deployment Engineers. We will focus on the following:
● Guide you through the process of configuring your
domain settings and managing your platform assets
● Walk you through and explain all the available
settings to tailor your domain to fit your company's
business policies and rules
● Show your administrative team how to manage
users, groups, and mobile devices through the admin
panel
With your leadership team inspired and enthused, the next
step is to prepare your many users for the changes to
come.

5. Email Campaigns
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While having strong leadership is important, so is having a well-informed user base. Make
sure your users know what is happening throughout the entire migration process by
leveraging our customized Change Management Email Campaigns:
● Initial letter to your users to kick off the process and explain the reasons for the
migration
● Engage your users from the moment the project begins
● Include any instructions for users spaced out in a easy to follow pace
● Clearly communicate any actions your users need to take

6. Customized Training Site
In addition to consistent emails, Cloudbakers provides a Help Site complete with your
company branding. The site features a message to all users explaining the business
justification for transitioning to the new platform, as well as:
● Tips & tricks
● New features
● Mobile setup
● Guided courses for
each major application
● Training videos
All this information lives in
one convenient location for
your users. The site lives on
your domain, so it is yours to
keep and modify for as long
as your company is on the
new platform.
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7. Email & Messaging Essentials
With users on board and resources readily
available, we dive into the heart of our trainings. It
is now time to give your users a head start to
becoming email power users. Our Email &
Messaging Essentials trainings will cover:
● All the basics of using Email, Contacts, and
Calendars
● In an engaging 90 minute lecture our
Deployment Engineer will explain how
everything works in a live environment
● We relate features and functions from your
legacy client
● Q&A from your users on how to make their
workflows fit the new experience
Your users will leave feeling like they have a good
grasp on the new platform, and they will be
grateful we don’t using boring slide shows!
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8. File Storage Essentials
Our File Storage Essentials trainings relay
all the information your admins and users
need to know about storing data in the
cloud. In addition to introducing cloud
based file storage and relevant terminology,
we explain:
● Non-native file usage and limited
collaboration
● Creating native files
○ Sharing Permissions
○ Collaboration
○ Key features within each type of
native file
○ Converting non native files
● Folder hierarchies and permission
propagation
● Using Sync tools as opposed to the
web interface
○ Setup and initial configuration
● Extensions and add-ons applicable to
your process
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9. New User Training
One of the beauties of Cloudbakers Change
Management is its permanence. The resources
we create for you are yours to keep, and we are
just a phone call away should you need further
assistance. This is especially applicable to
onboarding new users. Should your IT team find
they don’t have the time to do the training
themselves, we are here to:
● Provide in-person or video conference
trainings
● Supply additional training videos or
webinars
It is important that your solutions are both long
lasting as well as not overly taxing on your time
and resources. We are here to ensure that
remains the case.
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10. Go Live Support
When it finally comes time to put all
your hard work into effect, we are
fully available. Cloudbakers can be at
your office or on call on Go Live Day to
help your users get acclimated to the
new platform. Our team can augment
your help desk by assisting with many
of the common questions we
encounter on Go Live. Having
Cloudbakers on-site or on-call can
help give your executive team peace
of mind as we work to make sure
everything goes as smoothly as
possible so your users can be
productive on day one.
Furthermore, as your newfound
solutions transition into being your
standard business process, we
recommend specific follow up
sessions aimed at relieving hiccups
and issues as they arise.
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11. Town Hall
We recommend conducting a Town Hall style training
several weeks after Go Live. This allows users to
gather enough questions that are not urgent and gives
them the experience to start thinking how they can
augment their workflow. A training like this can be on
site or in a virtual conference room for users to ask any
questions they want.
White Glove
Let experts walk your executives through their inbox
in a one-on-one training session. This relaxed training
setting allows your executives to ask any questions
regarding how they can update their legacy workflow
to be better suited to the new platform while also
helping them get acquainted with the product at their
own pace.
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12. Additional Sessions & Engagements
There are numerous additions to the standard array of change management practices
that can further increase adoption of your new platform:
● 1:1 Training Sessions
○ Advertised exclusively to executives and senior managers to generate
excitement, engagement, and add competency that will quickly trickle down
○ Sessions are scheduled as needed
○ Duration and content will vary depending on the individual
● “Tip of the Week”
○ Cloudbakers will assemble a series of 52 files, which the client will easily be
able to copy/paste or attach to an email and distribute
○ The tip of the week will be sent to all users and will showcase one small
feature or “Did you know” tip
○ Example: Drag and Drop Labels
● Incentive Program
○ Employees could receive ‘points’ for attending a training session,
creating a workflow in the new platform, or simply for usage activity
○ The top tier of employees based on all of the combined data and
represented on a bell curve, will receive a prize (perhaps a day off!)
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13. www.cloudbakers.com
312-380-6838
Work Better. Together.
In need of Change Management?