Horror Projects

We have all seen such stories in the cinema or on a screen - fitting to the eerie season, a group of more or less acting-talented teenagers in high school age wander through a fog-covered forest when they hear an ominous noise. Could it be a primeval scream-like hunting call? Or the rusty chainsaw in the hands of a masked psycho? Suspense builds and our small group knows that they must act. Now and immediately. But, what is right and what is wrong?

In the horror film genre, one can count on one thing: the scream-happy teenagers will most likely split up and suffer their individual fates due to their harebrained ideas. Because phones don't work, hiding places are too obvious, and the villain barely defeated at the end is never quite dead and comes back. These clichés fuel the stories of the Halloween season, providing a mostly acceptable level of entertainment. But, can anything be learned from them?

We say yes, because at their core, many IT projects – especially those in the area of cloud transformation – are nothing other than horror stories. At least for some affected parties. What could be more fitting than to examine the typical fatal behaviors of horror teenagers and draw – albeit only partly seriously – conclusions for the execution of transformation projects?

• 1. Let's begin with a central aspect of the fatal thriller stories – the intelligent group division. Of course, one can split up when searching for a missing friend or colleague and rather unsystematically search the area. But is this sensible? Here lies the first parallel to a transformation project, as it is essential to form an organizational unit that also includes stakeholders. Only then can alignment of interests and strategies take place, without someone getting lost in the labyrinthine basement. Or refusing the joint search.

• 2. The second point builds on this, such a search must also occur methodically and consistently. Respectively, here stands the lack of a clear cloud strategy or the reckless migration of applications and data. The absence of a well-thought-out strategy can lead to wasted resources or security gaps, not to mention the untapped potentials.

• 3. In the third position stands another classic – the rescue phone is found, but it doesn't work or, worse yet, it rings at the wrong moment, revealing the entire group. Translated into our cloud project, this reflects the unreliability of communication. Especially in IT projects, clear communication and meaningful information play key roles, as they form the basis for sound decision-making and risk and change management. Therefore, the right information must be provided in a timely manner for all affected parties, so they are understood and support decision-making.

• 4. Naturally, yet again, one of the horror protagonists does it. He goes into the cellar without a flashlight, because that's the only place where the fuse box can be. Or is it not? This inexplicable behavior symbolizes, above all, lack of transparency, which is crucial in cloud transformation projects. An inadequate understanding of costs, performance, or security configurations in the cloud can lead to inexplicable behavior, like unexpectedly high bills or unexplainable performance issues. In other words, one is stumbling in the dark.

• 5. The threat is omnipresent in thrilling stories. Behind every corner, in every closet, behind every window, the eerie can lurk. Some project teams in cloud transformation projects feel the same. They face the constant threat of security risks and data protection violations, which requires their vigilance and the implementation of protective measures. Considering that the potential threats are anything but well-known.

• 6. What do creepy kids have to do with legacy systems? When you take a closer look, a lot. The creepy kids behave mysteriously, inscrutably, and mostly quite differently than expected. Some legacy systems or outdated applications can be just as difficult, making it hard to migrate them to cloud applications or operate them in a cloud environment. This can make these systems appear like "creepy kids" in the cloud, difficult to manage and integrate.

• 7. The dark, stormy weather certainly finds its counterpart in cloud transformation in the form of network outages and connectivity issues. This requires careful planning and backup strategies, as well as close monitoring of performance changes.

• 8. Why doesn't the mayor of Amity Island simply close the beach, even though he sees the fin out in the water right in front of him? Exactly, that's how we've always done it. Similarly, it's with changes in cloud strategy - often project teams are reluctant to allow changes in cloud strategy, even when it would be wiser to change direction. This can lead to difficulties when requirements change during the project, which they do very quickly in the context of cloud transformation.

• 9. And who ultimately saves the entire story? Sure, it's the Deus ex Machina, the screenwriter's favorite trick for a surprising twist. But let's be honest, how often do we encounter this in the real world? About as often as in transformation projects, so not very. What can we learn from it? One cannot rely on the Deus ex Machina here, because it simply doesn't exist. So, one has to take care of it oneself.

These nine cliché parallels between horror films and horror projects may be somewhat tongue-in-cheek and not always entirely serious, but it's like all stories. They all have a core of truth. Thus, they underscore the importance of careful planning, a clear strategy, comprehensive training, and continuous monitoring to ensure successful cloud transformations. They are all based on a fundamental element, information. Especially in an innovative environment with a high rate of development, meaningful information and decision bases are essential.

And these are achieved with the intelligent system analyses of the RBE Plus Tool Suite, which can accurately ascertain the actual usage of legacy systems and derive from them the possibilities, threats, and options for a cloud transformation. So that project teams do not wander lost through the foggy forest like our frightened horror teenagers.