Optimizing Cloud Operations Teams for Dual Workloads

Strategic insights for a telco balancing internal Azure migration and external AWS revenue

Highlights

Cross-functional Teams with Specialization: Leverage expertise by forming dedicated teams while promoting cross-training to prevent silos.
Dedicated Focus on Internal vs. External Workloads: Align internal migration to Azure with a specialized internal team and retain a robust team for external customer accounts.
Adopting a Hybrid & Agile Culture: Foster collaboration through hybrid structures with integrated DevOps practices to maintain flexibility and operational excellence.

Strategic Approaches for Restructuring

When planning the restructuring of your cloud operations team within a large telco environment, it is important to balance the internal migration to Azure with maintaining service quality for external customers, whose workloads span both AWS and Azure. The current staffing consists of 13 members, with error-prone specialization (5 Azure-skilled and 8 AWS-skilled). In this context, there are two primary strategies to consider: splitting the team by platform and maintaining separate responsibilities, or reversing the recent integration of internal and external workload teams while fostering a hybrid, cross-trained environment.

Option 1: Split Team by Platform and Workload

Internal vs. External Specialization

This strategy advocates for dividing the team into two distinct units. The first unit is dedicated exclusively to internal workloads and is committed to supporting the telco’s migration to Azure. The second unit continues managing external customer accounts and subscriptions along both AWS and Azure. The split allows for focused optimization of each workload type, ensuring that internal operations receive dedicated resources while high-quality customer service remains uncompromised.

Advantages

Focused Expertise: The dedicated internal team can focus on Azure-specific innovations and optimizations, while the external team preserves deep AWS knowledge along with cross-platform familiarity.
Clear Responsibilities: Clear delineation of tasks prevents dilution of efforts and supports enhanced accountability for business-critical operations.
Risk Mitigation: By isolating the strategic internal migration from external service delivery, risks associated with internal change can be contained.

Challenges

Resource Imbalance: Given there are only 5 Azure-skilled professionals, the internal team might initially struggle with the volume or complexity of internal Azure workloads.
Duplication of Efforts: There is potential for redundant processes between teams, which might increase operational overhead if strict protocols are not established.
Siloed Workflows: The split may hinder knowledge sharing across platforms unless robust communication strategies are put in place.

Option 2: Reversing the Integration of Internal and External Teams

Re-assess the Consolidation

Another viable approach is to revisit the decision to merge internal and external workload teams if the current structure is hampering performance. Reversing the integration means re-establishing distinct teams, each with tailored responsibilities for internal versus external workloads. In this setup, the internal team would be exclusively responsible for the Azure migration and ongoing internal cloud operations, while the external team would handle customer accounts.

Advantages

Specialized Focus: The internal team can work intensively on the nuances of Azure migration strategies, such as security, governance, and performance optimizations.
Clear Operational Boundaries: Separating internal and external responsibilities avoids conflicts of interest and allows for streamlined operations.
Tailored Training: Teams can be provided with specialization and upskilling based on the specific demands of their domain, addressing the imbalance in Azure versus AWS skills.

Challenges

Communication Overhead: Ensuring robust inter-team communication to align overarching strategy may require structured channels and integration protocols.
Training Requirements: Cross-training and agile practices need to be maintained to ensure that both teams remain adaptable in addressing cross-platform issues.
Coordination Complexity: Navigating overlapping areas of responsibility requires strong leadership and clear processes to mitigate the risk of duplicated efforts.

A Hybrid Approach: Combining Specialization with Cross-Functional Integration

An increasingly popular and practical solution is to adopt a hybrid structure that combines the benefits of specialization with the flexibility of cross-functional teams. In this model, while teams can be segmented based on primary focus areas (internal Azure vs. external AWS/Hybrid), regular interactions, shared projects, and integrated DevOps practices are enforced to facilitate knowledge sharing and reduce siloing.

Key Components of the Hybrid Approach

Specialization with Cross-training: Maintain specialized roles within each subdivision, but also institute regular cross-training sessions to build a baseline proficiency across both clouds.
Clear Integration Points: Define collaboration frameworks such as joint project teams or shared operational reviews to ensure the expertise is organically transferred between internal (Azure-centric) and external (AWS-centric) units.
Unified Leadership: Establish a centralized leadership team or a technical lead who oversees both units to create synergy and alignment with the overall telco strategy.
DevOps Culture: Embed a culture that encourages frequent inter-team communication, continuous improvement, and shared accountability for common operational metrics.

Comparative Table: Restructuring Approaches

Aspect	Split Team Approach (Platform & Workload)	Reversed Integration Approach	Hybrid Approach
Team Focus	Separate internal Azure and external AWS teams	Separate internal and external teams, aligning with migration and customer needs	Core specialization with integrated, overlapping responsibilities
Advantages	Clearly defined responsibilities Specialized focus on each cloud platform Risk containment for internal migration	Enhanced focus on internal optimization Clear boundaries reduce conflicts Tailored training and targeted upskilling	Promotes balanced skill development Encourages continuous knowledge sharing Agile and adaptive to both internal and external needs
Challenges	Risk of resource imbalance Duplication in processes Potential siloing issues	Communication barriers between teams Demands strong leadership coordination Requires ongoing training to prevent skills gaps	May increase complexity in management Requires dedicated integration and feedback mechanisms Balance between specialization and cross-functional operations may be challenging
Implementation Ease	Moderate; clear delineation but potential risk due to limited Azure expertise	Moderate to high; clear separation helps, but transition may disrupt current workflows	Challenging; demands robust communication and integrated management systems

Detailed Considerations for Implementation

Assessing Team Skills and Upskilling Requirements

The current distribution of skills (5 Azure experts vs. 8 AWS experts) suggests an immediate need to enhance the Azure competency within the internal team. Whether you choose to split or reverse the integration, robust training programs and certifications will help bridge the skill gap. Establishing regular training sessions, paired learning, and continuous skill assessments are crucial to ensure that both internal and external teams are well-prepared to manage their respective workloads.

Communication and Collaboration

Regardless of the chosen restructure, effective communication remains paramount. Implementing a unified communication protocol, such as regular cross-team briefings and shared documentation repositories, will minimize the risk of disjointed operations. Additionally, appointing a technical lead or a cloud operations manager who oversees both teams can help streamline decision-making and integration of best practices. This role is essential in identifying process adjustments and ensuring that both teams remain aligned with the telco's overarching strategy.

Ensuring Operational Efficiency

Each restructuring approach should emphasize process automation and the deployment of monitoring tools. Automation not only reduces errors but also fosters a culture of DevOps where continuous improvement is embedded in operations. The integration of automated workflows and real-time performance dashboards supports both internal and external teams in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensuring a proactive stance in addressing any operational hiccups.

Leadership and Workflow Integration

A unified leadership structure can provide the necessary guidance through this transition. It is recommended to establish a central command that focuses on strategic planning while delegating day-to-day operations to specialized leads within each team. This leadership model facilitates a holistic view of the cloud strategy and ensures that both internal migration to Azure and external customer operations are seamlessly coordinated.