2 min read
Who’s involved in a Cloud migration and what they need to know
A role-based view for planning with confidence
Tanya Corsie
CEO
Stephen Wanless
CCO
Phil Coleman
Chief Information Officer
Zak Chester
Chief Product Officer
Moving to Cloud can sound like a major technical undertaking. In practice, successful migrations are service transitions, supported by technology… not IT-led projects that require everything to be solved upfront.
This short guide sets out who is typically involved, what each role needs to understand, and what they don’t need to resolve on day one. It’s designed to support internal conversations and reduce uncertainty, not to create additional work.
Legal Lead
Why they’re involved
To ensure continuity of legal services, confidence for users, and alignment with service priorities.
How day-to-day case and matter management will continue during and after migration
How access works for legal teams and external collaborators
What changes for users, and what stays familiar
How data and documents remain available and protected
Technical architecture or hosting decisions
Detailed data migration mechanics
Microsoft licensing structures
IT / Digital Partner
Why they’re involved
To provide assurance around security, integration, and alignment with wider IT and digital strategies.
How Iken Cloud fits within the organisation’s Microsoft 365 environment
Security, access control, and Single Sign-On principles
Where responsibilities sit between Iken and internal IT teams
What limited preparation is required ahead of migration
Designing new infrastructure or servers
Ongoing system maintenance or upgrades
Supporting every stage of the migration hands-on
Finance / Procurement
Why they’re involved
To support approval, budgeting, and value-for-money considerations.
How Cloud licensing works at a high level
The difference between visible licence costs and wider total cost of ownership
How Cloud reduces longer-term infrastructure and support overheads
How procurement can be phased and aligned with existing cycles
A fully finalised long-term cost model
Detailed savings assumptions
Immediate decommissioning of existing systems
Data / Governance / Information Security
Why they’re involved
To provide assurance around data handling, compliance, and risk management.
Where data and documents are stored
How access, permissions, and audit trails are managed
How Cloud supports GDPR, retention, and information governance obligations
What assurance and documentation is available
Completing every policy review upfront
Defining long-term retention or archival approaches
Resolving edge-case scenarios before planning begins
A Final Reassurance
Most councils do not have all of this fully defined at the start. Successful migrations begin with shared understanding, clear ownership, and realistic expectations, with detail added as confidence grows.
If it’s helpful, these roles and responsibilities can be talked through in a short planning conversation, tailored to your organisation’s structure, priorities, and timing.
