A study from Gartner found that 83% of data migration projects either fail or go over budget and schedule. That number says a lot about how tricky these projects can get. And in most cases, it comes down to poor planning or teams jumping in before they’re ready.
When migration starts without a clear structure, problems spread quickly. That’s because cloud migration affects people, processes, workloads, costs, and all the moving parts that don’t work well unless there’s a plan holding them together.
That’s where cloud migration planning makes a real difference. It helps you set clear goals and figure out what matters most. That way, you can avoid issues that slow things down later.
To help with that process, this blog covers the practical steps needed to plan a successful migration.
Why Is Cloud Migration Planning Essential Before You Start?
Cloud migration touches critical areas of a business. It includes things like infrastructure and security. Moreover, it also has a big impact on your budget.
Here’s what usually happens when planning is skipped:
- Delays due to missed dependencies
- Budgets stretched beyond original estimates
- Security controls applied too late
- Teams working without clear coordination
- Misalignment between business needs and technical execution
A structured cloud strategy roadmap helps avoid these outcomes. With clear visibility into goals, responsibilities, and timelines, businesses finish on budget and meet performance goals.
With a well-prepared plan, businesses can:
- Get clear on what success really means
- Set the right scope from the beginning
- Make sure the right people are responsible across teams
- Spot potential risks early
- Have a plan to deal with the risks
When teams take the time to plan properly, they often finish within budget and meet performance goals.
How Do You Know If Your Business Is Ready for Cloud Migration?
A cloud migration assessment reveals what your current setup looks like. It includes things like infrastructure, applications, and how your data is managed. Plus, it also looks at whether your security and compliance needs are being met.
The assessment should include:
| Assessment Area | Key Questions to Ask |
| Infrastructure & Workloads | Which servers and applications are candidates? What dependencies exist? What current performance metrics? |
| Data & Security | What data classification does your company use? What encryption and access controls are required? |
| Compliance & Governance | Which regulations apply (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)? What audit trails must exist? |
| Cost & Tools | What licensing models do current tools use? What cloud tools will you need for monitoring and migration? |
| Skills & Team Readiness | Do you have staff with cloud experience? Do you need external support or training? |
That table helps business leaders frame the assessment in specific terms. A proper cloud migration assessment makes the later stages faster, clearer, and safer.
When a business moves to the cloud, it’s not a one‑step process. It involves changes across systems, teams, and processes. Without clear planning in place, problems begin to surface, some early, others much later, when they become harder and more expensive to fix.
These are common outcomes when cloud migration is rushed or done without preparation:
- Timelines are pushed back due to missed technical dependencies
- Budgets increase as unplanned work and hidden costs come up
- Security frameworks are applied too late in the cycle
- Teams operate in silos, leading to miscommunication or overlap
- Migration results fall short of what the business originally expected
This is where cloud migration planning becomes essential. It is a structured approach to making sure every part of the business is aligned before migration begins. Planning brings visibility across departments and sets practical expectations.
Below is a sample roadmap structure:
| Phase | Key Activities | Time Estimate* |
| Discovery & Assessment | Infrastructure audit, security baseline, team training | 4‑8 weeks |
| Planning & Design | Migration architecture, cost estimates, roadmap finalization | 2‑4 weeks |
| Pilot Migration | Move low‑risk service, validate performance, refine approach | 2‑3 weeks |
| Full Migration & Cut‑over | Move remaining workloads, data migration, production switch | Depends on scale |
| Post‑Migration Optimization | Monitor usage, performance tuning, cost fine‑tuning | Ongoing |
*Time estimates vary by enterprise size, complexity, and existing cloud maturity.
This roadmap should align with your AWS cloud migration goals and business priorities.
What Should You Consider When Estimating Cloud Migration Costs?
Estimating cloud migration costs helps enterprises budget and avoid surprises. Cost categories often include:
- Data transfer fees (especially for large data sets moved over networks).
- Licensing and software costs (existing software licenses and new cloud tools).
- Rehosting, refactoring, or replatforming of applications.
- Training staff or hiring cloud experts.
- Migration tools or consultants.
Even with these categories in mind, many companies still struggle to track costs properly. In fact, one recent survey found that over 20% of organizations do not have clear visibility into their cloud costs.
This is exactly why early planning matters. During the cloud migration planning phase, building in buffers and estimates for unexpected items ensures smoother budgeting.
What Mistakes Can Disrupt Your Cloud Migration Plan?
Even well‑intentioned plans fail when common errors occur. Business leaders often face these problems:
- Overlooking hidden dependencies leads to service downtime.
- Assuming current applications will run the same in the cloud without testing.
- Underestimating data egress or network cost fees.
- Ignoring security or compliance until late stages.
- Failing to assign clear ownership for tasks.
These mistakes emerge in the absence of a detailed cloud migration assessment or roadmap. Also, many businesses start migration too quickly without aligning stakeholders or setting measurable goals.
What’s the Best Way to Start Planning with Confidence?
Here is what your business can do now to move forward:
- Pull together a cross-functional team. You should include people from:
- IT
- Security
- Compliance
- Operations
- Finance
- Start with a proper cloud migration assessment using the checklist above.
- Then, build a cloud migration roadmap that actually fits how your business runs.
- Estimate cloud migration costs across all categories. Add contingency. Review pricing models from cloud providers.
- Review case studies and e-books from experts. For example, resources like Cygnet.One’s Approaches to Migration with AWS and Smarter Migration & Modernization with AWS offer practical insights.
With these steps, your chance of reducing risk and setting your enterprise up for a successful migration increases.
Key Takeaways to Guide Your Next Steps!
The earlier you plan, the fewer surprises there will be later. That applies strongly to cloud migration. You don’t need to have everything figured out from day one, but you do need to know where you stand.
A proper look at your current setup gives you a clearer picture. You’ll spot issues that could slow you down or cost more to fix once the migration begins. That’s what an assessment is really for.
Once you know where things stand, it becomes easier to plan the next steps. However, if things start getting too complicated, it helps to talk to people who’ve done this before.
Connect with a professional team specializing in cloud migration and modernization. They can help you work through it and avoid running into problems later.
Want help planning your migration? Get in touch with us!
Co-Author
Yogita Jain
Content Lead
Yogita Jain leads with storytelling and Insightful content that connects with the audiences. She’s the voice behind the brand’s digital presence, translating complex tech like cloud modernization and enterprise AI into narratives that spark interest and drive action. With a diverse of experience across IT and digital transformation, Yogita blends strategic thinking with editorial craft, shaping content that’s sharp, relevant, and grounded in real business outcomes. At Cygnet, she’s not just building content pipelines; she’s building conversations that matter to clients, partners, and decision-makers alike.