A key and fundamental business activity, amplified by the significant outsourcing of roles and responsibilities, contract management requires adequate governance to be effective and relevant. In order to meet ongoing requirements, monitor contract performance, adhere to contract terms, and manage any outages, incidents, violations, or variations to contractual obligations, etc., the role of Cloud Governance and Contract Management should not be underestimated or overlooked. So where does this begin?

As a first port of call, consider the initial review and identification of the cloud providers ability to satisfy relevant requirements, initial lines of communication, clear understanding and segregation of responsibilities between customer and provider, along with penalties and ability to report on adherence and violations of contract requirements. If at this point the above are “at a minimum” not understood and clearly defined, problems are likely to arise at some point in the contractual relationship.

Remember, the contract is the only legal format that will be reviewed and assessed as part of a dispute between the cloud customer and cloud service provider.