Training & Change Management
Successfully adopt Cloud Development Environments with comprehensive training programs, change management strategies, and developer enablement.
Change Management Framework
A structured approach to CDE adoption
ADKAR Model for CDE Adoption
Awareness
Why are we changing? What's wrong with local dev?
Desire
What's in it for me? How does this help my work?
Knowledge
How do I use it? What are the new workflows?
Ability
Can I do my job effectively? Practice & support
Reinforcement
How do we sustain it? Prevent regression
Pilot Phase
5-10 early adopters, 4-6 weeks
- Select enthusiastic volunteers
- Choose low-risk project
- Gather detailed feedback
- Iterate on templates
Team Expansion
2-3 full teams, 2-3 months
- Formal training program
- Document common issues
- Build internal champions
- Refine support processes
Organization-Wide
All developers, 3-6 months
- Mandatory transition date
- Self-service training
- Deprecate local tooling
- Continuous improvement
Training Curriculum
Role-based training paths for your organization
Developer Training Path
CDE Fundamentals
- What is a CDE
- Why we're adopting it
- Architecture overview
- Security benefits
Getting Started
- Logging in via SSO
- Creating a workspace
- Connecting VS Code
- SSH configuration
Daily Workflows
- Git operations
- Running tests
- Debugging
- Port forwarding
Advanced Topics
- Dotfiles sync
- Custom templates
- AI integrations
- Troubleshooting
Team Lead Training Path
Template Management
- Understanding templates
- Requesting changes
- Team-specific configs
- Version management
Team Administration
- User management
- Resource quotas
- Access controls
- Usage monitoring
Change Champion
- Supporting your team
- Gathering feedback
- Escalation paths
- Success metrics
Platform Engineering Training Path
Platform Deep Dive
- Architecture internals
- Deployment models
- High availability
- Disaster recovery
Template Development
- Terraform providers
- DevContainers
- Testing templates
- CI/CD integration
Security & Compliance
- IAM integration
- Network security
- Audit logging
- Compliance controls
Operations
- Monitoring setup
- Runbooks
- Troubleshooting
- Upgrades
Communication Templates
Ready-to-use templates for your rollout
Launch Announcement
Subject: Introducing Cloud Development Environments - Your New Coding Superpower
Hi Team,
We're excited to announce [Company]'s new Cloud Development Environment platform! Starting [DATE], you'll have access to:
- Pre-configured, ready-to-code environments
- No more "works on my machine" issues
- Faster onboarding for new projects
- Secure, centralized development
Getting Started:
- Attend an intro session: [LINK]
- Read the quick start guide: [LINK]
- Complete the training program: [TRAINING_LINK]
- Join #cde-help for support
Questions? Reply to this email or reach out to the Platform team.
FAQ Template
Q: Do I lose my local tools?
A: You still use VS Code/JetBrains locally - it just connects to the cloud.
Q: What about my dotfiles?
A: Dotfiles are automatically synced from your GitHub repo.
Q: Can I work offline?
A: CDEs require internet. For occasional offline work, coordinate with your team lead.
Q: Is it slower than local?
A: CDEs are often faster - more CPU/RAM than laptops, plus faster network to services.
Q: What happens if my workspace crashes?
A: Your code is safe - it's backed by persistent storage. Just restart the workspace and you're back where you left off.
Q: Can I customize my environment?
A: Yes! You can install extensions, customize settings, and use DevContainers for project-specific configurations.
Q: How do I access internal services?
A: CDEs run inside our VPC, so you have direct access to databases, APIs, and internal tools without VPN.
Measuring Adoption Success
Key metrics to track your CDE rollout
Adoption Rate
% of devs using CDE weekly
Time to First Commit
New hire onboarding speed
Developer NPS
Net Promoter Score
Support Tickets
CDE-related issues/week
Post-Adoption Survey Questions
Quantitative (1-5 scale):
- 1. How easy was it to get started with CDEs?
- 2. How does CDE performance compare to local?
- 3. How likely are you to recommend CDEs?
- 4. How effective was the training?
Qualitative:
- 5. What's the best thing about using CDEs?
- 6. What's the most frustrating thing?
- 7. What feature would improve your experience?
- 8. Any other feedback?
Overcoming Resistance
Common objections and how to address them
"I'm faster with my local setup"
This is often true initially. The learning curve takes 1-2 weeks.
Response: Track their productivity over 30 days. Most developers report faster overall velocity after adjustment. Offer extra support during transition.
"What if the internet goes down?"
A valid concern for remote workers with unreliable connections.
Response: CDEs handle brief disconnects gracefully. For extended outages, have a documented fallback procedure. Consider mobile hotspot allowance for critical roles.
"I've customized my environment for years"
Power users have deep personal configurations.
Response: Dotfiles sync brings their customizations. Help them set up their dotfiles repo. Their expertise makes them great beta testers and champions.
"This feels like Big Brother watching"
Developers may worry about surveillance.
Response: Be transparent about what's logged (security events) and what's not (keystrokes, screen). Focus on security benefits, not monitoring. Involve developers in policy creation.