7 Ways the Cloud is Making Organizations Better, Part 1

There’s no doubt about it: cloud computing is making transformational impact on organizations of all sizes across industries. It’s fair to say the technology is revolutionary, and we expect to see increasing numbers of organizations adopt either cloud-first or all-cloud strategies in the years to come. Yet plenty of companies are still in the early stages of cloud software implementation, still launching their journeys “into the cloud.”

Based on our experience working with clients to replace their legacy technology with cloud-based solutions, these are the top reasons the cloud is making organizations better: more efficient, more strategic, and more informed.

1. Traditionally operational staff can get “more strategic”

Many professionals in IT, supply chain, and even finance and accounting are burdened with a perception that their departments are simply cost centers. They’re tasked with “lowering costs” and “doing more with less,” so much of their daily focus remains on process-oriented operational or administrative tasks to keep up with performance standards. There’s little, if any time, for strategic endeavors.

But this changes when they move from on-premise to cloud-based business software, which serves to automate many of their processes, provide real-time metrics, improve accuracy, and impact a number of other elements that were once part of a manual workflow. With cloud-powered business systems, business users are empowered with more time and insights that can be funneled into strategic conversations.

An example of this phenomenon can be found among MIBAR’s client base. Since migrating their legacy messaging platform to Microsoft Office 365, Trebor’s IT team “benefits from additional time to work on other projects: they’re no longer tasked with maintaining a complex on-site Microsoft Exchange environment.” Learn more in their MIBAR case study.

2. Employees are collaborating with ease.

Employees are the users of technology. They learn how to leverage their tech tools effectively to complete tasks and operate as part of their departmental teams. This has always been the case in recent years, but workforce expectations are rapidly changing. We’re living and working in an ever-more connected world, and employees expect to interact with office technology and communicate with co-workers in a way that mirrors their personal use: on-demand, anytime/anywhere, with integrations and customizations, and more.

So it’s no surprise that, according to the Cloud Security Alliance, 79% of companies receive regular requests from users to buy more cloud applications—and their top-requested cloud services include file sharing, collaboration, communication, social media, and content sharing. With legacy systems, these features, if available at all, are hard to come by and would be considered technologically irrelevant by today’s standards.

Most of today’s cloud based business systems have built-in functionality that accommodates—or even promotes—team productivity. For example, individuals can access shared files to leave comments and provide feedback; employees across departments can tap into the same customer records to get a clear, real-time view of all customer transactions; and some apps can configure instant messaging or social media integrations. Of course, having mobile access to their business system’s tools adds another layer of convenience for today’s on-the-go, tech-savvy employee.

For additional insights, don’t miss 3 Reasons Your Employees Want Cloud-based ERP Software

3. Decision-makers have on-demand access to insights.

Cloud-based business software has brought analytics tools straight to the decision-makers who need them—with no IT support required. Most solutions offer user-friendly dashboards that can be configured for individual preferences and business needs, with robust (yet simple to run) reporting capabilities enabling big-picture to drill-down views and everything in between. What’s more, insights can be presented with rich visualizations that help executives make sense of complex data. Of course, the cloud has also made it possible for users to access their data and tools from any internet-connected device, so it’s easier than ever to grab insights on-demand.

Real Results: As reported in their MIBAR case study, an investment firm’s cloud-based ERP system has built in financial reporting features that enabling them “to ‘slice’ sub-ledger transactions and financial reports by an unlimited number of dimensions such as project, department and group – providing the ability for the management team to stay on top of project costs from any device at any time.”

Don’t miss part two of this look at how cloud computing is making organizations more effective. In the meantime, contact us for a free consultation to explore your company’s plans to move business systems to the cloud.