In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the immense benefits of migrating their operations to the cloud. Cloud migration offers scalability, cost efficiency, and enhanced flexibility, enabling businesses to stay competitive and adapt to changing market dynamics.
With this in mind, we’ll delve into the significance of not delaying your cloud migration and explore the transformative potential of cloud ERP in empowering organizations to thrive in the digital age.
Reasons to Start Your Cloud Migration Process Today
There are several compelling reasons why delaying your cloud migration may hinder your organization’s growth and competitiveness.
1. Scalability and Flexibility
Cloud migration allows your business to scale resources up or down based on demand. By leveraging cloud infrastructure, you can easily accommodate growth and adapt to changing market conditions without the need for significant upfront investments in hardware or infrastructure upgrades.
Bear in mind that “good enough” just doesn’t cut it anymore.
One of the most common responses from business leaders when considering cloud migration is, “Our current system works just fine.” This sentiment is particularly prevalent among finance and operations professionals who rely on on-premises ERP solutions like Dynamics AX. The resistance to change or embracing something new often stems from a “good enough” mentality. However, this mindset can lead to complacency and hamper innovation and growth. While some leaders may argue that their on-premises solution is sufficient, it’s becoming increasingly evident that companies that leverage cloud technologies are gaining a competitive advantage.
Delaying your cloud migration means missing out on the agility and flexibility needed to seize new opportunities.
2. Cost Efficiency
Cloud computing offers cost-savings advantages by eliminating the need for on-premises servers, maintenance, and upgrades. With a variety of licensing tiers, you can optimize your IT spending by choosing the option that works best for your organization’s needs.
As we mentioned in 5 Costs of Legacy ERP, if your legacy system requires on-site hardware and software maintenance, you’re spending time and money on IT specialists who are required to come to your company to maintain the functionality of your servers and assist with system failures and software upgrades.
Cloud-based ERP systems, on the other hand, are maintained offsite. This allows your employees to be freed up so they can spend their time on more meaningful, strategic projects. You need to weight the costs associated with the personnel needed to keep your legacy ERP system well-maintained to get the full picture of the costs of your current product.
Not to mention the costs associated with building and maintaining custom code, outdated cybersecurity, and the lack of real-time reporting.
If you put off your cloud migration, it may lead to higher operational costs and reduced cost optimization opportunities.
3. Enhanced Security
Cloud service providers prioritize security and invest heavily in protecting your data. They employ advanced security measures, including data encryption, regular backups, and robust access controls.
If your organization is siloed, as many that use legacy systems are, you’re not doing yourself any favors where security or compliance are concerned.
The preservation of data is a prominent concern for organizations, as vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure and processes can expose systems to external threats and exploitation. However, there is a common misconception fueled by media coverage that the cloud is unsafe.
The notion of an invincible solution is a myth, largely driven by the belief that most attacks originate from external sources. Traditional on-premises data solutions have long been the foundation of many businesses’ IT operations, relying on firewalls for protection. While this approach has served its purpose in the past, the nature of threats has evolved. On-premises solutions depend on existing policies, technology, and software, which may or may not be up to date, along with IT staff ensuring the maintenance of the latest security processes and protocols.
If you’re like most companies, the last time you looked at ERP was likely six to ten years ago. Today’s cloud based options are built to be more secure, reliable, and technologically advanced than their legacy counterparts, empowering business leaders to connect and thrive.
If you wait to deal with your cloud migration, you could be exposing your business to higher risks associated with outdated security measures and potential data breaches.
4. Improved Collaboration and Productivity
Cloud-based solutions facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among departments, teams, and stakeholders. With a shared platform, employees can access and update information at the moment it occurs, collaborate on projects, and share documents effortlessly. This eliminates silos, enhances cross-functional collaboration, and promotes a culture of transparency and teamwork.
A cloud migration can also have a positive impact on your business’s productivity by efficiently managing resources, streamlining processes, enhancing communication among team members, and measuring productivity. The benefits of increased efficiency, cost reduction, and improved employee engagement ultimately lead to an exceptional customer experience. Learn more in 8 Simple Strategies to Boost Employee Engagement and the Bottom Line.
Procrastinating on your migration may impede collaboration and hinder productivity gains.
5. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Cloud platforms offer robust disaster recovery and backup solutions, ensuring your data is protected and can easily be restored in case of unexpected events.
Consider that cloud-based systems have millions of programs dedicated to monitoring and updating customers’ systems, creating backups, and adapting to current conditions. On-premises solutions, on the other hand, rely on individual IT staff members to perform these tasks. When faced with increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks that are fast, adaptable, and highly organized, it becomes nearly impossible for any company to protect itself effectively in a non-cloud environment.
A delayed cloud migration puts you at risk for prolonged downtime, data loss, and disruptions to your business operations in the event of a disaster.
6. Access to Innovation and Updates
Cloud providers continuously innovate and enhance their services, rolling out new features, updates, and integrations. By migrating to the cloud, you gain access to the latest technologies and capabilities, enabling you to stay ahead of the competition.
While it’s not uncommon for leaders to think their organizations’ needs are super unique, fostering the supposed need for ultra-customized on-premises solutions, that’s typically not necessary when you pull back the curtain.
Cloud migration presents an opportunity for organizations to eliminate the burdensome customizations, associated expenses, infrastructure, and processes. Frequently, what customers perceive as unique requirements stem more from a sense of a proprietary needs and limited awareness of the possibilities offered by the cloud.
Postponing your migration means lagging behind in adopting cutting-edge tools and missing out on the potential business advantages they bring.
Ready to Start Your Cloud Migration with MIBAR?
The advantages of cloud migration are too significant to overlook or postpone. Embracing cloud options, such as NetSuite or Acumatica, empowers organizations to achieve scalability, cost efficiency, enhanced security, improved collaboration, and access to innovation.
Don’t let complacency or misconceptions hold you back. Take the leap and unlock the full potential of the cloud for your organization. To learn more about how MIBAR, your trusted technology partner, can guide and support your cloud migration journey, contact us today! Or, watch our Dynamics 365 demo.
Check out our whitepaper to learn more: Why Replacing Legacy Systems with a Cloud Solution is Now Mission Critical
Additional Resources
How the Cloud Has Made Fast, Thorough ERP Implementations a Reality
Three Reasons Cloud ERP Delivers Security for Your Remote Teams
The Stories We Tell Ourselves: 3 Misconceptions Delaying Your Move from Legacy to Cloud
