Much head-scratching in recent times has been done by businesses regarding Cloud computing and their need to decide whether or not to adopt this relatively new phenomenon to drive business growth. Companies that are expanding, or considering expansion plans, should be looking at the manageability of their enterprise resource planning (ERP) program and why using it through Cloud technology could provide effective solutions to increase visibility among departments in their organisations.
ERP
The case for ERP to ensure that an accurate flow of data and information is instantly accessible to all staff and managers was proven many years ago. Though implementation of ERP is not necessarily easy, its adoption has helped thousands of businesses streamline their operations by linking departments to a central databank, enabling real-time information to be accessed. Data across all departments is automatically updated when there is input, cutting out the need for departments to update their own data individually and reducing the margin of human error.
ERP makes a major contribution to customer relationship management (CRM), enabling fast response times to customer enquiries and orders, and in terms of operational efficiency, it improves collaboration between the front and back offices.
So where does using Cloud technology fit in?
Using the Cloud
Businesses that use ERP will be familiar with the IT infrastructure required to run it. The hardware and software requirements are often considerable, as is the need for skilled IT technicians. Cloud computing obviates the need for large capital outlay on new hardware and software, giving time back to the business as well as resources. With everything handled by the Software as a Service (SaaS) provider, productivity can be increased by collaborative working.
A major impact that using the Cloud can have on a business is its agility. Cloud providers give on-demand services, meaning a business can acquire and deploy resources more quickly when required, increasing or decreasing these resources where needed to meet demand. It gives the business the chance to innovate, to introduce new services and products, go into new markets and to adapt when circumstances change.
This agility also reduces the need for, and cost of, training people in the business, as the provider is operating the resources.
Collaborative working is the natural way forward to increase transparency and productivity throughout an organisation. People entering into the business arena today have grown up with Cloud technology, through social media and personal information sharing, and will expect to have the tools for business collaboration that are easy to use and effective.
Cloud computing also offers the ability for working remotely, and instead of the traditional desktop computer, ERP and CRM systems can be accessed by mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Global enterprise
In the joined up world of global enterprise, the importance of Cloud computing in the future should not be underestimated. As with many new technologies, the early adopters get one or more steps ahead and make the running quicker, easier and with more power.