At Flexibake, we know to grow your business you need to take the most strategic approach. Today, that approach is to have technology at the forefront and Cloud ERP is leading the charge.
So, what is Cloud ERP? It sounds like someone just tossed your information up in the air and it’s just sitting up in the sky for you to grab. In reality, it is simply having your data stored on someone else’s server, which you can access any time you want.
Cloud ERP options have grown exponentially in a short period of time. It’s not just the latest fad. When you look at the financial reasons businesses are switching over to Cloud ERP, you will soon realize it’s here to stay. With growing infrastructure, the need for scalability, and the need to stay current with changing technology, it is hard to keep up.
Why do the heavy lifting when someone else is willing to do it for you?
Infrastructures and Scalability
With business growth comes growth in your technological infrastructure. If you’re a small business, you may only have a couple computers hooked up to a server, but what happens when you grow? What may have started off as two computers, could easily turn into twenty-five, fifty or hundreds of computers. That old computer you turned into a server won’t be able to keep up with the strain on your network. It’ll be time for new servers, routers, cables, and I.T. staff to set this up and maintain it once it’s in place.
Cloud ERP takes care of all the IT work and infrastructure, plus it gives you freedom you may not have with an on premise server. When you connect to a Cloud ERP system, you aren’t bound to a single location that you have to work from. You can be in the office, at home, or on the road. Once you’re connected to your Cloud ERP you are free to focus on your work, rather than focusing on all the work that’s needed to keep your company technologically afloat.
Staying Current and Updated
Technology is constantly changing and you need to stay current or risk falling behind your competitors. As a business owner, you may not have the time to keep up with every change, but that doesn’t mean technology will go away. When you’re working with your Cloud ERP, you won’t have to focus on what needs to be upgraded. You can focus on your business and what you need to do to make it grow.
Increased Security and Privacy
Is there anything that you would consider 100% secure? Sadly, the answer is probably no. Whenever someone builds any form of security, there will always be someone out there who devotes all their effort to breaking that lock. there is no reason to be paranoid, but it is important to be diligent and keep our information as safe as possible.
A storage locker is kept secure by a pad lock. Anyone walking by could take a pair of bolt cutters and bust the lock off. If there are extremely valuable items in there, then you would probably use a finger print and retinal scanner, with a digital keypad lock and all stored in a reinforced vault. This is something to keep in mind when working with your Cloud ERP providers. What level of security do you need for your data? What can they provide? The other question you need to ask yourself is what’s more important: data integrity or data confidentiality?
There is a great debate on privacy vs. security. Is your main focus to keep your information secure, or is your focus to restrict certain people from certain aspects of that information? It’s safe to say that most Cloud ERP options put emphasis on security and will always be trying to stay ahead of the curve to the best of their ability. So ultimately what you need to be asking yourself is can I do a better job with my local on premise server than a professional?
Business Strategy with Cloud ERP
As your business grows and develops you will have new questions and challenges. You need to develop a focus that you can plan around. If you want to save money, time, space, and keep yourself current in the world of technology, then switching to a Cloud ERP likely makes the most sense. Once your business focus has developed, all of the answers will fall into place.