Six Reasons Why You Need Cloud For Your Business Management System

Featured article by Locke Truong, Director of Product Marketing at Sage

The digital transformation continues to disrupt business as usual, providing companies with technological capabilities they could only dream of in the past. Many businesses (nearly 87%) see the digital transformation as a chance to leapfrog the competition, which means it is a shift that cannot be ignored. Executives and leaders who are looking for ways to guide their businesses through this change should consider the many benefits of cloud computing. Alongside the opportunity to better compete, it provides businesses with the benefits to be agile and flexible in an increasingly complex and digital environment.

Here are five additional reasons to consider the cloud:

Deploy quickly

In a world with constant innovations in technology, businesses need to be able to easily deploy a new tech solution in order to stay competitive. Fortunately, cloud business management solutions allow for quick and easy deployment with minimal downtime and automatic upgrades. Since a cloud solution requires no additional hardware, you won’t have to waste time and resources on procuring and installing IT infrastructure. You can also easily add users at your disposal, making adoption and scalability feasible.

Decrease operating costs

One of the key gains of running your business in the cloud is cost efficiency. By eliminating hardware investment and freeing up IT resources, cloud can reduce cost to improve agility and simplify software management. In addition, you’ll benefit from faster delivery of new features and functions which can improve employee productivity. Overall, companies that value rapid business outcomes over long-term investment strategies are more likely to opt for a cloud solution.

Go mobile

If you were able to access your business anywhere at any time, wouldn’t you take that opportunity? Cloud software gives information that you or your employees need whether they are out on the production line or meeting with customers. Consider the cloud in order to gain access to critical business data and receive real-time analytics on the go with mobile devices. Give yourself and your team the flexibility to check your inventory, respond to customer inquiries and complete transactions from anywhere in the world.

Increase collaboration and productivity

Over 60 percent of employees feel more satisfied with their job when business information is easily accessible. We live in an increasingly mobile society, and employees have come to expect and rely upon access to data and business information when they need it. This streamlines customer service, problem solving and allows teams to collaborate no matter which departments they service.

Increase security

A concern that rises when a business considers the cloud is security. Compared to other options such as on-premise solutions, cloud-based business management solutions can offer enhanced security. The reputation of the vendor, like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure, is at risk when it comes to offering a secure cloud infrastructure, so look for a business management solution that offers transparent data protection. Vendors should be happy to provide you with a copy of their own testing from a third-party security-testing firm. What you can do to minimize your own risk is grant access to your employees based upon their role in your firm. This way, employees only have access to the company data that is integral to them doing their job.

If you want your business to remain competitive in 2016 and beyond, it is crucial that you think about how cloud computing can help you. Considering the benefits today will get you started on the road to success.